On the ship "Lamantin". Photo: Sergei Fadeichev
The Russian Geographical Society and the Ludi Morya Foundation (eng. People of the Sea Foundation) continued the historical and geographical project «Maritime Heritage» with another expedition to Sakhalin. As part of the project, specialists are using 3D modeling and underwater photogrammetry to restore information about historical and cultural sites in Russia. During the May expedition, researchers installed a memorial plaque at the bottom of the La Perouse Strait in memory of the American submarine «Wahoo», which was lost here during World War II due to Japanese air strikes.
«In 2024, the RGS, together with the marine engineering company 'Fertoing’ and the Ludi Morya Foundation, is launching work within the framework of the 'Maritime Heritage of Russia’ historical and geographical project,» said Natalya Belyakova, Director of the Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department. «The project will make it possible to systematize, preserve, and digitally pass information that has been obtained as a result of many years of underwater and onshore research in the waters of the Russian seas and adjacent coastal territories for posterity. In addition to the research in the La Perouse Strait, this year there will be expeditions in the Caspian and Baltic Seas, in the Gulf of Finland. The result of the work will be the filling of the GIS platform "Marine Heritage" with information, where data on historical and cultural sites of Russia will be posted.»
On May 21, the expedition members set off on a specially equipped vessel «Lamantin» to the site of the sinking of the submarine «Wahoo». Research has been conducted in the strait before. In 2006, the Pacific Fleet tried to find the Soviet submarine L-19 in the La Perouse Strait. It sank in these waters on August 23, 1945. The L-19 was never found. The unexpected result of these searches was the discovery of an unknown object, which was later identified by researchers as the American submarine «Wahoo». In 2023, the «Fertoing» team conducted an external inspection of its hull and built a 3D model of the vessel using underwater photogrammetry.
Underwater ROV preparation on the “Lamantin”. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev
The «Wahoo» submarine is one of the most effective American submarines of the World War II. This is the first American vessels to enter the Sea of Japan. During its combat journey, it sank 20 Japanese ships with a total displacement of 60,038 tons and sank while returning from its seventh combat mission. Its commander Dudley W. Morton is a legendary American submariner of the World War II. From 1959 to 1982, the American navy included a destroyer named after him.
Since September 1939, Poland, France, and the United Kingdom were at war with Germany. As a result of the Nazi Germany’s attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941, the Soviet Union also joined the coalition. After Japan attacked the United States on December 7, 1941, the United States and China joined the alliance, which Japan invaded back in 1931. American troops sided with the Soviet Union and fought the German invader at sea and on land.
Research in the La Perouse Strait. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev
This season, members of the expedition paid tribute to the American submariners who died in the fight against the common enemy and lowered a wreath with a commemorative ribbon to the side of the submarine with the help of an underwater remotely operated vehicle. «Ships, like humans, also need fame, respect, and immortality. Eternal memory to them! But even the lost ships have a future,» reads the inscription on the plaque.
«Search work in Russian territorial waters is an important part of our foundation’s activities. It is primarily aimed at perpetuating the memory of the sailors who died defending the homeland, and in the case of the 'Wahoo’, at perpetuating the memory of our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition during World War II,» said Anna Radkova, Executive Director of the Ludi Morya Foundation. «We want to ensure that there are no 'blank spots’ on the sea charts in the preservation of Russia’s maritime heritage and that all lost ships and vessels are found and examined. The founder of the foundation, marine engineering company 'Fertoing’, provides us with the necessary technical and human resources for this work, which allows us to successfully complete the tasks of searching for sunken ships. It is important to emphasize that, thanks to our joint work, not only historical scientists receive new materials and data. Ordinary people can learn more about the maritime heritage of our state through the information portal 'Rossiya — ot morya do morya’ (eng. 'Russia: From Sea to Sea’)»
Installation of the memorial plaque. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev
During the project, the expedition participants also collected water and soil samples, which, in the future, can be transferred to the relatives of those killed in battle. The search for the Soviet submarine L-19 will also continue. There are many versions of its location, but there are no reliable coordinates. It is necessary to consistently work in the waters of the La Perouse Strait. Pavel Kovrov, head of the hydrographic group of the «Fertoing» company, said that finding the L-19 was quite realistic, it took time.
Maria Buldakova