The WWII Fletcher-class destroyer USS Johnston, one of the world’s deepest shipwrecks ever to be explored, was discovered in 2021 by a deep-ocean expedition team lead by Victor Vescovo and Parks Stephenson.
On a recent episode on the video podcast Museum Ship Mafia, Victor and Parks took us behind the scenes of that discovery… the frustration of the search, how it was found, and what it was like to be down next to that iconic ship.
To start your 30-day free trial of Audible….
0:00 Introduction
2:19 Introducing Victor Vescovo
4:27 French Submarine Minerve
6:37 Commissioning of the USS Johnston
8:22 Why search for WWII shipwrecks?
11:38 Connecting the dots to the Johnston wreck location
18:55 The frustrations of shipwreck diving
22:00 The condition of the Titanic shipwreck
25:15 Why do a solo dive in a submersible?
28:53 Using AI to find shipwrecks
29:23 The cost of deep-diving submersibles
33:05 Images of the Johnston shipwreck
40:28 Commander Ernest Evans
42:16 The pairs of shoes of Titanic
45:22 Coping with the excitement of wreck discovery
47:36 The last survivor of the sinking of the USS Johnston
50:48 “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” by James Hornfischer
52:19 The real Jurassic Park
56:48 Did the USS Johnston split in-half?
1:03:58 The USS Samuel B Roberts
1:08:26 The Star Wars 501st Legion ignored the Titanic
1:10:27 Fletcher class destroyers lost in battle
1:19:03 Lt. Hugh Barr Miller
Video Credits:
National Archives…
Vulcan, Incorporated…
Re-enactment of the marooning of Lt. Hugh Barr Miller… United States Navy “One Man Army”
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER UNDER SECTION 107 OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1976, ALLOWANCE IS MADE FOR “FAIR USE” FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING, SCHOLARSHIP, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. FAIR USE IS A USE PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT STATUTE THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE INFRINGING.
Screen captures and motion clips used in this video are protected by the Fair Use Law, section 107 used for commentary, criticism, news reporting or education for transformative use.
