The Truk Report
In February 1944, the US Navy launched Operation
Hailstorm against the Japanese Navy's presence in
Truk Lagoon, which some feel was the turning point
towards ending Japan's WWII dominance in the Pacific
Theater. The attack, over the course of two days, sank
40+ Japanese warships, some of which are known
to have sunk but have not yet been located.
The Japanese occupation and control of these islands
was established by a League of Nations Mandate Treaty.
Other Japanese strongholds were established in
Rabaul, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Palau.
A concise history of Micronesia can be found at:
http://www.macmeekin.com/Library/NMIchron/1521.htm
http://www.macmeekin.com/Library/NMIchron/1931.htm
Some days before the launch of Operation Hailstorm,
a returning Japanese air squadron noticed an American
carrier fleet sitting 40 miles outside the Lagoon and
responded by evacuating as many ships as they could.
Sitting within the confines of the lagoon made the rest
of them sitting ducks during the attack.
Many of the ships were unable to leave because they
were being repaired and unable to get underway.
Ships that were able to leave encountered a different
fate outside. American submarine forces were lying
in wait just outside Truk Lagoon's Northeast Pass.
However, many of the Japanese military ships managed
to get away in the night, leaving the majority of the ships
in the lagoon of the "Maru" variety. Maru means
"circular trader". These ships ran on a regular
schedule to supply other Japanese strongholds.
On a side note, the sub I-169 attempted to submerge
to avoid the attack. In their haste to descend, the crew
failed to close one of the hatches and subsequently
flooded most of the submarine. After the attack was
over, the Japanese commanders realized the I-169
had not resurfaced and went looking for her. She was
easily found, as was the open hatch. They quickly
realized there were survivors and a recovery
mission was launched without success. Later, the
Japanese depth charged the sub to prevent it from
being salvaged by other "interested parties".
For the most part, the wrecks in Truk Lagoon are in
excellent condition and were not salvaged by the
Japanese Navy. Local lore has it that the wrecks were
mostly forgotten until Jacque Cousteau arrived in
the 1960's and located some of the wrecks and left
with two "huge" containers of artifacts.
Let's go diving......
This was the warm-up dive (not on Truk Aggressor II).
Dive 1
March 16, 2003 - 900am
Sunday - Blue Lagoon Dive Shop
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth - 87
Bottom time - 40 minutes
Ascent time - 6 minutes
Shinkoku Maru (500') has the most soft coral and
"critters" of all the wrecks I dove in Truk Lagoon.
If you can imagine the Duane with ten times the
growth and then you still wouldn't have an equal
to this wreck. Lots of profile, the props are at 128
feet, the king posts are at 40 feet, and top of the
mast is at 25 feet so you can stay on the wreck
for the entire dive with something interesting to
look at during the entire dive. In addition to all the
growth, there is a medical operating room with a
table of artifacts including saki bottles, a radio
room, and some remains of the Japanese soldiers
who went down on this ship during the attack.
This wreck became one of my favorites.....
The liveaboard....
Moving onto the Truk Aggressor II....
Overall, the Truk Aggressor II was truly spot-on in
execution of the intended plan. From the moment
we set foot on the boat until we disembarked, the
crew went out of their way to ensure every request
was met. And what they provided left little to want.
Nyall and crew communicated the dives and what
to look for, where to see it, and how to do it safely.
I doubt anyone lost weight on the boat either as
the food was both delicious and varied. They
made it seem like they can do it at that level every
week too. Maybe they have GMP/ISO certs......
A camera and slide film processing was available
so I rented a camera shot three rolls of film, mostly
on the Shinkoku, which I hope to get digitized. As
I haven't been sucked into that hobby yet, it was
nice to have it available.
Dive 2
March 17, 2003 - 730am
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth - 94
Bottom time - 37 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 3
March 17, 2003 - 1030am
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth - 99
Bottom time - 47 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Kiyozumi Maru (450') was built by Kawasaki
Dockyard and was a victim of multiple attacks
throughout WW2. She lies on its port side in about
105' of water. We penetrated all of the cargo holds
as well as the engine room. The reason the
Kiyozumi Maru was in Truk Lagoon was due to a prior
torpedo attack but we also noticed one cylinder and
piston from its massive eight-cylinder diesel engine
had been removed for repairs. These cylinders are
truly massive with a diameter of approximately four
feet. In the cargo holds, we found large quantities
of fuel drums as well as two bicycles. Since the
wreck still leaks fuel, it's best to avoid the light gray
"water clouds" that accumulate in the upper areas
of the holds. This is aviation gas and/or diesel.
