ORMOC CITY, Philippines — The US research vessel RV Petrel is conducting a two-day exploration of the wreckage of World War II battleships that sank in the waters off Ormoc, officials said yesterday.
R/V Petrel, which is owned by billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has found the wreckage of American and Japanese warships, including the USS Ward, which fired the first shot against Japanese invaders during the Pearl Harbor bombing in Hawaii.
Robert Kraft, head of the expedition crew, said they would do confirmatory exploration to make sure that the wreckage they found was that of USS Ward.
The Ormoc expedition was made on the request of Mayor Richard Gomez, according to Gay Lacsima of the National Museum.
City officials led by Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr. were given a tour of the research ship.
Aside from battleships, Kraft believes that merchant ships also sank in the area.
Kraft said photos of the wreckage of USS Ward may be used for the Ormoc Museum that is being developed by the local government.
R/V Petrel found the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis 18,000 feet deep in the Surigao Strait on Aug. 18.
Locsin said Ormoc would be placed on the world map following the discovery of the sunken wreckage of USS Ward in Kawit Strait.