U.S.S. Allen M. Sumner DD-692
News Release

Deep, dark, cold: World record dive to the USS Cooper
CDNN NewsWire

USS Cooper

ORMOC, Philippines (28 May 2005) -- Many sunken World War Two wrecks have been found in the Gulf of Leyte, but one remained a mystery, her officers and crew standing watch for all eternity in the deep, dark, cold abyss of Ormoc Bay. Nearly six decades after one of the fiercest battles of World War Two, divers finally located the USS Cooper, which sank with 191 officers and crew after it was torpedoed by the Japanese. Today, survivors of the battle have gathered in Ormoc to witness an attempt by a team of the world's top technical divers to reach the wreck, which lies at a depth of 220 meters (720 feet). If successful the team will place a memorial plaque on the deck to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice on December 3, 1944.

Forgotten battle of Ormoc Bay

Shortly after General McArthur landed on Leyte Island in October 1944, Japanese troops moved west through dense rain forest and took up station at Ormoc City in the Philippines. Ormoc Bay was an excellent supply depot - the key to supplying Japanese forces - and the Americans knew it. In less than one month, Japanese troop strength in Ormoc had doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 men. In early November, the US Navy refitted destroyers to carry troops and landing craft specifically for action in Ormoc Bay. Once and for all, the Americans would put an end to Japanese occupation of Leyte Island. On the night of December 2, 1944, three of the Navy's newest Sumner Class destroyers entered Ormoc Bay with orders to interdict shipping and destroy an enemy vessels in sight. The USS Allen M. Sumner, the USS Moale and the USS Cooper arrived in Ormoc Bay at midnight and were immediately engaged by the Japanese enemy. A fierce battle ensued with Japanese aircraft filling the air, shore batteries targeting all three ships, submarines pulling out from the harbor to join the battle, and two Japanese destroyers getting underway to fight off the three American ships. According to author, artist and military historian Irwin Kappes, it was "one of the fiercest and most pivotal battles of the Pacific War, yet one of the least known". It was, in fact, the only naval battle of the war in the Pacific in which the Japanese unleashed the full fury of shore, sea-based, air and undersea weapons all in one desperate action to save Ormoc Bay from destruction. But history has barely taken notice as there were no war correspondents to file reports of the battle.

She went down with her guns blazing

In the heat of the battle, the big guns of the US Navy destroyers sunk a Japanese destroyer, shot down numerous aircraft and annihilated hundreds of Japanese troops onshore. Having completed their mission, the ships turned to the north when an enemy torpedo struck the USS Cooper amidships breaking her in half. In less than a minute the Cooper sank with 191 of her 355 officers and crew. Captain Sampson of the USS Sumner recalled, "The division executed a turn to the north and as I looked over to starboard, a geyser of water shot up over the mid-ship section of the USS Cooper. She went down with her guns blazing."

Search for the missing destroyer

For decades, the exact location of the USS Cooper remained a mystery. Official documents seemed to indicate the destroyer was in relatively shallow water but despite many dives in the area, the wreck had never been found. Enter deep wreck technical diver and World War Two history buff Rob Lalumiere. Determined to find the missing destroyer, Lalumiere teamed up with Ron Babuka, the son of William Babuka, a crew aboard the USS Sumner during the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Babuka plotted the track the three destroyers took as they entered Ormoc Bay and engaged the enemy in battle. Using Babuka's work, official logs, and action reports from the surviving USS Sumner and Moale, Lalumiere targeted probably locations, mapped them from the surface with a depth sounder and then started a series of deep dives. In early 2004, nearly 60 years after the USS Cooper sank, Lalumiere found the wreck at a depth of 220 meters (720 feet) and immediately started planning the world-record dive that would honor the 191 officers and crew who went down with the ship.

No margin for error

Most recreational scuba diving is limited to a maximum depth of 40 meters (130 feet). Technical diving, which usually involves the use of mixed breathing gasses, enables divers to go much deeper but requires special training. Diving to extreme depths over 150 meters requires special training, experience, planning, surface support equipment and team diving techniques, all of which is expensive. The cost of the USS Cooper dive is expected to exceed $25,000. The 220 meter (720 feet) dive is scheduled to start at 8:00am this morning (Saturday) with a run time of 330 minutes. If all goes according to plan, lead diver Rob Lalumiere should be back on the surface support vessel at 2:30pm where surviving crew have gathered to witness the dive and honor their fallen comrades.