found evidence of damage to the ship inflicted by a Japanese battleship shell, including Samuel B. Robertss fallen mast. The wreck of Samuel B. Roberts lies at a depth of , making it the deepest wreck ever identified. It exceeds the previous record of , set in March 2021 when Vescovo's team found and identified the wreck of the destroyer , which was sunk in the same battle. Sunken ship protection The wreck of Samuel B. Roberts is protected from unauthorized disturbance by the Sunken Military Craft Act. A permit for archaeological, historical, or educational purposes can be requested from the Naval History and Heritage Command. Notes References Further reading based on Hornfischer's The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. External links Captain Copeland's memoirs DE 413 timeline The Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association 1944 ships John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts Maritime incidents in October 1944 Ships built in Houston World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States World War II shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea Shipwrecks of the Philippines