In the technical division of wreck exploration, divers are afforded the rare privilege of being able to enter time capsules and take away the thrill of having been privy to the past. That's said, there's something especially humbling about Truk. The almost perfectly preserved aftermath of an unexpected attack where not only the vestiges of war remain, but those of the soldiers involved.
The Lagoon rose to fame shortly after Jacques Cousteau released his documentary on what has become of the earth's most unique wreck diving sites.
During World War Two, Truk was passed on from Spain to the Germans, and finally to the Japanese Imperial Army. With the geographical advantages of its natural deep lagoon and encircled reef, it didn't take long for them to create an impenetrable stronghold out of the island. With no less than 5 airfields and 500 aircraft to man what nature couldn't, Truk served as the perfect base from which to launch its attacks on the surrounding Solomon Islands and New Guinea. More than 1 000 ships awaited utilization.
The wreck's remains are mainly situated around Chuuk's Dublon, Eten, Fefan and Uman islands where the Japanese Civil Engineering and Naval Construction Departments set up what was required to operate independently and effectively.
The fortified base was equipped with everything from repair stations to radar centers, all of which required excellent tactical defense. The outer islands were guarded by manned suicide torpedoes, patrol boats, submarines, strategically placed mines and fortified beach defenses.
In 1942 when Australia sent six Catalinas in to bomb the base, indestructible Truk threw up an extra involuntary air defence in the form of thunderstorms which hid the lagoon from their view, sending the troops back on a failed mission.
Truk was officially impregnable.
"Japan's equivalent of the Americans' Pearl Harbor."
After failed attempts by the Allied intelligence to penetrate the brilliantly situated stronghold, with four years of infrastructural development and successful safeguarding, for reasons unknown, the Japanese let down their guard.
On February 16, 1944 the U.S. advanced from the east in a fleet of line carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines preparing to conduct what they referred to as Operation Hailstone. As with any surprise engagement, the Japanese fell brutally. Reinforcement convoys were lost and little could be done without the necessary preparation against a three day hailstorm of 400 tons of bombs and torpedoes.
In the following months US aircraft were deployed until the Japanese finally surrendered in 1945. What's left of the Imperial Fleet now lies scattered across 77 square miles in about 15m of water.
This roughly encompasses 275 aircraft, 45 ships, 6 destroyers/cruisers, 5 sub-chasers, 5 tankers, and 26 merchantmen. 50 years later the Island may appear pristine, but after the attack oil from all the destroyed ships lay spilled on its beautiful beaches for more than two years.
Diving the Monument
In the 56 years since most of the ships sank, their decks and sides have been transformed into vibrant coral reefs. The lagoon's setting means mild currents and very little silt disturbance to what is already considered excellent visibility.
Unlike the Bikini Atoll's deeper wreck placements which require advanced skills to navigate, it's easier for divers to swim across the decks with their gas masks, personal effects, ammunition, rows of fighter aircraft, tanks, jeeps, bulldozers, railroad cars, motorcycles, torpedoes, mines, bombs, and hundreds of other artifacts.
Chuuk has a warm, tropical climate. The dry season (the best time to travel) is between December and April; the rainy season, April to December, Temperatures average between 78-90 degrees Fahrenheit (26-32 degrees Celsius), with the water temperature sitting on a comfortable year-round 82-84 Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees Celsius).
The Naval battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, tankers, cargo ships, tugboats, gunboats, minesweepers, landing craft, and submarines have all become healthy reefs sustaining the cycle that is influenced by the rich nutrients that are swept in through the channels. 300 types of Coral, pelagic predators, reef fish and cleaning stations, each wreck unique.
The submarine I-169 Shinohara has become a popular member of the fleet due to the fact that it was part of Pearl Harbor's attack.
Other wrecks of interest include the Fujikawa Maru, Shinkoku Maru , Sankisan Maru, Yamagiri Maru , Nippo Maru (originally discovered by Jacques Cousteau), Mitsubishi A6M Zeke and Yokosuka D4Y Judy.
The word 'Maru' is uniformly added to a ships name in the event that it was recruited from civilian ranks, whereas the absence thereof indicates that the ship is of military origin.
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