New images of sunken Navy plane shot down in Pearl Harbor

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, very few were expecting it. More than 2,000 U.S. Navy sailors died, and dozens of ships and planes were destroyed or damaged.

One of the casualties was a U.S. Navy PBY-5 Catalina seaplane. Recently, a team of students from the University of Hawaii Marine Option Program conducted an archaeological survey of the wreckage site.

Led by NOAA maritime archaeologist Hans Van Tilburg, the student team recorded video and captured photographs of the sunken Navy plane. In addition to photographs, students also recorded measurements and created a survey map of the wreckage.

The Consolidated PBY Catalina was one of the most widely employed seaplanes during World War II. It was used for everything from anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue to night raids and cargo transport.