Mysterious 1940s Ford Super Deluxe Woody Wagon Found In U.S.S. Yorktown Wreckage 3 Miles Deep In The Pacific
A NOAA (National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration) Ocean Exploration expedition in the South Pacific made an interesting discovery among the wreckage of a World War 2 aircraft carrier that was sunk during the Battle of Midway.
The Okeanos Explorer is on a 28-day mission using remotely operated vehicles to map and survey deep areas of the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument, a 140,000-square-mile protected area.
While in the area, on April 19 it visited the wreckage of the U.S.S. Yorktown, which was first discovered in 1988 on the ocean floor in an area that is about three miles deep.
The ship was damaged by bombs and torpedoes during the Battle of Midway and was being towed back to Honolulu for repairs, when it was sunk torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. More than 300 of is crew were killed during the attacks.
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An ROV was being directed down an elevator shaft and into a hangar when what was unmistakably a car came into view. The deck was at an angle and the vehicle partially submerged in silt.
The body and windows of the car remain and there is still a spare tire attached to the rear of it. The distinctive split rear window, vertical section of the bumper and torn fabric roof suggest that it is a 1940s Ford Super Deluxe Woody station wagon.
Speculation is that it was Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher’s flag car, but that has not yet been officially confirmed. It has a ship service front license plate, but it is mostly illegible. Super Deluxe Woody wagons were not commonly used by the U.S. Navy. Fletcher survived the war and died in 1973 at age 87.
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NOAA is encouraging anyone with expert knowledge to share any information or ideas they might have in the comments section of the ROV video posted to YouTube.