World War II Database

The Fletcher-class destroyer USS Johnston was known for being lost in the 1944 Battle off Samar as her captain and crew willingly put the ship in harm's way in order to interfere with a much more powerful Japanese force from reaching and attacking US carriers and landing operations further beyond. Of the 327 officers and men aboard, 186 were lost, including the commanding officer Ernest Evans. Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

On 1 Apr 2021, the US Navy announced that a wreck under 21,180 feet (6,455 meters) of water discovered in Mar 2021 had been identified as USS Johnson. Small scatter pieces of Johnston had been found by Paul Allen's R/V Petrel as early as 2019, but last month's discovery of a large section of the wreck, about 66% of the ship, displaying the hull number DD-557, allowed the positive identification. The Mar 2021 discovery was done by a vessel operated by the company Caladan Oceanic, which vessel had a greater depth capability than the Petrel.

For more info:
Washington Post: Wreckage of long-lost WW II ship, sunken with its Native American skipper and half its crew, identified
WW2DB: USS Johnston
WW2DB: Ernest Evans
WW2DB: Leyte Campaign