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Researchers discover WWII aircraft carrier USS Wasp

USS Wasp anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 1940. (Photo: U.S. Naval Historical Center)

A deep-sea research vessel discovered the remains of the USS Wasp, a World War II aircraft carrier sunk during the battle for Guadalcanal.

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The ship’s fuel tanks were hit by a torpedo in 1942, killing 176 and forcing the remaining crew to abandon ship.

Explorers aboard the Petrel, a research vessel, found the USS Wasp about 2.5 miles below the water in the South Pacific, CBS News reported. The same crew discovered the USS Hornet in January and believed the other carrier had to be relatively close by.

"We did our best in analyzing the data, coming up with the best possible sinking location for her, and it turned out to be accurate," mission leader Rob Kraft told CBS News.