Stern of World War II US destroyer discovered off remote Alaskan island. In the midst of World War II on August 18, 1943, the USS Abner Read struck what was presumed to be a Japanese mine in the Bering Sea. The catastrophic blast took the lives of 71 American sailors. For their families, the final resting place of loved ones lost remained unknown. Until now. On July 16, 2018, a team of researchers using robotics technology discovered the sunken stern of the World War II destroyer -- solving a 75-year-old mystery. Source 3f.