A Car Appeared on a Sunken WWII Ship. No One Knows Who Put It There.

The USS Yorktown (CV-5) photographed on July 21, 1937

USS Yorktown (CV-5)—an aircraft carrier commissioned in September 1937 and sunk in October 1942—was equipped with 24 Oerlikon 20mm guns, 60 lb protective decks, and 90 aircraft. And, as it turns out, it also held one “1940-41 Ford Super Deluxe ‘Woody’ in black.”

This baffling discovery was made by NOAA Ocean Exploration, which sent a remotely operated camera into the depths to explore the wreckage of the Yorktown (which is located roughly 1,000 miles outside of Honolulu) on April 19.

The wreckage had first been discovered in 1998 by Robert Ballard (famous for his discovery of the RMS Titanic), who took some initial photographs. Ballard found the wreckage to be surprisingly well-preserved, and EV Nautilus conducted a further, more in-depth survey in 2023.

So, we already knew a good deal about the state of the wreckage by the time NOAA Ocean Exploration sent its camera down and recorded the live feed. Some may have even thought about what aspects of the vessel they might remark upon when the cameras showed it: the condition of the paint, the structural integrity of the stern, the … shine of the hubcaps?

“That’s a car,’” one of the researchers remarked as soon as the glint of the vehicle’s tires became apparent on the feed, per the Miami Herald. “That is a full car.” Another was quick to ask what was likely on everyone’s minds: “Why is there a car on this boat?”

With “flared fenders, hints of a rag top, chrome trim and and a spare tire,” the car was eventually identified as a Ford Woody. But how and why this particular vehicle found its way to the Yorktown’s elevator 3, where it was found upright, remains a mystery.

“It has a license plate on the front that can be partially read saying ‘SHIP SERVICE’ at the top, but the lower part is illegible due to corrosion,” NOAA said, per the Herald. “Evidently staff cars of the Ford Super Deluxe model were common with the Navy and Army ashore; however, as of yet, they haven’t been able to find a ‘Woody’ in service for staff officers, so that is potentially unique for this ship.”

Even if researchers were able to solve the mystery of who brought the vehicle aboard (one theory is Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher, for whom Yorktown was his flagship), the car presents further quandaries: particularly, what is it still doing there?

USS Yorktown emits smoke after being struck by Japamese bombers during the Battle of Midway

The USS Yorktown sustained heavy damage during the Battle of Midway, so much that it was rendered dead in the water. Knowing the vessel would capsize, Captain Elliott Buckmaster commanded that the ship be abandoned in order to save as many lives as possible.

The Yorktown, defying expectations, actually floated through the night after the ship was abandoned, and salvagers soon worked diligently to reduce topside weight, removing guns and pushing planes over the side. Unfortunately for all involved—and unbeknownst to the crew and the nearby destroyers—a Japanese submarine approached and launched a quartet of torpedoes which sealed the ships fate.

But knowing the strategy of the salvage crew even before the torpedo strikes (and their urgency afterward), NOAA was further perplexed by the presence of the mystery car. “Yorktown’s salvage crew worked tirelessly to jettison anti-aircraft guns and aircraft to reduce its list (after the torpedo strike),” NOAA officials told McClatchy News, “…but did they leave the car, something they could roll off the side?”

Whose Ford ‘Woody’ was aboard the Yorktown? Why was it there? And why did it go down with the ship? These and other questions—even if they remain forever unanswered—serve to remind us that there is still so much about World War II that we have yet to learn.

Michale Natale is a News Editor for the Hearst Enthusiast Group. As a writer and researcher, he has produced written and audio-visual content for more than fifteen years, spanning historical periods from the dawn of early man to the Golden Age of Hollywood. His stories for the Enthusiast Group have involved coordinating with organizations like the National Parks Service and the Secret Service, and travelling to notable historical sites and archaeological digs, from excavations of America’ earliest colonies to the former homes of Edgar Allan Poe.