The top of the wreck (the starboard hull) is adorned
with abundant hard and soft corals. If you spend
time there you can find an octopus or two and with
the help of some shiny stainless steel clips, you
can lure them out of their hiding spots for a picture.
Dive 4
March 17, 2003 - 200pm
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kansho Maru
Max depth - 115
Bottom time - 42 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 5
March 17, 2003 - 730pm
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kansho Maru
Max depth - 104
Bottom time - 39 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Kansho Maru (380') was in Marshall Islands
delivering war supplies and struck by aerial bombs
there. Unable to get herself under way, she was
towed to Truk for repairs. She sank in 130' of water
with a slight list to port. There is not much to see in the
cargo holds but the engine room is impressive where
many large tools can be found. Think of a 6-foot long
adjustable wrench and you'll get the idea of "large
tool". Other artifacts can be found in the bridge area
where a communications room still has radio sets
shelved. An impressive gun along with ammunition
remains on the bow.
Dive 6
March 18, 2003 - 730am
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Unkai Maru
Max depth - 118
Bottom time - 38 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Unkai Maru was one of the smallest wrecks we
dove at "only" 305' LOA. Built in Britain in 1905 as a
freighter, she was sold to a Japanese cargo line and
pressed into war service during WW2. She rests
upright in 135'. The forward cargo hold has hundreds
of shoe soles. They must have been for some type of
protective boot because they are about size 16. In the
same cargo hold, there are gas masks as well. There
are ship lanterns near the bow gun area. While there
are many interesting swim-throughs and accessible
cabin areas, we did not penetrate the engine room
because we wanted to see the entire wreck and only
did one dive here.
Dive 7
March 18, 2003 - 1100am
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 91
Bottom time - 44 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 8
March 18, 2003 - 230pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 95
Bottom time - 51 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 9
March 18, 2003 - 430pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 86
Bottom time - 55 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 10
March 18, 2003 - 730pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 94
Bottom time - 52 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Fujikawa Maru (435' and built by Mitsubishi) was
one of the first wrecks in the lagoon ever dove as the
stern mast at one time protruded from the water.
It has since fallen over. Considered to be one of the
"must do" dives in the lagoon, we did four
successive dives here. As with nearly all the wrecks,
there is something see from stem to stern, props
to kingpost. The most impressive dive was to the
engine room, which is four or five levels down and
provides an eerie view when looking up through the
stairs. Within the engine room, there are multiple
site gauges, telegraph stations, and a "phone booth"
where the chief engineer could speak to the captain
away from the noise. A compressor in this same area
has been affectionately dubbed R2D2. In addition,
the second cargo hold hosts Japanese Zero fighters
(with the three-diamond Mitsubishi logo still visible).
Multiple swim throughs are possible and offer views
into the crew quarters (the famous Captain's bathtub)
and bridge areas. This wreck is adorned with a lot of
growth, probably because she's a bit shallower and in
an area with good visibility.
Dive 11
March 19, 2003 - 730am
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Nippo Maru
Max depth - 123
Bottom time - 33 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Nippo Maru is 352' and was built by Kawasaki
Dockyards for Okazaki Kisen Lines. The china found
on this wreck still has the offset O/K insignia. The
forward cargo holds have a variety of artifacts including
truck frames and big (14") shells. On the forward deck
near the kingpost, there is a small tank. Looking at it,
you will wonder how anyone got inside to drive it, much
less two soldiers. Being a bit deeper at 140', we
elected to forego engine room penetration in favor of
seeing the entire wreck. On the rear deck, there's a
large mobile gun, either anti-aircraft or anti-tank. The
bridge still has the ship's compass and telegraph.
Dive 12
March 19, 2003 - 1030am
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth - 102
Bottom time - 42 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 13
March 19, 2003 - 430pm
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth - 99
Bottom time - 46 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 14
March 19, 2003 - 730pm
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth 79
Bottom time - 55 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Yamagiri Maru (435') sits on her port side in 110'.
Another Mitsubishi built ship, she was run by Yama****a
Kisen Lines until pulled into war service. Originally
thought to carry the 18" shells for the battleships
Yamato and Mushashi, this has since dispelled by
measuring the shells which are actually closer to 14",
still impressive by my standardized TNT scale. The
engine room was immense, with telegraphs, site
gauges, and repair tools scattered about. The starboard
hull, cranes, and kingposts were all heavily adorned
with hard corals and soft corals. At the aft starboard
corner lives a bright red anemone, as well as a
variety of hard and soft corals on the side of the
starboard hull.
