Truk Lagoon, FSM
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The Amagisan Maru was originally built as a cargo/passenger ship serving the Japan-New York Line. The Japanese Navy took her over in 1943 and she was used as a special transport. During the Hailstone attack she was sunk by an aerial torpedo while carrying aviation fuel and diesel oil drums in her holds. The ship is one of the largest wrecks in the lagoon. Her most interesting features include a bow gun, "staff cars" in hold No. 2 and a tank truck on the sea floor. The Amagisan Maru was discovered in 1973 and now rests at a maximum depth of 190 fsw at her stern. |
Truk Lagoon, FSM
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The Shinohara/I-169 was a KD 6 A (I-168) Class submarine built for
the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1934. During the war the I-169 participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but
later was
converted to an underwater transport due to her large size and range. After the fall of Saipan, she was one of the few ships
that could keep Truk re-supplied. The I-169 was lost in an American air attack, subsequent to the original "Hailstone" raid. As the air attack began, she dove to avoid damage but unfortunately, the crew failed to close the main induction valve and she flooded her forward compartments and sank herself. The Japanese made immediate attempts to salvage her and discovered that some crewman in the after section of the submarine had survived the sinking. However, due to various problems the rescue and salvage failed and all hands were lost. The wreck was rediscovered in 1973 and Al Giddings made a documentary about the sub and the Japanese government’s subsequent recovery of a portion of the crew’s remains. Sadly, a Japanese diver was also lost during the recovery attempt. She now lies in 125 fsw. |
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VHS: $26.95 SWV029 Back to Truk Videos / CD-ROM CDROM: $28.95 SWC029 |
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DVD: $28.95 SWD029 |