In a first, explorers at WWII shipwreck discover aircraft from legendary Battle of Midway

More images from an iconic U.S. Navy aircraft carrier that was sunk in the Pacific Ocean during World War II have been released, just days after a crew said they found a military vehicle inside the ship. 

NOAA Ocean Exploration sent a remotely-operated camera inside the USS Yorktown on April 19 and 20, the agency said in a news release. The 806-foot-long aircraft carrier, nicknamed the “Fighting Lady,” played a huge role in the United States’ Pacific campaign during World War II before it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The mission was the first to focus on the ship’s hanger deck. 

The most surprising find was the first-ever discovery of underwater aircraft that had flown on the Midway battlefield, NOAA said. Previous missions have investigated ships that took part in the battle, but the dive on April 20 found aircraft that had engaged in the air and sea battle. 

At least three Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers were found on the hanger deck. One plane was still fully armed, with a bomb secured in its release cradle. This plane was likely part of a reserve force, NOAA said.  

The other two planes were battle-damaged. They are believed to be part of the USS Enterprise’s bombing squadron, which landed aboard the USS Yorktown after a successful attack on a Japanese carrier ship. Records show that the badly damaged airplanes were moved to the hangar deck and set ablaze when three enemy bombs struck the USS Yorktown, NOAA said. Research to confirm the planes is ongoing. 

The remote-operated camera also identified multiple plane wings in the hangar deck. These were likely spare parts, NOAA said. One of the plane wings had first been imaged during a 2023 expedition. 

Another discovery showcased in the new images is a mural hand-painted inside one of the ship’s elevator shafts. 

The mural, “A Chart of the Cruises of the USS Yorktown,” had been partially visible in historic photographs taken before the ship’s sinking, but has not been seen since. The 42-foot by 12-foot mural tracks the Yorktown’s trips across the world. 

The remotely-operated camera was able to show the intricate details painted in the mural. 

NOAA also found marine life in the shipwreck, including colorful red jellyfish that may be members of a new species. Tubeworms and anemones were also spotted. 

The USS Yorktown wreck is protected and managed by the Naval History and Heritage Command, NOAA said. It serves as a resting place for hundreds of servicemen who were aboard the ship when it sank. It has been the site of multiple remotely operated vehicle dives since it was discovered and documented in 1998. 

More than 3,400 people were killed in the Battle of Midway. Three hundred and sixty-two U.S. troops died, according to the National WWII Museum, and the vast majority of the casualties were Japanese service members. Japanese forces lost four aircraft carriers, one cruiser and hundreds of aircraft, while the U.S. lost one carrier, one destroyer and dozens of aircraft.