Dive 15
March 20, 2003 - 730am
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Destroyer Fumizuki
Max depth 119
Bottom time - 35 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The only non-Maru of the week and a that's because
she was a 330' 35+ knot destroyer, not a converted
supply ship. The Fumi has a big bow gun surrounded
by ammunition, torpedoes, and torpedo launchers.
An intact wheelhouse is still present (and a popular
photograph area).
Dive 16
March 20, 2003 - 1030am
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 103
Bottom time - 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 17
March 20, 2003 - 200pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 81
Bottom time - 56 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 18
March 20, 2003 - 430pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 129
Bottom time - 46 minutes
Ascent time 17 minutes
Dive 19
March 20, 2003 - 815pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 77
Bottom time - 45 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
See the first dive in this report for the details on the
Skinkoku Maru.
Dive 20
March 21, 2003 730am
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Heian Maru
Max depth 118
Bottom time - 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 21
March 21, 2003 1030am
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Heian Maru
Max depth - 104
Bottom time - 47 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Heian Maru at 514' built by Osaka Iron Works was
the largest ship of the week and the largest intact ship
in the lagoon. Resting in 135' on her port side, we were
still able to transverse the entire wreck. She was
another of the combination passenger/cargo vessels
pressed into service for WW2. Her duties included
carrying cargo and being a sub tender. In the forward
cargo holds, we saw a large amount of ordinance,
including large shells and torpedoes, some which
were 20'+ long. They don't look that big in the movies.
Penetration of the second cargo hold reveals spare
periscopes and various other spare parts for the sub
fleet operation. Penetration into the engine room
reveals another massive diesel of the older variety
where in valve train is not contained within the engine.
A really cool site for a former knuckle buster.....
Dive 22
March 21, 2003 145pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shark Shoals (undisclosed lon/lat)
Max depth 70
Bottom time 51 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
At an indeterminate area in the lagoon, there is a large
den of sharks waiting to eat unwary divers that don't
like wreck diving. You were warned.
Dive 23
March 21, 2003 430pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Sankisan Maru
Max depth 74
Bottom time - 51 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 24
March 21, 2003 815pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Sankisan Maru
Max depth 76
Bottom time 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Sankisan Maru is only half a wreck. The stern
of the vessel was completely blown off in the attack.
The front half is quite interesting as it's loaded with
ammunition ranging from machine gun rounds to
six inch shells. In addition to the ammunition, there
Are a large number (1000's) of small medical bottles
and ampoules. As tempting as it may be to think about
bringing one home, the fine for removing artifacts
is $10,000. And jail time in Chuuk didn't look too
enticing either.
Dive 25
Mach 22, 2003 730am
Saturday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive Site - Hoki Maru
Max depth 135
Bottom time - 30 minutes
Ascent time - 12 minutes
Originally built in Scotland and named Hauroki, the Hoki
(450') was our final ship wreck with TAII. A bit deeper than
most at 145-160, great stuff can still be seen at 135 on the
Hoki. Within the holds are numerous trucks, a steam
roller, bulldozers, and an earth grader. Anyone need a
runway built quickly?? Sitting upright, the kingposts
provide an excellent reference point for a slow ascent
as well as a variety of soft coral to check out.
Dive 26
March 22, 2003 1100am
Saturday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Betty Bomber
Max depth - 71fsw
Bottom time - 44min
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Betty Bomber was not a victim of Operation
Hailstorm. It's suspected she was on a routine flight
and attempted to return to base after encountering
some type of problem. This was not a particularly
impressive dive except it let me put a check mark
next to it on my "list". As the last dive from the
Aggressor, I think it's more of a nitrogen "clean-up"
dive at 70'. Future dives had us doing our first deco
stop at 70'. Read on.......
On to the Blue Lagoon for three more dive days....
The Blue Lagoon Dive Shop was mediocre at best
on the initial (and unplanned) dive the day after our
arrival. In addition, the breakfast I had that morning
was fairly horrible as both the eggs and hashbrowns
tasted like fish. This left my expectations low for an
enjoyable stay after the Aggressor. This was not to
be the case however. We checked into our room, had
an excellent lunch, checked in with the dive shop to
see if we would be able to set our own dive agenda.
A quick meeting on Monday morning with BLDS
owner Gradvin Aesek left me happy and impressed
with their willingness to go that extra mile. We stated
we had been on the Aggressor the prior week and
wanted to do some of the deeper wrecks like the San
Francisco Maru and Aiokoku Maru. Gradvin asked us
if we wanted to do both of them today and we quickly
replied I'd rather split them up over the course of a
few days since we had time and doing two 160'+ dives
in the same day 600 miles from a chamber may not be
the best idea. We got a big grin from Gradvin as
though we had just passed the exam. I think it was
exactly that...
