World War II Database

US Navy destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele was the first American warship to become the victim of the new Japanese special attack weapon, the MXY-7 Ohka manned flying bomb. The radar picket ship, already damaged by a Zero special attack aircraft, was struck by an Ohka off Okinawa, Japan in the afternoon of 12 Apr 1945. She broke in half and sank very shortly after. 84 were lost. On 24 May 2023, Tim Taylor of Tiburon Subsea and the Lost 52 Project announced that in Dec 2022 it had discovered the wreck of the destroyer approximately 90 miles (approximately 145 kilometers) at the approximate depth of 4,500 feet (approximately 1,380 meters) and the discovery was confirmed by the US Navy Naval History and Heritage Command in Apr 2023.

For more information:
Lost 52 Project: First WWII Destroyer sank by Rocket Powered Super Kamikaze Discovered off Japan