More than 70 years after sinking in Indonesia’s Java Sea during a fierce World War II attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the USS Houston has been identified by U.S. Navy underwater archaeologists and Indonesian navy divers.

Nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast,” the wreck is not only a popular dive site, but it is also the grave of nearly 700 sailors and marines who lost their lives during the bloody Battle of Sunda Strait in 1942.

“Surveying the site, of course, was only the first step in partnering to respect those sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedoms and security that we richly enjoy today,” said Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, in a U.S. Navy press release.

Upon identifying the ship, divers discovered that the hull rivets, a metal plate and unexploded ordnance had been removed from the ship by unknown people. The divers also reported that oil is seeping from the vessel.

Now that the ship has been identified, U.S. and Indonesia officials will develop measures to prevent further disturbance of the site.

The Houston was awarded two battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation by former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Albert H. Rooks, who was killed in battle, received the Medal of Honor for heroism.