A team of scientists and explorers aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus located and imaged the lost bow of USS New Orleans (CA 32) for the first time, July 7, 2025.
The bow was found at a depth of approximately 675 metres in Iron Bottom Sound near Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The discovery was made using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to investigate a seafloor target first identified during mapping operations by the University of New Hampshire’s uncrewed surface vessel (USV) DriX.
Catastrophic damage
Despite catastrophic damage, the crew conducted extraordinary damage control
USS New Orleans, a World War II era U.S. Navy heavy cruiser, was heavily damaged on Nov. 30, 1942, during the Battle of Tassafaronga. A Japanese “Long Lance” torpedo struck the ship forward of turret No. 2, detonating the forward magazines and tearing off nearly one-third of the vessel, including the bow.
More than 180 Sailors were killed in the blast. Despite catastrophic damage, the crew conducted extraordinary damage control, ultimately saving the ship. Three Sailors were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for their actions.
Heroic damage control efforts
USS New Orleans would return to the United States under her own power, stern first, for permanent repairs. She would go on to serve in several more campaigns before the end of the war.
“By all rights, this ship should have sunk, but due to the heroic damage control efforts of her crew, USS New Orleans became one of the most grievously damaged U.S. cruisers in WWII to actually survive,” said Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (Ret.), Director, Naval History and Heritage Command, adding “To find the bow of this ship is an opportunity to remember the sacrifice of this valiant crew, even on one of the worst nights in U.S. Navy history.”
DriX with real-time deepwater imaging
These features confirmed the identity of the wreckage as USS New Orleans
The wreckage was located by a multinational expedition led by the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration through the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. The team utilised a combined-technology approach, pairing seafloor mapping from DriX with real-time deepwater imaging conducted by OET’s ROVs.
A four-hour ROV dive enabled the team, comprised of onboard archaeologists and remote experts from former combatant nations, to analyse structural details, paintwork, and anchor configuration. These features confirmed the identity of the wreckage as USS New Orleans.
Seafloor mapping operations
“The discovery highlights the power of having multiple scientists and technologies work together to achieve a common goal,” said Daniel Wagner, Chief Scientist, Ocean Exploration Trust.
He adds, “The wreck was located during seafloor mapping operations by an uncrewed surface vehicle, then investigated shortly thereafter by a deep-diving remotely operated vehicle, imagery from which was viewed in real-time by hundreds of experts around the world, who all worked together to make a positive identification of the finding.”
Major naval engagements
To date, only 30 of the military ships lost in Iron Bottom Sound’s deep waters have been located
The mission is part of the Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal expedition, led by OET President Dr. Robert Ballard. The team is conducting surveys in Iron Bottom Sound, where five major naval engagements took place between August and December 1942.
More than 20,000 personnel were killed, and 111 naval vessels and 1,450 aircraft were lost between Allied and Japanese forces. To date, only 30 of the military ships lost in Iron Bottom Sound’s deep waters have been located. Many others remain undiscovered.
Next generation of explorers
The expedition is being streamed live via the NautilusLive website, a 24-hour platform that enables public participation in ocean exploration and connects the next generation of explorers with ongoing discoveries.
This exploration is made possible by collaboration with multiple partners, including NOAA Ocean Exploration, the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, the Government of the Solomon Islands, the University of New Hampshire Centre for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Centre, and representatives from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
