Alaska’s Aleutian Islands were the site of a recent discovery, one of serious historical importance. The USS Abner Read served in WWII when the battle took to the ground at Kiska Island, the only World War II battle fought on North American soil. Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Delaware found the shipwreck last month during a research mission. The rear portion of the ship made its final resting place in the Bering Sea while the rest of the resilient ship was repaired and went back to the war effort.

The USS Abner Read was a Fletcher-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship served the waters near the Aleutian Islands during WWII, and fought in the Battle against the Japanese occupiers of Kiska Island.
Wikipedia Creative Commons
In 1944, the destroyer hit a mine left underwater by the Japanese and the stern of the ship was blown off. The 75-foot long stern section of ship lies on the ocean floor near Kiska.
Travis | Flickr
When the mine exploded, the ship was badly damaged, but it did not sink. Naval crews were able to repair the ship and send it back out to the war effort.
Wikimedia Creative Commons

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On July 17, 2018 the missing stern section was found on the bottom of the ocean. The ship section had been missing since the famed Battle of Attu on August 18, 1943.
jomilo75 | Flickr
Scientists were searching for the wreckage of a B-24 Liberator bomber when they happened to find the lost section of the stern in the waters near Kiska.
Kim F | Flickr
The remains of the 71 soldiers who passed away in combat lie here in the shipwreck. A cemetary wreath was presented and the fallen soldiers given a proper, if watery, burial.
Coast Guard News | Flickr
The stern of the USS Abner Read, a US naval ship with 71 crewmen aboard, now lies at the bottom of the Bering Sea. After initial investigation, the U.S. Navy declared the site a war grave and no further discovery operations are planned.
Hilmil1 | Flickr

Watch a video about the shipwreck here, including underwater footage.

The Princess Sophia tragically sank near Juneau and The Story Of This Terrible Shipwreck In Alaska Is Absolutely Bone Chilling. Look here to check out The 10 Most Horrifying Natural Disasters That Ever Happened In Alaska.

Do you know anything else about Alaska in WWII? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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