USS Samuel B Roberts: World's deepest shipwreck discovered

Image source, Caladan Oceanic/EYOS Expedtions

The US navy destroyer escort was sunk in WWII.

The battle off the coast of the Philippines in October 1944 resulted in the downing of the ship Samuel B Roberts. It is in the middle of a body of water.

The "Sammy B" was found battered but largely intact by Victor Vescovo.

The vessel has a reputation for being a hero against the Japanese.

It was outnumbered and outgunned, but it was able to contain and frustrate the enemy ships.

89 of Samuel B Roberts' crew died. The survivors had to stay in life rafts for 50 hours.

Mr Vescovo said it was an honor to locate the lost ship and have the chance to tell its amazing story.

He said that the wrecks of the vessels are the last witnesses to the battles that they fought.

"The Sammy B engaged the Japanese heavy cruisers at point blank range and fired so rapidly it exhausted its bullets; it was down to shooting smoke shells and illumination rounds to try to set fires on the Japanese ships, and it kept firing." It was an amazing act of bravery. The men were fighting to the end.

The hull structure, guns and torpedo tubes can be seen in the imagery captured by the Limiting Factor.

There is evidence in the stern quarter of the Sammy B that it was hit.

It looks like the vessel hit the bow first.

98% of the world's ocean bottom is less than 6000m deep. The great trenches are deeper still.

Image source, US Navy