The sunken remains of five Japanese and two U.S. warships — including the vessel that fired the first American shot of World War II — have been found off the Philippines, a team of deep sea explorers funded by billionaire Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen have announced.
Released earlier this week, ahead of the anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, underwater footage shows one of the ships is the USS Ward, the destroyer that fired the first American shot in the war on the morning of the surprise attack, just outside Pearl Harbor. Its second shot sank a Japanese midget submarine.
Briefing reporters Thursday aboard the research vessel Petrel, docked in the port city of Surigao on the northernmost tip of Mindanao island, the team also presented images of what are believed to be wrecks of the Japanese warships Yamashiro, Fuso, Yamagumo, Asagumo and Michishio, which were found between Nov. 22 and 29 on the Surigao Strait seabed.