Gradvin stated we were set to dive the Aiokoku today
with our choice of anything shallower for the afternoon
and we'd do the San Fran tomorrow and all our choice
after that. Wow!!! Terence and I also made our
arrangements for nitrox for the shallower afternoon
dives and met our dive guide, Nick, who was great
to work with.
Dive 27
March 24, 2003 945am
Monday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Aiokoku Maru
Max depth - 163
Bottom time - 17 minutes
Ascent time 27 minutes
The Aiokoku Maru (492') was built as a combination
passenger-freighter but her completion, she was
pulled into war service by the Japanese Imperial Navy.
She was carrying a massive amount of ordinance when
a bomb was dropped into the forward cargo hold.
The resulting explosion blew the entire front half of
the ship off and reportedly took down the plane that
dropped the bomb too. It also resulted in a massive
crater that makes her the deepest wreck in the lagoon
at 240'. While most the soldier's remains were
removed, some are still there. We did a swim-thru
of a non-descript area of the interior section
and sacrificed getting to spend any time at the
impressive rear gun. On the middle deck, just fwd
of the poop deck, we found a scattered pile of
remains along with some of the ship's china,
artifacts, and a few gas masks.
Dive 28
March 24, 2003 155pm
Monday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Hoyo Maru
Max depth 94
Bottom time 55 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Hoyo Maru (475') was a tanker ship that was
torpedoed on the port side at the engine room. She
turtled when she sank and the flat bottom appears
to be a reef not a wreck when you arrive. This wreck
had the most hard coral I saw of all the wrecks. Access
to the engine is easily done through the torpedo hole.
Once inside, the engine is hanging by the prop
shaft and is kind of spooky. Since she's upside down,
she's resting on her superstructure and offers a lot
of swim throughs at about 115-125'. We bypassed
the swim-thru to spend more in the engine area and
corridors. Working our way up and fwd, I thought
about how the Spiegel Grove could have turned out : - )
We spent a lot of time playing with an octopus on the
top (actually the bottom) of the wreck.
Dive 29
March 25, 2003 945am
Tuesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - San Francisco Maru
Max depth 165
Bottom time 17
Ascent time 32
The San Francisco Maru (385') was built in 1919 by
Kawasaki Dockyards for Y.K. Lines. Sitting upright
on the deeper side of 200', we elected to explore the
front half of where a few of the T95 tanks sit on the
forward decks, which are deeply bowed from the
weight and bombing damage. The cargo holds in
this section contain what look like floating mines
and Nick's hand signals indicated "bombs". The bow
has a big gun : - ) From the gun, we floated over the
wreck back towards the bridge, which still has the
ships binnacle and began a slow ascent, rising
up the rear mast.
Dive 30
March 25, 2003 200pm
Tuesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Rio de Janiero Maru
Max depth 95
Bottom time 47 Minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Rio De Janiero Maru (450') is another Mitsubishi built
ship and sits in just over 105' on her starboard rail. I was
most impressed with the large engine room with twin
engines,water intake/ fuel control valves, and a stairwell
dropping between them. With complete bow and stern
guns intact, multiple companionway swim-throughs,
ordinance, plates, saki bottles, and an intact bridge, she
quickly became one of my favorites for the trip.
Dive 31
March 26, 2003 930am
Wednesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Seiko Maru
Max depth 134
Bottom time 25 minutes
Ascent time 26 minutes
The Seiko Maru (395') was built by Darien Kisen Lines
and sits upright in 160'. This is a wreck that's not on
anyone's regular dive schedule, but she's a great dive.
A lot of artifacts lay scattered everywhere, including
intact telegraphs and binnacles on the bridge, door
knobs laying in the doorways where the door had long
since rotted away and ship's lantern up near the bow,
and large spare prop blades (just the blades). A nice
bow gun (not "too" overgrown either) sits up front
along with ammunition boxes. While the sand is at 160',
the fwd mast rises to about 50' so you can check out
how the growth gets thicker, the closer to the surface
as you ascend.
Dive 32
March 26, 2003 145pm
Wednesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth 90
Bottom time 53 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
See the second dive report for the details on the
Kiyozumi.
In February 1944, the US Navy launched Operation
Hailstorm against the Japanese Navy's presence in
Truk Lagoon, which some feel was the turning point
towards ending Japan's WWII dominance in the Pacific
Theater. The attack, over the course of two days, sank
40+ Japanese warships, some of which are known
to have sunk but have not yet been located.
