The Legacy and Loss of USS Juneau: Wreck Analysis

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

On 13 November 1942, a violent explosion engulfed USS Juneau (CL-52) and the ship seemed to vanish from sight. Catastrophically hit by torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-26, the ship sank in less than a minute with most of its 693 crewmen onboard. About 115 Sailors survived the sinking, but only 14 were rescued after days at sea. The story of service and sacrifice of Juneau, particularly the loss of five Sullivan brothers, had a powerful impact on the Navy and the nation as a whole, then and today. The discovery of the wreck in 2017 provides the Navy with an opportunity to corroborate the historical records and try to answer some of history’s lingering questions. The study of Juneau fulfills the Underwater Archaeology Branch’s mission to interpret, manage, and protect the Navy’s shipwrecks, but also serves as a way to honor the service of the ship and crew.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology