The Wreck of USS Hornet - Doolittle Raider Rediscovered, Remarkably Preserved 

"If you find my locker you can have the $44 I've left in it." That gave me a good laugh.

My father was an SBD pilot assigned to VS-8 on the USS Hornet (CV-8). During the Battle of Santa Cruz, his squadron was attacking the Japanese carrier Shokaku as the Hornet was being bombed and torpedoed. He hit the Shokaku with a 1000 lbs. bomb but unfortunately his squadron was unable to sink it. However, it did put Shokaku out of the war for almost 7 months. During his return to the US fleet, he was attacked by a Zero which severely wounded his rear gunner. He was able to escape but when he sighted the Hornet it was dead in the water, listing, and unable to land planes. Fortunately he was able to find the USS Enterprise. After an initial wave off and with almost empty fuel tanks he was able to land. He rear gunner had lost so much blood that as his plane was being pushed aside, an Enterprise plane handler pointed at his SBD and said "Look that plane is bleeding!" His rear gunner spent 6 months in the hospital but survived and lived until 2007.

That tractor still being in place and in such excellent condition is an incredibly evocative image

My dad who passed in 1996, was in bombing 8 squadron. He was aboard when she went down in the battle of Santa Cruz. He was an aviation ordinanceman in the squadron and was on board the day she was commissioned and the day she sunk. I remember growing up the stories he told me particularly about Doolittle’s raid. Kids today have no idea the sacrifice these brave men paid to get what we have today- freedom! I’m 76 years old and I also enlisted in the Navy and am a Vietnam veteran as was my dad. Thank you for the photos of the Hornet to those responsible. They bring back wonderful memories of my dad. Never expose her location!

The fact that the tractor is still parked in the same spot is fascinating. Thank you for the share.

I remember as an eleven year old kid attending the opening ceremonies for the 1968 USA Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon. Jimmy Dolittle was a speaker. I was amazed, as everyone in the stadium automatically rose to their feet in respect. Today, not even the President, if anyone, would get that level of respect.

Let´s say it like it is: the wreck is much safer from Chinese wreck thieves than the wrecks in Indonesian waters.

My Uncle was on the Uss Hornet CV8,when she was sunk. My Father was on the USS Pensacola in the same Battle and saw her go down. Survivors were oicked up by Destroyers and transferred to the larger ships,some to Pensacola where my Dad was able to see his brother on the Holeworth awaiting transfer to another Ship of the Line. Wonderful Vider. My uncle said the were told they were only 7 miles from land,straight down.

One thing about her and Yorktown’s wrecks are that they’re in great condition. In someways they’re like Enterprise in that they won’t die.

My dad was on the way to join the USS Hornet as a Wildcat pilot when she was sunk. He instead was sent to train in the Hellcat. He did end up on the replacement Hornet.

the Hornet did not want to be forgotten, so kept spiffed up for future generations..to remind these gens what sacrifice and community togetherness..to launch Doolittle's brave band to make a statement..knowing it was their last flight..so much i want to say..but you folks know..thanks again for such an iconic ship to be viewed again..great job

My Great Uncle, Peter A. Duffy, was an officer and engineer aboard USS Hornet during 1942. He was wounded at the Battle of Santa Cruz and survived the war.

My friend Ed Knoebel who passed away some years ago was a Boilerman On the USS Hornet and was wounded during the attack on her.I did get a few stories out of him and I cherish the memory of my time with him and his Family at his home in Glennallen, Alaska. Rest in peace ship and Crew !

Props to petrel for not only finding the wrecks but also keeping their locations hidden to protect them. Hopefully they haven't gone selling that info privately. Question, have we found Shokaku and/or Zuikaku at all?

The resolution of sonar side scans compared to twenty years ago are simply amazing.

My admiration goes to the Sailor who tied (chained) down that IH tractor.

Thanks for posting this. My dad was a Hornet crew member from the day she was launched until the day she went down.

I cannot believe how pristine this wreck looks after 80 years it's almost as if it just sunk it's amazing

my grandfather was on the USS South Dakota during the battle of Santa Cruz. He watched the hornet sink. he was behind one of the big guns when a zero flew into it. he had shrapnel down one side of his body (numerous pieces all the way down) and was put in the hospital in New Caledonia to get patched up.

The tug is pretty cool. It probably was used to get Doolittle's Raiders in position to launch their attack on Japan. It still has it's heavy weights attached to the rear wheels for pulling heavier aircraft around. I agree that the location of our great shipwrecks should never be divulged considering what the breakers are doing in other parts of the world.

My father was a signal man on the second Hornet (CV 12) and he would always make sure people knew he sailed on the USS Hornet, "the second one."

Awesome video! Thanks for sharing it. My uncle, Roy Pippin was a port side gunners mate and was tasked with cleaning and function testing the 1911's that were issued to the Dolittle flight crews. The Captain told him "make sure they are clean and work right, l think they are going to need them. He was manning the guns all day the Hornet went down. I guess the guns never stopped all day. Way cool to see it now!

It's just amazing to see the ship as she was in 1942, untouched and seemingly frozen in time where she lies.

What's just as amazing is the stunning resolution of the sonar images. Also worthy of mention at 12:35 is the high pressure gas cylinder collapsed by the enormous pressure. Normally these tanks are filled to around 2200psi, but that is no match for 7500psi at that depth.

My great uncle was a gunners mate aboard the hornet. He survived and lived to be in his 90s as well.

It is impressive. It amazes me to see how well intact the tractor, jacket and F4F are on the ocean floor.

Another fine ship and crew going "in harms way." Thanks to all who fought for us in the last great war. Rest in peace.

That was amazing love and respect to fellow brave sailors of all conflicts but the preservation on this beautiful ship is amazing I'm so glad I found this channel ...respect from darvel Ayrshire Scotland my friend

Curious that the aircraft tug sits there looking so pristine. Given the way she hit bottom and slid, you'd expect the tug to be bashed against a bulkhead in the open, and on some sort of angle. It's almost like the tug was chained down.

My best friends dad served on the USS Hornet when she was sunk. He survived and went on to serve in the Navy until the war ended, but I don't remember where he was stationed after the Hornet. Back in the mid 60's he gave me his old WW2 peacoat which I wore until I went in the Navy in 1969 and was issued my own.

The coat in the door and the tractor was very fascinating. I would really would love to see images of the battle ship Yamato! Love your videos!

I am Latino from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 is a pity that these new generations do not appreciate the sacrifices that these heroes of the past did for our freedom 🎉 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

My mom's oldest brother went into the USN in 1939. He was a plank owner. He was part of the deck crew. That meant he watched the Doolittle bombers take off. He also watched Torpedo 8 take of and not come back. He was still in the ships company at the time of loss. Served in sub chasers after that.

Those are incredible pictures. Sharp and shows how not disturbing the wrecks with constant tourism leads to their preservation, unlike the Titanic.

Back in 1964/65 while working as an apprentice Shipwright at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, I worked on USS Hornet CV12. Part of the work we did during its yard period was to replace worn wooden planking on the flight deck. All of the older carriers had wooden flight decks, including CV8. I noticed in the part of your video that showed the flight deck damage you said the flight deck was largely intact. This may be true of the steel deck that was under the planking, there is no sign of the wood planking that had probably rotted away after all this time.

The hanger deck probably has well preserved airplanes, in similar condition to the tractor. The potential spares from the ceiling could have avoided movement, though I suspect most things on the hanger deck were tied down and still rest where they were tied.

it's pretty cool to see the historic event you usually read about in books represented in the real world, the anchor chain still stretching out is like a moment frozen in time

These Ladies did their job and survive in great shape due to the construction, maintenance, and respect of the crew. These memorials serve as a testament to the Men who fought for their mates, ship, and nation. Semper Fi my fellow Warriors. May God bless you and see you in Heaven.

Dang, he lost $678 dollars (or so) in equivalent value if he left $40 in the locket. That sucks. 11:44 They just don't make em like they used to

Glad they decided to keep the location a secret! It is a terrible crime what is going on with the repulse and Prince of Wales?

She’s so beautifully preserved, holy shit.

I wish they could locate the wreck of the U.S.S. Oklahoma. I am pretty sure she's one of the longest missing battleship wrecks still unlocated.

Please leave the ship alone many men who have been lost, and that's their resting place. Much respect for the brave men who served, and slow Salute

The crushed tank at 12:45 just shows you the pressures at that depth. Wonder if the sturn imploded and thats how it was broke off

This was quite fascinating. I would never have expected such preservation. Great video. 👍

My uncle (VADM Levering Smith) was onboard during the battle. He told a story (laughing) about how Kinkaid was climbing up a stairwell and a bomb hit and back down he went.

Don’t forget about James garder who survived and was picked up by the uss Juneau and was offered a bunk by one of the five Sullivan brothers!

These videos are so entertaining. Thank you.

Great vid Skynea, thank you for these wreck vids. Sad to see Hornet in sections.

I'm glad they did not disclose her location..

Thanks for covering this in such great detail

Could you also please cover the Medd Battleship wrecks? Roma and Danton are exceptionally worth talking about! Thank you covering all these wrecks. You are making very important videos!

My mother was a "Rosie the Riveter" and she built B24 Liberator bombers at Willow Run, Michigan. Truely the GREATEST generation. Thanks Mom.

The gas bottle ( acetylene ? ) lying squashed absolutely flat on the deck is an incredible sight and testiment to natures force down there.

Honestly as long as they save some historically significant artifacts, salvaging the Hornet would be a lot less of a travesty than a lot of those other ships as she isn't a war grave.

Paul Allen RIP is the one who funded all the Petrel's exploration. Im thankful for allcthe dicoveries they've made.

The fact she was nearly a brand new ship when sunk probably didn't hurt the state of preservation.

I'm fairly certain that isn't a jacket stuck in one of the door hatches but part of the black-out curtains used to prevent light from exiting the ship at night and giving its position away. light can be seen for miles on a dark sea. But I don't know why they would clamp the door over it unless they were in a hurry.

