HISTORY: Famed WW2 Aircraft Carrier Torpedoed in 1942 Found Miles Deep in Pacific Ocean.

The Hornet was the last US fleet carrier lost to enemy action.

Vulcan Inc., an exploration team financed by the Paul Allen estate, discovered the sunken American aircraft carrier near the Solomon Islands in late January, CBS reports. Crewmembers aboard the RV Petrel used a deep-sea sonar drone to detect the ship 17,500 feet (5,330 meters) below the surface.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) was then sent down to investigate further, confirming the wreckage as belonging to the Hornet, which it did by spotting its naval designation, CV-8. The Hornet went down during the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in 1942 after a fierce fight with ships and planes from the Japanese Imperial Navy.

Impressive find by Paul Allen’s foundation, which has been on a roll lately.