The submarine "Wahoo". Photo: press service of the Ludi Morya Foundation
A commemorative capsule with water and soil from the 1943 wreckage site of the American submarine «Wahoo» (SS-238 Wahoo) was handed over to the US authorities by Russian Ambassador to Washington Aleksandr Darchiev. The legendary submarine sank in the La Perouse Strait near Sakhalin Island and was discovered in 2006 by the marine exploration and research center of the Pacific Fleet «Iskra». And in 2023, during the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society, specialists from the Ludi Morya Foundation performed photogrammetry of the submarine’s hull and created its 3D model.
Initially, the target of the search was the Soviet submarine L-19, which was lost during World War II. The «Wahoo» was found by accident, and it took time to identify it reliably.
In 2023, during the RGS’s «Voices of the Lost Ships» expedition, researchers conducted an external inspection of the submarine’s hull and built its 3D model using underwater photogrammetry. The technology allows you to create photorealistic three-dimensional models of objects based on a large array of photographs using special software.
Memorial plaque before installation at the wreckage site of the American submarine in the La Perouse Strait. Photo: Sergei Fadeichev
The research continued in May 2024, when participants of a joint expedition of the RGS, the Pacific Fleet, and the marine engineering company «Fertoing» conducted underwater work using a remote-controlled underwater vehicle. The crowning achievement of the exploration mission was a memorial ceremony. In particular, the expedition participants laid a wreath on the seabed near the lost submarine, intertwined with a ribbon with the inscription «Russians remember». And a memorial plaque was installed by the hull of the «Wahoo». The inscription on it reads: «Ships, like people, also need fame, respect, and immortality. Eternal memory to them! But even lost ships have a future». At the same time, samples of soil and water were collected at the ship’s resting place for transfer to the relatives of the crew members.
The «Wahoo» went down in the history of the US Navy as one of the most productive submarines of the Second World War. This is the first American submarine to enter the Sea of Japan. During seven raids, it sank 20 Japanese ships and vessels, but went down on October 11, 1943, in the La Perouse Strait after being attacked by Japanese aircraft. The «Wahoo» became a mass grave for 80 American sailors.
The ship’s commander, Dudley W. Morton, is still revered as one of the most outstanding submarine heroes of World War II. A US Navy destroyer was named in his honor in 1959. And the «Wahoo» memorial fund is headed by the grandson of the commander of the legendary submarine.
The current solemn ceremony of handing over a capsule with water and soil from the wreckage site of the American submarine took place on May 15 at the US Navy Memorial Visitor Center in Washington and became part of the work of the joint Russia-US Commission on POWs/MIAs. In addition to the relatives of the crew of the lost submarine, representatives of the White House and the US State Department also took part in the event.
«Now the current generations of Russians and Americans have the opportunity to remember the valor of the Second World War and pay tribute to our fallen heroes who gave us Victory over the forces of evil who plotted a 'new order' of genocide and enslavement,» Aleksandr Darchiev said.
The Russian ambassador said that the Victory was achieved thanks to colossal sacrifices and cannot be forgotten or rewritten. And the memory of the Second World War requires special attention and preservation by new generations.
«We must teach our children the truth about those tragic and heroic times,» the Russian diplomat stressed.
Together with the capsule, Aleksandr Darchiev handed over to the American side a model of the «Wahoo» submarine, as well as video materials made during the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society.