USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) : “USS Mannert L. Abele identified as shipwreck off Okinawa coast, 84 crewmen lost”
The USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) has been positively identified as the shipwreck found off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). The destroyer, an Allen M. Sumner-class, was constructed by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and launched on April 23, 1944. On April 12, 1945, the ship was sunk near Okinawa by the Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka, a rocket-powered kamikaze attack aircraft, resulting in the loss of 84 crewmen. The NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology Branch was able to confirm the ship’s identity with the help of ocean explorer Tim Taylor and his team’s “Lost 52 Project.” The site of the wreck now has a protected status under U.S. legislation and falls within the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy. Any actions that may disturb the sunken craft must be coordinated with NHHC.
News Source : HeritageDaily – Archaeology News
- USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733)
- World War II destroyer
- Shipwreck exploration
- Naval heritage
- Underwater archaeology