The Japanese occupation and control of these islands
was established by a League of Nations Mandate Treaty.
Other Japanese strongholds were established in
Rabaul, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Palau.
A concise history of Micronesia can be found at:
http://www.macmeekin.com/Library/NMIchron/1521.htm
http://www.macmeekin.com/Library/NMIchron/1931.htm
Some days before the launch of Operation Hailstorm,
a returning Japanese air squadron noticed an American
carrier fleet sitting 40 miles outside the Lagoon and
responded by evacuating as many ships as they could.
Sitting within the confines of the lagoon made the rest
of them sitting ducks during the attack.
Many of the ships were unable to leave because they
were being repaired and unable to get underway.
Ships that were able to leave encountered a different
fate outside. American submarine forces were lying
in wait just outside Truk Lagoon's Northeast Pass.
However, many of the Japanese military ships managed
to get away in the night, leaving the majority of the ships
in the lagoon of the "Maru" variety. Maru means
"circular trader". These ships ran on a regular
schedule to supply other Japanese strongholds.
On a side note, the sub I-169 attempted to submerge
to avoid the attack. In their haste to descend, the crew
failed to close one of the hatches and subsequently
flooded most of the submarine. After the attack was
over, the Japanese commanders realized the I-169
had not resurfaced and went looking for her. She was
easily found, as was the open hatch. They quickly
realized there were survivors and a recovery
mission was launched without success. Later, the
Japanese depth charged the sub to prevent it from
being salvaged by other "interested parties".
For the most part, the wrecks in Truk Lagoon are in
excellent condition and were not salvaged by the
Japanese Navy. Local lore has it that the wrecks were
mostly forgotten until Jacque Cousteau arrived in
the 1960's and located some of the wrecks and left
with two "huge" containers of artifacts.
Let's go diving......
This was the warm-up dive (not on Truk Aggressor II).
Dive 1
March 16, 2003 - 900am
Sunday - Blue Lagoon Dive Shop
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth - 87
Bottom time - 40 minutes
Ascent time - 6 minutes
Shinkoku Maru (500') has the most soft coral and
"critters" of all the wrecks I dove in Truk Lagoon.
If you can imagine the Duane with ten times the
growth and then you still wouldn't have an equal
to this wreck. Lots of profile, the props are at 128
feet, the king posts are at 40 feet, and top of the
mast is at 25 feet so you can stay on the wreck
for the entire dive with something interesting to
look at during the entire dive. In addition to all the
growth, there is a medical operating room with a
table of artifacts including saki bottles, a radio
room, and some remains of the Japanese soldiers
who went down on this ship during the attack.
This wreck became one of my favorites.....
The liveaboard....
Moving onto the Truk Aggressor II....
Overall, the Truk Aggressor II was truly spot-on in
execution of the intended plan. From the moment
we set foot on the boat until we disembarked, the
crew went out of their way to ensure every request
was met. And what they provided left little to want.
Nyall and crew communicated the dives and what
to look for, where to see it, and how to do it safely.
I doubt anyone lost weight on the boat either as
the food was both delicious and varied. They
made it seem like they can do it at that level every
week too. Maybe they have GMP/ISO certs......
A camera and slide film processing was available
so I rented a camera shot three rolls of film, mostly
on the Shinkoku, which I hope to get digitized. As
I haven't been sucked into that hobby yet, it was
nice to have it available.
Dive 2
March 17, 2003 - 730am
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth - 94
Bottom time - 37 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 3
March 17, 2003 - 1030am
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth - 99
Bottom time - 47 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Kiyozumi Maru (450') was built by Kawasaki
Dockyard and was a victim of multiple attacks
throughout WW2. She lies on its port side in about
105' of water. We penetrated all of the cargo holds
as well as the engine room. The reason the
Kiyozumi Maru was in Truk Lagoon was due to a prior
torpedo attack but we also noticed one cylinder and
piston from its massive eight-cylinder diesel engine
had been removed for repairs. These cylinders are
truly massive with a diameter of approximately four
feet. In the cargo holds, we found large quantities
of fuel drums as well as two bicycles. Since the
wreck still leaks fuel, it's best to avoid the light gray
"water clouds" that accumulate in the upper areas
of the holds. This is aviation gas and/or diesel.
The top of the wreck (the starboard hull) is adorned
with abundant hard and soft corals. If you spend
time there you can find an octopus or two and with
the help of some shiny stainless steel clips, you
can lure them out of their hiding spots for a picture.
