WWII Ship Hiding Mysteries On Pacific Ocean's Floor West Of Half Moon Bay
HALF MOON BAY (KPIX 5) -- Scientists got a rare glimpse at a World War II aircraft carrier that sank 65 years ago just off the Bay Area's coast.
The scientists are exploring the ship with underwater cameras, and sharing the pictures with the world. The USS Independence is 30 miles off the coast of Half Moon Bay.
"As we approached the stern, we could see, in steel raised letters, with paint still on them, USS Independence," Maritime Archaeologist Jim Delgado said.
In the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean's floor - we have our best look yet a haunting relic from the war - sitting perfectly upright, as if it was placed there by hand.
"Independence remains very much intact, an undersea museum of all of the experiences of her life," Delgado said.
It's been quite a life.
The USS Independence - an aircraft carrier built on top of a converted cruiser hull - joined the Pacific fleet in 1943.
From Okinawa to Leyte Gulf, she fought right through the end of the war. As soon as the war was over, she was drafted for target practice.
The Independence was hit with two atomic weapons during the Bikini Atoll tests, but she didn't sink, at least not until she was dragged back to California.
"They packed it with a bunch of debris they wanted to dispose of, and they sunk it out in the marina sanctuary," Maria Brown with the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary said.
Sixty-five years after she was scuttled, the ship is home to new life. "It is covered in sponges, so there is life all over it," Brown said.
But even more compelling is the evidence of ships past life.
"We've seen an aircraft sitting inside the main hangar," Delgado said. It's a Hellcat - a famous WWII fighter. Paint is still there from crews who pinpointed atomic testing damage - strong and evocative reminders of her role in the war, and the atomic tests.