Why are people surprised when we see wrecks on the sea bed looking just as they did when they sank? We don't have the same feeling for exhibits in a museum, we happily walk past them and view them for what they are.....exhibits. Wrecks have a story all their own, which I find fascinating. Great video.

12:35 You can see an Acetylene tank that has imploded on to its self. Thank you, Great video!

That is one of the best looking wrecks i’ve ever seen. She’s in such great condition.

Who ever strapped that tractor should get an award! That is just amazing.

Very interesting and great images - thanks for sharing!

I love these videos. Thank you 👍

If only the paint on my car lasted that long. Incredible.

Great vid. Very insightful

At 12:36 that’s a high pressure gas cylinder. Huge amount of force or underwater pressure to crush that.

The sad thing is, had Hornet, Yorktown, Lexington, Wasp, etc. survived the war, they would have either been scrapped or (as other surviving fleet carriers were) used as targets during Operation Crossroads and similar. They died doing what they were designed for. And having been sunk in such deep waters ensures that they will remain relatively undisturbed and continue on as monuments to the conflict they fought in and graves to the men who fought and died on them.

outstanding video. very impressive images.....cheers from Florida, Paul

Thanks so much for this video

Thanks for this. I had a Revell model of the USS Hornet with its B-25 planes for the Doolittle Raid👍✈️

Amazing. The tires on the tractor even look as though they are holding air. Plus rubber on hoses still in good shape.

I wonder if any pictures were taken of the deck showing the 2 white stripes used by the B-25s?

Awesome Content, Thank You!!

omg such a sensable comentry sir you have made a great video thank you from the uk

thanks for the video.

Thank you for the content !. Can't wait to know what's in there beyond the tractor.🤔

Great video thank you ❤

Just wondering, is the pressure at that depth keeping the air inside the tires?

Is this a shipwreck channel? Dope. Im in. Subbed😊

Whoever chocked and chained that tow tractor deserves a Navy Achievement Medal and an Early Promotion recommendation!

Thanks to the depth and cold for preserving her

Will there be an effort to discover IJN Kongo? Or what may be left of her hull, as it's quite possible that she had also become a victim of wreck salvagers.

At one point in the war we only had one Aircraft carrier and that was the Enterprise. It's absolutely amazing we won against Japan, not only was we outgunned , but we had inferior technology and then on top of that we couldn't even do night operations. So we had to fight a war on two fronts, rebuild our fleet while making it better tech , strike back at Japan somehow, figure out how to do night operations and because we only had one carrier we had to keep her safe that's why the Hornet went down , because we just couldn't risk losing both the Hornet and the Enterprise, so we left the Hornet behind when she was badly damaged which is Enterprise's sister ship.

Assuming that the F4F Wildcat had nobody in the cockpit when it sank with Hornet, I'd like to see some effort to have it raised and sent to a museum for preservation. Even if a restoration is impossible, having it displayed in its current state as part of a diorama with these amazing pictures of Hornet would be both amazing and sobering imo.

Great footage!

Please do a video on the wreck of the Scharnhorst, compared to the Bismarck there isn't much about the Scharnhorst's wreck. Even a look at the wreck of Barham if she has been found would be interesting.

The photo of the crushed gas cylinder gives a good indication of the pressure at that depth especially if it was not empty at the time of the sinking.

I want that tractor... what a great piece to restore with a fantastic story!

Great Video!

I am amazed on how the condition is so good

That should show the sentiment...Doolittle and his guys HAD to know there was a good chance this was going to be a one-way ride..But the idea of being the first Americans to give the sons of the emperor a real preview of coming attractions was a temptation they just couldn't pass up..Those airman and the sailors that got them within range validate Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation".....And there should be Constitutional requirement that the US Navy always has a carrier in the inventory named Hornet.

I'd love a video on Bismarck!

12:34 is a testament to the massive pressure such depths impart. The cylinder was likely for welding or other compressed gasses at anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 psi. At some point, the cylinder's wall or valve weakened to the point the outside pressure collapsed it like the crush depth on a submarine. Think about that battle between the interior and exterior forces at work.

Wow this is in much better shape than expected

I would have loved to be the ROV pilot who found it. Amazing work.

The tractor is a surreal sight. I guess the tires must’ve imploded at depth then retook their shape. The whole wreck’s condition is incredible.

Bismarck is about same depth, and it has been videoed before. I understand the reason for keeping location secret. however, it would be noteworthy if a portion of Hornet could be brought up to honor her and her iconic history and brave men in some kind of memorial. John Deer might help in cost. Don't know if Carriers had bells or if that could be found. Someone mentioned getting an ROV inside the hangar - that would also be fascinating. The anchor looked a bit difficult to try and bring up. There are still about 50 submarines lost along with so many other ships

Does anyone know why the sonar has such a huge "shadow"? It seems weird to me given that she should be relatively straight upwards and sonar is straight down. Was it joust added to make the image more 3D?

I don’t know what it is, but seeing these ships so well preserved all those years later just stirs the desire inside me to somehow raise these heroic ships and give them a new life.