The wreckage of a US aircraft carrier that was sunk during World War Two has been found at a depth of around 4,200 meters off the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

An international research team funded by the late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen issued a report on the discovery of the USS Wasp on Wednesday.

In January, the team confirmed that the Wasp was sitting at the bottom of the Coral Sea.

Footage taken by an unmanned deep ocean vessel shows the anchor, part of the bridge, and guns as well as the remains of carrier-borne aircraft.

The USS Wasp was deployed to the Pacific in June 1942 to join a naval battle against Japan off Guadal canal.
On September 15, the Wasp was hit by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine and set ablaze. After the surviving crew were evacuated, the ship was sunk by a US destroyer.

More than 2,000 crewmembers were on board the Wasp. US naval records show that 176 died in the attack.

Four US aircraft carriers are known to have gone down in the Pacific during World War Two. With the latest discovery, the resting places of all four have been identified.

NHK