Navy warship sunk by German sub in WWII finally located

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (AP) — A private dive team has found the last U.S. Navy warship to be sunk by a German submarine in World War II.

The sinking of the USS Eagle PE-56 on April 23, 1945, was originally blamed on a boiler explosion. But the Navy determined in 2001 that it had been sunk by a German submarine.

Its exact location remained a mystery — until now.

Expert Garry Kozak announced this week that a diver used sonar data to locate the vessel’s bow and stern in June 2018. The wreckage is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) off the coast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

The Eagle was towing a practice target for dive bombers when it sank. Only 13 of the 62 crew members survived. Several reported seeing a submarine.

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