The Shinkoku Maru was built in 1939 by the Kawasaki Dockyard for the Kobe Sanbashi K.K. Line as a modern tanker. Her construction was subsidized by the fuel starved Japanese Navy and her first voyages were carrying oil from the United States to Japan, prior to the embargo. The Imperial Japanese Navy then converted her…
IJN Sutsuk, later Patrol Boat N0. 34 was a Momi Class destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early 1920’s. Originally one of the fastest ships of their period, they were top heavy at high speed, and could only be used as second class destroyers or torpedo boats. Although nearly obsolete at the…
Zero was the Allied code name for the Mitsubishi A6M fighter. The Zero aircraft was designed in 1937 by Jiro Horikoshi for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The plane saw action throughout the war and was unmatched in speed and maneuverability until 1942 when modern Allied fighters began to appear. Later the aircraft was found to…
Emily Flying Boat was an Allied code name for the Kawanishi H8K1 Flying Boat. Emily Flying Boat came into view about mid-term of WW 2, and immediately proved a capable and deadly war tool for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It’s featured long range, greater than even a US B-29 Superfortress was impressive along with its…
The Unkai Maru was built in 1905 by the W. Grey Shipyard of England as the freighter S/S Venus. The ship was sold in 1911 to the Japanese Nakamura Kisen Line and later requisitioned for use by the Japanese Navy as a general cargo transport. Unkai Maru survived several of the “Hailstone” raids before being…
The Yamagiri Maru was built in 1938 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a passenger/cargo carrier for the Yamashita Kisen Line. Requisitioned by the Japanese Navy in September 1941 she was converted to a military transport for moving special cargoes. The ship saw service transporting war material between Solomons and the Caroline Islands until she was…
The Pugh is a former USN YFR, a type of vessel designed and built to supply the anchored fleet at large congested naval stations/bases. Three types of vessels were in her class … one being a YO for Yard Oiler carrying special lubes to large ships, another was a YF for supplying dry stores, and…
The Hoki Maru is another wreck sitting upright in the Fourth Fleet Anchorage loaded with cargo. At the time of the US attacks she was carrying a large amount of aviation fuel in the forward holds which caused a huge explosion now leaving only remains of the forward part of this ex-New Zealand ship. On…
This extremely large wreck sits on its starboard side in shallow water meaning coral growth is heavy on the port beam and marine life is plentiful. With the largest bow and stern guns on offer in Truk, the Rio De Janeiro was the after lunch dive on this particularly beautiful afternoon on the lagoon. As…
The Nippo Maru is always a great dive due to its relatively shallow depth providing plenty of coral growth, its proximity to the main islands providing pelagic action and the huge amount of war memorabilia and ship remains including tanks, trucks and stacks of guns and ammunition. So this morning, after some preparation, we made…