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Scientists scour WWI shipwreck to solve military mystery
6 crew members perished in incident
shipwreck.jpg
This Jan. 28, 1915 made available by the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command shows the USS San Diego while serving as flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Her name had been changed from California in September 1914. On a clear summer day, July 19, 1918, an external explosion near the ship’s engine room shook the armored cruiser. Water soon rushed into the hull. Within minutes, the 500-foot warship began to capsize. - photo by Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A hundred years ago, a mysterious explosion hit the only major U.S. warship to sink during World War I. Now the Navy believes it has the answer to what doomed the USS San Diego: An underwater mine set by a German submarine cruising in waters just miles from New York City.
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