Truk Lagoon

[seansrs36]

I had the opportunity of visiting Truk Lagoon on the 70th Anniversary of Operation Hailstone. Here is a brief overall of the battle:

On Feb 17th 1944, US launched an airstrike against the Japanese forces located in Truk Lagoon. As a result of the battle, Truk Lagoon became the biggest graveyard of ships in the world. At the end of the battle, US forces sank twelve warships, thirty-two merchant marine ships, and 275 aircraft were destroyed. Some have described Truk as Japan's equivalent of the Americans' Pearl Harbor.

Here are some pictures from my trip:







More pics can be found here at:

Truk Lagoon Operation Hailstone

 

[Akimbo]

The February 2014 cover story in Naval History Magazine was on the raid. Really interesting. I didn’t realize it until reading this article that Gregory "Pappy" Boyington of the Black Sheep Squadron and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient was there was a prisoner.

He was shot down and rescued by a Japanese Submarine. In the process of being sent to Tokyo with several other POWs his plane landed in Truk just before the first wave of Operation Hailstone. They all got off the plane and into a trench before it was destroyed on the tarmac.

That prompted me to read Boyington’s book, Baa Baa Black Sheep. His short transfer via Truk turned into a grueling number of weeks.

 

[seansrs36]

Wow I didn't know that either. You just taught me something.

 

[Akimbo]

I was thinking that it would be ironic if the I-169 is the boat that picked up Boyington. He didn't mention which boat but did say it was one of the large transport subs. Did you get a chance to dive her?

 

[seansrs36]

I was thinking that it would be ironic if the I-169 is the boat that picked up Boyington. He didn't mention which boat but did say it was one of the large transport subs. Did you get a chance to dive her?

Yes..here is a pic of her prop:

 

[Kevrumbo]

Nice shots! Any latest collapse of these 70 year old wrecks?

Last December the Rio De Janeiro's funnel/engine room skylights sheared away amidship. . .

 

[Donnah]

Great images! We were there at the 50th anniversary. It was quite an experience. When I get back up north, I'll have to dig out my slides from the trip. Did you get any shots of the anemones blanketing parts of the ships?

 

[seansrs36]

Great images! We were there at the 50th anniversary. It was quite an experience. When I get back up north, I'll have to dig out my slides from the trip. Did you get any shots of the anemones blanketing parts of the ships?

No I didn't . There are a lot of those. Next trip in 2016 I will.

 

[Akimbo]

Nice shots! Any latest collapse of these 70 year old wrecks?...

I was there the week after seansrs36. It looks to me like the wrecks are going fast. A lot of the ships are over 100 years old and were past their normal service life when sunk. There is a lot of plate buckling between ribs. The superstructure on the San Francisco was so thin that several portholes had fallen out with remnants of steel still bolted to them. The dive briefings covered recent bits that have failed on at least half the wrecks.

 

[James R]

Beautiful image of R2D2, and overall a great series of compelling images. Thanks for sharing.