The Black Sea saw heavy fighting during World War 2 and the legacies of those battles still live on in the region as a United States Navy crew found out on Wednesday.

During a visit to the port of Sevastopol the USS FORREST SHERMAN was just 500 yards from an unexploded German mine that was discovered floating in the area.

The 1100-pound mine was towed out to sea about a mile from shore and blown up said Ukrainian officials.

The US ship is the second to carry the name of Forrest Sherman. Forrest Percival Sherman (1896-1951) served as chief of Naval Operations from 1949 until his death in July 1951, and was the youngest man ever to serve in this role.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, home-ported in Norfolk, Virginia, has been conducting operations in the Mediterranean and Black Seas in support of maritime and theatre security cooperation.