Today's dives were our last at this incredible historic place. We awoke to a howling wind and sharp pellet rain. The squalls seem to come and go so we could only hope for them to "go" during our boat rides between dives. Once we are 90+ feet down, it doesn't seem to matter.
We did three dives today: the SANKISAN MARU, KENSHO MARU, and KIYOSUMI MARU. As was the case in all previous dives, they were each unique.
The full day would require a hearty breakfast so there is a shot of me and Jerry in the "chow hall" as Jerry calls it. At the next table was a group from a diving club in West Palm Beach, Fl. Some of them dive two to three times a week in Florida. Imagine!
SANKISAN MARU
This 367', 4776-ton freighter suffered a bomb right in an ordinance filled aft hold which obliterated her aft end scattering fragments everywhere. Her bow went down upright and rests at an 80' depth on the bottom. The deck is 50' deep with dense soft corals and other marine growth. Several truck chassis and other cargo remain in the second hold.
Photos:
1) Challenging weather
2) Breakfast - two photos
3)The coral covered bow
4) Anti aircraft gun
5) 50 Caliber bullets scattered all over the hold - two photos
6) Vehicle remains
For our required surface interval (generally an hour) we motored over to a small island where there was a shelter and we could get out of the rain.
KENSHO MARU
Our second dive was on the Kensho Maru, a 381', 4862-ton passenger cargo ship sitting at 120' under the surface. Her deck is at 80' and her uppermost structure at 60'. She was undergoing repairs in the sheltered Japanese Repair Anchorage when she was hit.
As soon as we decended we spotted a typewriter keyboard, a beer bottle and a sink. All had apparently been blasted from their places and landed together on the deck.
Because of the position of the ship, listing to its port side, we had easy access to the engine room. None of our photos turned out very well but we could clearly see the large engines. Later we saw some engine parts scattered about close to a hatch cover encrusted with coral but still having a portion of the glass on its window.
Our maximum depth on the dive was 91' so we couldn't stay deep very long. As we began to surface and reached the upper portions of the ship we could see the colorful corals that encrusted the exterior. After that we made a slow ascent to reach our dive boat. And, when we surfaced, it was still pouring which made for a chilly ride back to the hotel.
Photos:
1) Typewriter
2) Going to engine room opening
3) Engine part
4) Hatch cover
5) Another entry point
6) Beginning the ascent
7) Wonderful corals and fish
8) The dive boat from below
9) I'll have a hot tea, please
KIYOSUMI MARU
After lunch we were back out for our last dive. The rain had cleared and it was a pleasant boat ride out to the Kiyosumi which was another passenger ship converted to cargo. A side note is warranted here. Shortly before the US attack the Japanese had moved most of their carriers and destroyers out of the Lagoon. It is not known whether or not this was the result of US photo recon aircraft being spotted flying over the Lagoon approximately ten days before. The vessels that were left were the support fleet such as submarine tenders, cargo ships, naval transport ships, freighters and tankers.
The Kiyosumi Maru was resting almost totally on its port side leaving the starboard side exposed to surface light and therefore covered in coral. Most of it was light brown like tumble weeds in a desert. The ship has a gaping thole in its starboard side that is the result of a torpedo that almost blew it in half. The ship was 450' long and weighed 8600 tons.
We entered the hole and soon encountered some serious divers, swimming with multiple tanks of air plus oxygen mix. There wasn't much in the cargo holds but there was some scattered items on the resting top side of the ship.
Photos:
1) Entering the ship
2) The empty structure
3) The technical divers
4) Various utensils
5) Gas canister
6) Corals covering the hull (three photos)
As I mentioned, this was our last dive and we will certainly remember this time in WWII history.
Even though the one day, February 17, is remembered as "Operation Hailstone", the bombings actually went on for months following. It was during this time that the US first deployed the B29 bomber in the Pacific. The Japanese were powerless against it. It could fly and drop bombs from an altitude of 25,000 feet, totally out of range for the Japanese fighter aircraft or their anti-aircraft guns. The bombing was kept up as part of the America's tactic to destroy the Japanese supply lines and starve military personnel. Unfortunately many of the Chuukese fell victim to the attacks as well. But, the Chuuk people welcomed the US planes in anticipation of their liberation from Japanese oppression.
This was the end of the Japanese occupation of Micronesia when, in 1942 the Japanese numbered over 96,000 people and the the locals had a population of only 50,000.
While reading about these events, Jerry picked up a couple quirky tidbits he wanted to share:
Before any ship went down it was required that the sailors removed the photo of the Japanese emperor that hung respectfully on each vessel.
Another odd thing they did was to leave rice and other precious food supplies stored untouched and hidden in caves, even though they were starving. They were saving these provisions to use for the expected US land attack that never came.
The land based military kept their best uniforms stored, saved to wear to meet the US forces in battle.
Today both Chuuk and Japan have done much to facilitate reconciliation. Japanese are frequent and welcome travelers to Chuuk and each year a delegation comes to pay their respects to lost relatives.
We had a great time and on the evening of our last dive, Namy and Awora, our guide and boat captain threw a little waterside barbecue for our boat group. They even presented us with souvenir certificates declaring us Certified Truk Lagoon Wreck Divers.
