Researchers have confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck in the Kuril Islands, resolving a decades-old mystery surrounding the loss of USS Herring and its crew of 83.
The US Navy has officially confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck discovered off the coast of Japan to be that of USS Herring.
The US Navy has confirmed the identity of a World War II submarine wreck discovered off the coast of Matsuwa Island in the Kuril Islands, bringing closure to a mystery that has endured for more than eight decades.
The wreck has been identified as USS Herring (SS-233), a Gato-class submarine lost on 1 June 1944 during combat operations against Japanese forces in the northern Pacific. All 83 crew members aboard were lost.
The confirmation was announced by the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) on the 82nd anniversary of the submarine’s disappearance.
Final patrol
USS Herring entered service in 1942 and operated in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres during the war. Over the course of eight combat patrols, it was credited with sinking numerous Japanese vessels before starting its final mission to the Kuril Islands in May 1944.
Historical records indicate that Herring successfully attacked two Japanese ships anchored near Matsuwa Island before coming under fire from a Japanese shore battery. Contemporary Japanese accounts reported that the submarine’s conning tower was struck twice, after which the vessel sank. No further contact was received from the submarine.
For decades, the exact location of the wreck remained unknown.
Discovery and confirmation
A submarine wreck was first located in the area in 2017 during a joint expedition involving the Russian Geographic Society and the Russian military. Based on its location and appearance, researchers suspected it could be USS Herring. A follow-up expedition in 2022 documented the site and placed a commemorative plaque honouring the lost crew.
The final identification came after detailed analysis of survey data collected during those expeditions. Researchers from the United States and Japan worked with the Naval History and Heritage Command to compare the wreck’s features with archival records and wartime accounts.
According to the Navy, the submarine rests upright on the seabed at a depth of approximately 90 metres and remains in a remarkably intact condition. Investigators noted battle damage around the conning tower, as well as evidence of impact damage at the bow, both of which correspond closely with accounts of the vessel’s final engagement.
A protected war grave
The identification carries significance beyond solving a historical mystery. Under US law, the wreck is protected as a sunken military craft and serves as the final resting place of the 83 sailors who died aboard.
The Naval History and Heritage Command emphasised that the site should be treated with respect as a war grave. While certain non-intrusive activities may be permitted, any actions that could disturb the wreck require coordination with the Navy.
Historical importance
The confirmation of USS Herring’s identity illustrates the growing role of modern marine survey technologies in maritime archaeology and military history. Advances in sonar imaging, remote sensing and deep-water documentation are permitting researchers to revisit long-standing wartime mysteries and identify wrecks that were previously beyond reach.
For historians and descendants of those lost at sea, those discoveries provide more than technical confirmation. They help complete historical records, honour those who served and preserve concrete links to events which shaped the course of the Second World War.