Dive 4
March 17, 2003 - 200pm
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kansho Maru
Max depth - 115
Bottom time - 42 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 5
March 17, 2003 - 730pm
Monday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Kansho Maru
Max depth - 104
Bottom time - 39 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Kansho Maru (380') was in Marshall Islands
delivering war supplies and struck by aerial bombs
there. Unable to get herself under way, she was
towed to Truk for repairs. She sank in 130' of water
with a slight list to port. There is not much to see in the
cargo holds but the engine room is impressive where
many large tools can be found. Think of a 6-foot long
adjustable wrench and you'll get the idea of "large
tool". Other artifacts can be found in the bridge area
where a communications room still has radio sets
shelved. An impressive gun along with ammunition
remains on the bow.
Dive 6
March 18, 2003 - 730am
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Unkai Maru
Max depth - 118
Bottom time - 38 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Unkai Maru was one of the smallest wrecks we
dove at "only" 305' LOA. Built in Britain in 1905 as a
freighter, she was sold to a Japanese cargo line and
pressed into war service during WW2. She rests
upright in 135'. The forward cargo hold has hundreds
of shoe soles. They must have been for some type of
protective boot because they are about size 16. In the
same cargo hold, there are gas masks as well. There
are ship lanterns near the bow gun area. While there
are many interesting swim-throughs and accessible
cabin areas, we did not penetrate the engine room
because we wanted to see the entire wreck and only
did one dive here.
Dive 7
March 18, 2003 - 1100am
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 91
Bottom time - 44 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 8
March 18, 2003 - 230pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 95
Bottom time - 51 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 9
March 18, 2003 - 430pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 86
Bottom time - 55 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 10
March 18, 2003 - 730pm
Tuesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Fujikawa Maru
Max depth - 94
Bottom time - 52 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Fujikawa Maru (435' and built by Mitsubishi) was
one of the first wrecks in the lagoon ever dove as the
stern mast at one time protruded from the water.
It has since fallen over. Considered to be one of the
"must do" dives in the lagoon, we did four
successive dives here. As with nearly all the wrecks,
there is something see from stem to stern, props
to kingpost. The most impressive dive was to the
engine room, which is four or five levels down and
provides an eerie view when looking up through the
stairs. Within the engine room, there are multiple
site gauges, telegraph stations, and a "phone booth"
where the chief engineer could speak to the captain
away from the noise. A compressor in this same area
has been affectionately dubbed R2D2. In addition,
the second cargo hold hosts Japanese Zero fighters
(with the three-diamond Mitsubishi logo still visible).
Multiple swim throughs are possible and offer views
into the crew quarters (the famous Captain's bathtub)
and bridge areas. This wreck is adorned with a lot of
growth, probably because she's a bit shallower and in
an area with good visibility.
Dive 11
March 19, 2003 - 730am
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Nippo Maru
Max depth - 123
Bottom time - 33 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Nippo Maru is 352' and was built by Kawasaki
Dockyards for Okazaki Kisen Lines. The china found
on this wreck still has the offset O/K insignia. The
forward cargo holds have a variety of artifacts including
truck frames and big (14") shells. On the forward deck
near the kingpost, there is a small tank. Looking at it,
you will wonder how anyone got inside to drive it, much
less two soldiers. Being a bit deeper at 140', we
elected to forego engine room penetration in favor of
seeing the entire wreck. On the rear deck, there's a
large mobile gun, either anti-aircraft or anti-tank. The
bridge still has the ship's compass and telegraph.
Dive 12
March 19, 2003 - 1030am
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth - 102
Bottom time - 42 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 13
March 19, 2003 - 430pm
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth - 99
Bottom time - 46 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 14
March 19, 2003 - 730pm
Wednesday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Yamagiri Maru
Max depth 79
Bottom time - 55 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Yamagiri Maru (435') sits on her port side in 110'.
Another Mitsubishi built ship, she was run by Yama****a
Kisen Lines until pulled into war service. Originally
thought to carry the 18" shells for the battleships
Yamato and Mushashi, this has since dispelled by
measuring the shells which are actually closer to 14",
still impressive by my standardized TNT scale. The
engine room was immense, with telegraphs, site
gauges, and repair tools scattered about. The starboard
hull, cranes, and kingposts were all heavily adorned
with hard corals and soft corals. At the aft starboard
corner lives a bright red anemone, as well as a
variety of hard and soft corals on the side of the
starboard hull.
Dive 15
March 20, 2003 - 730am
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Destroyer Fumizuki
Max depth 119
Bottom time - 35 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The only non-Maru of the week and a that's because
she was a 330' 35+ knot destroyer, not a converted
supply ship. The Fumi has a big bow gun surrounded
by ammunition, torpedoes, and torpedo launchers.
