A wartime wreck emerges: First photos in 83 years reveal Akizuki‑class destroyer in remarkable condition.
Built in the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan, and commissioned in 1942, Teruzuki fought fiercely in the First and Second Naval Battles of Guadalcanal, torpedoing multiple American warships without taking damage.
An international expedition led by the Ocean Exploration Trust and partners, including NOAA and the Naval History and Heritage Command, has confirmed the discovery of the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki—lying wrecked at a depth of over 800 metres in Iron Bottom Sound, Solomon Islands.
Final voyage
Commissioned in mid‑1942, Teruzuki served as an Akizuki‑class escort destroyer, supporting carrier groups during the Guadalcanal campaign. On 12 December 1942, while escorting a supply convoy near Savo Island, she was struck by two U.S. PT‑boat torpedoes that damaged her rudder and propulsion system. A ruptured oil tank ignited fires that eventually sank the ship, taking nine of her roughly 350 crew members. Most survivors were rescued or swam ashore.
What the wreck reveals
Subsea vehicles Hercules and Atalanta surveyed the site using high‑resolution sonar and returned the first visual record since the ship's sinking. The stern section is detached approximately 200 metres from the main hull, but notably retains depth charges still lined along its deck rail—suggesting the loss did not result from an internal explosion, as previously thought. Many structural elements, including the gun turrets, remain remarkably intact.
Historical significance
Teruzuki was part of a significant Japanese surface fleet in late 1942 and participated in damaging several U.S. destroyers during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Her brief wartime active service and role in the so‑called "Tokyo Express" resupply missions make her discovery especially important for naval historians studying Pacific theatre operations.
Next steps
Researchers plan further exploration to map the wreck site fully and document the vessel’s structure in detail. The discovery has already deepened understanding of the sequence of events that caused the ship's sinking. It also marks one of the few surviving examples of Akizuki‑class design at depth, offering rare insight into mid‑century destroyer construction and loss.
Fact file
The Akizuki-class ships were originally designed as anti-aircraft escorts for carrier battle groups, but were modified with torpedo tubes and depth charges to meet the need for more general-purpose destroyers. Their crews numbered 300 officers and enlisted men. —Wikipedia
