Eternally on patrol

Lost 52 Project hopes to find all U.S. submarines lost in World War II

Lost 52 Project hopes to find all U.S. submarines lost in World War II

During the brutal, bloody campaign in the Pacific during World War II, submarines played a crucial role in assuring an Allied victory. Fewer than 50,000 men served in the United States submarine service – less than 2 percent of American naval strength – and only about 16,000 ever went to sea. Yet this diminutive force dealt an enormous blow to Japan’s war efforts.

Over the course of the war, submarines were credited with destroying 1,113 merchant vessels, strangling the flow of supplies through the Japanese empire. Submarines also sank 201 Japanese warships and played a number of important secondary roles, such as rescuing downed aviators and providing protection during amphibious landings.

But submariners paid a heavy price for their efforts. Fifty-two American submarines were lost, resulting in the deaths of 3,131 enlisted sailors and 374 officers. Nearly one out of five men who served on a U.S. submarine during World War II never came home.

In recent years, an effort to find these submarines and their entombed sailors has picked up speed. The Lost 52 Project was founded by explorer Tim Taylor after he discovered the wreck of the USS in October 2010. This submarine sank off Key West in June 1943 due to an accident, with a loss of 42 sailors.

“I experienced firsthand that these discoveries are about people,” says Taylor. “They are links to generations of families who are still feeling a tremendous sense of loss. These men for the most part disappeared into the unknown.”

Taylor began researching how many other submarines lost in World War II could potentially be found using underwater robotic technology. He hopes the Lost 52 Project will be able to fully document the stories of the war’s lost submarines and the sailors who served on them.

Methods

The Lost 52 Project uses deep water autonomous underwater vehicles in its initial search for a submarine. These AUVs can scan about 22 square miles of seabed in 24 hours, reaching depths of up to 4,500 meters. Once an expedition locates a potential target, it can deploy a large commercial remotely operated vehicle to film the object.

Taylor says the Lost 52 Project has several international permits that allow it to search for many different submarines. But numerous factors can affect the success of an expedition once it is underway, primarily the weather.

Historical records can usually provide clues to a sunken sub’s likely location. Japanese records made available after the war include reports of the likely destruction of a sub, such as a depth charging that produced bubbles, oil, and debris. By matching this information with records on where a submarine was patrolling at the time of its disappearance, its fate and location can be pinpointed.

It’s not always this easy, however. When postwar records can’t account for the destruction of a sub, it’s typically assumed that it ran into a mine, was sunk by an unreported enemy attack, or was doomed by an accident.

The Lost 52 Project’s expeditions are funded independently through Taylor’s private investment group. It also raises money for post-processing and community outreach efforts through its nonprofit group Ocean Outreach Inc.

“This helps to locate and unite families and share our discoveries with the public,” says Taylor. “It is never fully possible to reach all families, and national press coverage is extremely important in getting the information out to family members.”