An intact wheelhouse is still present (and a popular
photograph area).
Dive 16
March 20, 2003 - 1030am
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 103
Bottom time - 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 17
March 20, 2003 - 200pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 81
Bottom time - 56 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 18
March 20, 2003 - 430pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 129
Bottom time - 46 minutes
Ascent time 17 minutes
Dive 19
March 20, 2003 - 815pm
Thursday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shinkoku Maru
Max depth 77
Bottom time - 45 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
See the first dive in this report for the details on the
Skinkoku Maru.
Dive 20
March 21, 2003 730am
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Heian Maru
Max depth 118
Bottom time - 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
Dive 21
March 21, 2003 1030am
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Heian Maru
Max depth - 104
Bottom time - 47 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Heian Maru at 514' built by Osaka Iron Works was
the largest ship of the week and the largest intact ship
in the lagoon. Resting in 135' on her port side, we were
still able to transverse the entire wreck. She was
another of the combination passenger/cargo vessels
pressed into service for WW2. Her duties included
carrying cargo and being a sub tender. In the forward
cargo holds, we saw a large amount of ordinance,
including large shells and torpedoes, some which
were 20'+ long. They don't look that big in the movies.
Penetration of the second cargo hold reveals spare
periscopes and various other spare parts for the sub
fleet operation. Penetration into the engine room
reveals another massive diesel of the older variety
where in valve train is not contained within the engine.
A really cool site for a former knuckle buster.....
Dive 22
March 21, 2003 145pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Shark Shoals (undisclosed lon/lat)
Max depth 70
Bottom time 51 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
At an indeterminate area in the lagoon, there is a large
den of sharks waiting to eat unwary divers that don't
like wreck diving. You were warned.
Dive 23
March 21, 2003 430pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Sankisan Maru
Max depth 74
Bottom time - 51 minutes
Ascent time - 7 minutes
Dive 24
March 21, 2003 815pm
Friday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Sankisan Maru
Max depth 76
Bottom time 50 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Sankisan Maru is only half a wreck. The stern
of the vessel was completely blown off in the attack.
The front half is quite interesting as it's loaded with
ammunition ranging from machine gun rounds to
six inch shells. In addition to the ammunition, there
Are a large number (1000's) of small medical bottles
and ampoules. As tempting as it may be to think about
bringing one home, the fine for removing artifacts
is $10,000. And jail time in Chuuk didn't look too
enticing either.
Dive 25
Mach 22, 2003 730am
Saturday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive Site - Hoki Maru
Max depth 135
Bottom time - 30 minutes
Ascent time - 12 minutes
Originally built in Scotland and named Hauroki, the Hoki
(450') was our final ship wreck with TAII. A bit deeper than
most at 145-160, great stuff can still be seen at 135 on the
Hoki. Within the holds are numerous trucks, a steam
roller, bulldozers, and an earth grader. Anyone need a
runway built quickly?? Sitting upright, the kingposts
provide an excellent reference point for a slow ascent
as well as a variety of soft coral to check out.
Dive 26
March 22, 2003 1100am
Saturday - Truk Aggressor II
Dive site - Betty Bomber
Max depth - 71fsw
Bottom time - 44min
Ascent time - 7 minutes
The Betty Bomber was not a victim of Operation
Hailstorm. It's suspected she was on a routine flight
and attempted to return to base after encountering
some type of problem. This was not a particularly
impressive dive except it let me put a check mark
next to it on my "list". As the last dive from the
Aggressor, I think it's more of a nitrogen "clean-up"
dive at 70'. Future dives had us doing our first deco
stop at 70'. Read on.......
On to the Blue Lagoon for three more dive days....
The Blue Lagoon Dive Shop was mediocre at best
on the initial (and unplanned) dive the day after our
arrival. In addition, the breakfast I had that morning
was fairly horrible as both the eggs and hashbrowns
tasted like fish. This left my expectations low for an
enjoyable stay after the Aggressor. This was not to
be the case however. We checked into our room, had
an excellent lunch, checked in with the dive shop to
see if we would be able to set our own dive agenda.
A quick meeting on Monday morning with BLDS
owner Gradvin Aesek left me happy and impressed
with their willingness to go that extra mile. We stated
we had been on the Aggressor the prior week and
wanted to do some of the deeper wrecks like the San
Francisco Maru and Aiokoku Maru. Gradvin asked us
if we wanted to do both of them today and we quickly
replied I'd rather split them up over the course of a
few days since we had time and doing two 160'+ dives
in the same day 600 miles from a chamber may not be
the best idea. We got a big grin from Gradvin as
though we had just passed the exam. I think it was
exactly that...
