Famous Research Vessel RV Petrel Rolled Off Blocks in Edinburgh Drydock, 35 Injured

Yesterday, the research vessel Petrel rolled off her blocks in a drydock in Edinburgh, Scotland, leaving 35 people injured. BBC reports that twenty-three people were taken to the hospital and 12 were treated at the scene of the incident at … Continue reading

Paul Allen’s RV Petrel Locates Wreck of WWII Japanese Carrier Kaga

Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, died almost exactly a year ago.  Nevertheless, his passion for underwater archeology lives on in the operation of the Research Vessel Petrel, which is fully funded by Allen’s estate. The ship’s mission is to … Continue reading

World War II Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington Found in Coral Sea After 76 Years

The wreckage of the USS Lexington, sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II, has been located by the expedition crew of research vessel (R/V) Petrel, owned by billionaire-explorer Paul Allen. The ship was found roughly 500 … Continue reading

Lost World War II Cruiser USS Indianapolis Found in Philippine Sea by Billionaire Paul Allen

Paul Allen, billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, announced that wreckage from the USS Indianapolis was discovered on Aug. 18 by the expedition crew of Paul G. Allen’s Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel. The Indianapolis was found 5,500 meters below the surface, resting on the floor of … Continue reading

HMS Hood’s Bell Rings Again, 75 Years After Being Sunk by the Bismark

On May 24, 1941, the battlecruiser HMS Hood  exploded after being struck by several shells from the German battleship Bismark during the Battle of Denmark Strait. The Hood sank within three minutes with the loss of 1,415 sailors, all but three of her crew; … Continue reading

British Navy Borrowing a Billionaire’s Octopus to Find A Battlecruiser’s Bell

Billionaire and philanthropist, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is loaning his 126 metre superyacht Octopus to the British Royal Navy to mount an expedition to locate and raise the bell from the battle cruiser HMS Hood (51) sunk by the German battleship Bismark in the Denmark … Continue reading