Wreckage of World War II ship that served with the US and Japan found near California

The wreckage of a U.S. Navy ship known as the "Ghost of the Pacific" has been found off the coast of California by a team of underwater investigators.

The USS Stewart, a Navy destroyer, was sunk as a target in May 1946. Now, a team from the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Naval Heritage and History Command, the marine technology company Ocean Infinity and the maritime archaeology foundation Search Inc. have found the wreckage of the vessel off the coast of Northern California.

"Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, a warship remains sovereign property in perpetuity," Rear Admiral Samuel J. Cox USN (Ret), the Director of Naval History and Heritage Command, and Curator for the US Navy, said in response to the discovery. "It is important to know the location and condition of such wrecks so that they may be protected from unauthorized disturbance under the US Sunken Military Craft Act."

Finding the wreckage

Three underwater autonomous vehicles from Ocean Infinity were launched Aug. 1 to conduct a day-long scan of the ocean floor using sonar and multibeam echosounder systems. Analyzing the data collected revealed the unmistakable image of a ship – the USS Stewart – resting on the seafloor at a depth of about 3,500 feet.

"Preliminary sonar scans revealed that the Stewart is largely intact and that its hull – which remainssleek and imposing – rests nearly upright on the seafloor," a statement from the search team said. "This level of preservation is exceptional for a vessel of its age and makes it potentially one of the best-preserved examples of a US Navy 'fourstacker' destroyer known to exist."

After the initial discovery of the wreckage, the search team conducted visual inspection using a remote-operated vehicle equipped with a camera.

“The USS Stewart represents a unique opportunity to study a well-preserved example of early twentieth-century destroyer design," Search Inc. senior vice president Dr. James Delgado said.

The USS Stewart's unique history

Of the thousands of Navy ships in service during World War II, the USS Stewart may have one of the most unusual histories of all.

Commissioned in 1920, the ship was stationed in the Philippines as part of the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Fleet by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Damaged in combat in February 1942, the ship was undergoing repairs at the island of Java when the crew was forced to abandon it ahead of advancing Japanese forces.

After being raised and repaired, the ship was pressed into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy. There, the occasional sighting of the destroyer – with its distinctly American design – operating behind enemy lines earned it the "ghost ship" moniker.

In 1945, as Japan was occupied at the end of World War II, the ship was found afloat at Kure, Japan.

Recommissioned once more as the USS Stewart, the old destroyer was towed back to San Francisco and sunk the next year as a target ship.

"Its story, from US Navy service to Japanese capture and back again, makes it a powerful symbol ofthe Pacific War's complexity," Delgado said.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com