Gradvin stated we were set to dive the Aiokoku today
with our choice of anything shallower for the afternoon
and we'd do the San Fran tomorrow and all our choice
after that. Wow!!! Terence and I also made our
arrangements for nitrox for the shallower afternoon
dives and met our dive guide, Nick, who was great
to work with.
Dive 27
March 24, 2003 945am
Monday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Aiokoku Maru
Max depth - 163
Bottom time - 17 minutes
Ascent time 27 minutes
The Aiokoku Maru (492') was built as a combination
passenger-freighter but her completion, she was
pulled into war service by the Japanese Imperial Navy.
She was carrying a massive amount of ordinance when
a bomb was dropped into the forward cargo hold.
The resulting explosion blew the entire front half of
the ship off and reportedly took down the plane that
dropped the bomb too. It also resulted in a massive
crater that makes her the deepest wreck in the lagoon
at 240'. While most the soldier's remains were
removed, some are still there. We did a swim-thru
of a non-descript area of the interior section
and sacrificed getting to spend any time at the
impressive rear gun. On the middle deck, just fwd
of the poop deck, we found a scattered pile of
remains along with some of the ship's china,
artifacts, and a few gas masks.
Dive 28
March 24, 2003 155pm
Monday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Hoyo Maru
Max depth 94
Bottom time 55 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Hoyo Maru (475') was a tanker ship that was
torpedoed on the port side at the engine room. She
turtled when she sank and the flat bottom appears
to be a reef not a wreck when you arrive. This wreck
had the most hard coral I saw of all the wrecks. Access
to the engine is easily done through the torpedo hole.
Once inside, the engine is hanging by the prop
shaft and is kind of spooky. Since she's upside down,
she's resting on her superstructure and offers a lot
of swim throughs at about 115-125'. We bypassed
the swim-thru to spend more in the engine area and
corridors. Working our way up and fwd, I thought
about how the Spiegel Grove could have turned out : - )
We spent a lot of time playing with an octopus on the
top (actually the bottom) of the wreck.
Dive 29
March 25, 2003 945am
Tuesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - San Francisco Maru
Max depth 165
Bottom time 17
Ascent time 32
The San Francisco Maru (385') was built in 1919 by
Kawasaki Dockyards for Y.K. Lines. Sitting upright
on the deeper side of 200', we elected to explore the
front half of where a few of the T95 tanks sit on the
forward decks, which are deeply bowed from the
weight and bombing damage. The cargo holds in
this section contain what look like floating mines
and Nick's hand signals indicated "bombs". The bow
has a big gun : - ) From the gun, we floated over the
wreck back towards the bridge, which still has the
ships binnacle and began a slow ascent, rising
up the rear mast.
Dive 30
March 25, 2003 200pm
Tuesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Rio de Janiero Maru
Max depth 95
Bottom time 47 Minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
The Rio De Janiero Maru (450') is another Mitsubishi built
ship and sits in just over 105' on her starboard rail. I was
most impressed with the large engine room with twin
engines,water intake/ fuel control valves, and a stairwell
dropping between them. With complete bow and stern
guns intact, multiple companionway swim-throughs,
ordinance, plates, saki bottles, and an intact bridge, she
quickly became one of my favorites for the trip.
Dive 31
March 26, 2003 930am
Wednesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Seiko Maru
Max depth 134
Bottom time 25 minutes
Ascent time 26 minutes
The Seiko Maru (395') was built by Darien Kisen Lines
and sits upright in 160'. This is a wreck that's not on
anyone's regular dive schedule, but she's a great dive.
A lot of artifacts lay scattered everywhere, including
intact telegraphs and binnacles on the bridge, door
knobs laying in the doorways where the door had long
since rotted away and ship's lantern up near the bow,
and large spare prop blades (just the blades). A nice
bow gun (not "too" overgrown either) sits up front
along with ammunition boxes. While the sand is at 160',
the fwd mast rises to about 50' so you can check out
how the growth gets thicker, the closer to the surface
as you ascend.
Dive 32
March 26, 2003 145pm
Wednesday - Blue Lagoon Dive Resort
Dive site - Kiyozumi Maru
Max depth 90
Bottom time 53 minutes
Ascent time 7 minutes
See the second dive report for the details on the
Kiyozumi.
Were you diving air on the deep dives? Just how narced is 160 feet?
