After 80 years, the sunken WWII US destroyer, famously known as ‘Dancing Mouse,’ has been discovered.

Officials from the U.S. and Australia announced Monday that the wreckage of the USS Edsall, an American warship that sank during a battle with Japanese forces in World War II, has been discovered more than 80 years after it was lost at the bottom of the sea.

The USS Edsall, a Clemson-class destroyer, was discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean as its final resting place, according to the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy.

The Royal Australian Navy, in partnership with the U.S. Navy, employed advanced robotic and autonomous systems, typically used for hydrographic surveys, to locate the USS Edsall on the sea-bed, as stated by Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

On March 1, 1942, three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the warship was destroyed in a battle with Japanese battleships and dive bombers.

In a statement, Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, said that Captain Joshua Nix and his crew bravely battled against 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers, before being attacked by 26 carrier-dive bombers, resulting in only one fatal hit. Unfortunately, there were no survivors.

The Edsall was detected by Japanese forces approximately 225 miles south of Christmas Island while the U.S. warship was on its way to assist another ship. According to historians, the Edsall had previously suffered damage that made it unable to outrun any of the Japanese cruisers or battleships.

Historians say Nix, in a defiant act against the enemy, decided to make a fight of it by laying a smoke screen and performing evasive maneuvers, which successfully delayed the Japanese attack for more than an hour before being overwhelmed by dive bombers.

The Japanese admired Nix's evasive behavior, likening his actions to those of a "Japanese dancing mouse," a beloved pet in Japan at the time known for its frenzied movements.

Lisa Franchetti, the U.S. Navy chief of naval operations, stated that the commanding officer of Edsall adhered to the U.S. Navy tenet, "Don't give up the ship," even when confronted with insurmountable odds.

The shipwreck is a revered location, symbolizing the 185 U.S. Navy crew and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots who perished when Edsall sank, almost all of whom were lost due to battle damage.

Despite the initial belief that all those on the Edsall perished at sea, it was discovered, many years after the war, that some survivors were rescued by the Japanese and executed on March 24, 1942.

Kennedy stated that the discovery is a continuation of efforts to pay tribute to those who gave their lives.

The preservation of this significant monument will bring peace to the families of the fallen heroes, as stated by her.