Lost 52 Project Discovers USS Bonefish, USS Drexler, and USS William D. Porter — Three WWII Warships Found

The Lost 52 Project, led by explorer Tim Taylor and Tiburon Subsea, announced on May 22, 2026 — ahead of Memorial Day weekend — the discovery of three US Navy WWII warships: submarine USS Bonefish (SS-223), destroyer USS Drexler (DD-741), and destroyer USS William D. Porter (DD-579), along with the Japanese merchant vessel Konzan Maru, a Bonefish victim. The announcement documented the final resting places of 243 American sailors entombed in the vessels. USS Bonefish was lost on June 19, 1945 in the Sea of Japan; 88 of her 89 crew were killed — the highest percentage loss of any WWII US submarine. USS Drexler was sunk by two kamikaze strikes off Okinawa on May 28, 1945; 158 sailors were killed in one of the most devastating kamikaze attacks of the Pacific War. USS William D. Porter was sunk by a Japanese kamikaze suicide boat near Okinawa on June 10, 1945; remarkably, no US crew members were killed — the sole WWII US destroyer lost with no fatalities. The Porter was already famous for accidentally firing a live torpedo at USS Iowa — the ship carrying President Roosevelt — during a 1943 Atlantic crossing. All three ships were located in the South China Sea and Sea of Japan through deep-water sonar and remotely operated vehicle surveys. Tim Taylor stated the mission was 'to ensure that the sacrifice of every American who gave their life for our freedom is acknowledged, remembered, and honored.' The discoveries were announced to allow the families of the fallen sailors to observe Memorial Day 2026 with new knowledge of their loved ones' final resting place.