Paul Allen's R/V Petrel team has already accomplished its first mission of 2019 — finding one of the most important aircraft carriers in WWII history.
The USS Hornet played a role in the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of Midway. It was sunk during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, taking 140 of her 2,200-person crew down with her. Last month, 76 years later, her wreckage was located by the R/V Petrel team 5,330 meters (17,500 feet) underwater in the South Pacific Ocean.
The 10-person team was able to locate the vessel by piecing together data from national and naval archives — official deck logs, action reports, and sightings from nine other U.S. warships.
Watch more about the search for the USS Hornet in CBS's two-part special.
Want to get more connected to the great stories and resources Connecting Vets has to offer? Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.




