WWII ship revealed in low Mississippi

ST. LOUIS -- The low water levels on the Mississippi River have revealed the remains of a World War II ship that was ripped from the St. Louis riverfront during floods two decades ago.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the remains of the USS Inaugural are now visible on the Mississippi about half a mile past the MacArthur Bridge in St. Louis. The USS Inaugural was a fleet minesweeper during World War II. It launched in October 1944.

The sweeper was decommissioned in 1946 and turned into a museum ship on the St. Louis riverfront in 1968.

During massive flooding in the area in 1993, the ship was ripped from its mooring and grounded about a mile downstream where it's now visible.