In 1995, and again in 1997 I went to Truk Lagoon, site of a major naval action in World War II known by the codename "Operation Hailstone".  There, on February 17-18, 1944 the US Navy raided what was regarded as Japan's "Gibraltar of the Pacific" and sank some 35 ships.  Because the appearance of a scout plane had tipped off the Japanese command that a raid was imminent, most of their warships escaped before the arrival of the American task force.  However, many armed merchant vessels, designated with the name "Maru" used to support the Japanese fleet remained behind and were sunk in the massive two-day raid.  Today, these ships are mute reminders of the brutality of the war they helped to conduct.  But the sea has taken over, and now the ships have become home to a vast diversity of colorful marine life.  Because of the shallowness of the Lagoon, most of the wrecks are diveable by sport divers, and indeed Truk Lagoon has become the "ultimate" wreck diver's paradise.  Below are some of the scenes I brought home with me from my two visits there.

Fujikawa Maru is one of the most popular wrecks in Truk Lagoon, because she is representative of the "Lost Fleet" as a whole, and also because she is at such a shallow depth (60 feet to the main deck)  that, until not too many years ago, one of her masts actually protruded out of the water.  This was a cargo ship, armed with a 6-inch deck gun and fitted to carry aircraft from the Home Islands where they were built to the front.  Today, her holds are filled with un-assembled Zero fighters, airplane parts, and even an outboard motor for a small boat.

This is one of the few jellyfish I saw.  Descending to the wreck of the Fujikawa Maru, I happened to have had the "right" combination of lens and camera.  This specimen was relatively near the surface, at a depth of about 20 feet.

Nikon N8008s and 60mm Micro lens and Fuji Velvia 1997

At night all the soft corals put out their brightest colors.  This shot was taken on a night dive on the Fujikawa Maru in 1997. 

 Nikon N8008s, 60mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia. 1997

One of my favorite wrecks in Truk Lagoon was the Shinkoku Maru, a 500-foot tanker.  This ship lies upright on the bottom and has many varied scenes for the diver.  One of these is an operating room, complete with surgery table, surgical instruments and even ampules of medications.  In another room is a ceramic-tile Japanese bathtub, photo shown below.  Also in this wreck is the intact men's restroom, complete with all the fixtures.  Shinkoku Maru was one of eight fleet oilers supporting Admiral Nagumo's force that struck Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Shinkoku Maru is no longer considered safe to dive by the Aggressor Fleet of dive boats, because of the hazard created by structural deterioration.  The scenes I show here were taken on my 1995 trip.

This shot needs no commentary.

The batfish in this photo were taken near the top of the kingpost of the Shinkoku Maru, at a depth of only about 15 feet, during my safety stop. 

 Nikonos V, 35mm lens, Fuji Provia film. ©1995

This scene of the ladder connecting two levels of decks somehow really "grabbed" me.  It brought forth visions of crewmen running from place to place in their duties aboard the Shinkoku Maru.  Note all the hard and soft corals encrusting everything metal.   

Nikonos V, 35mm lens, Fuji Provia film. 1995

Some historical reading materials on Truk Lagoon:

(1). Hailstorm over Truk Lagoon, Klaus Lindemann Copyright © 1982 Maruzen Holdings Ltd., Hong Kong  ISBN 981-00-2968-3

(2) Ghost Fleet of the Truk Lagoon, An Account of "Operation Hailstone", William H Stewart © 1985 Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Missoula Montana USA  ISBN 0-933126-66-2

There are other writings, but I regard Lindemann's as the most authoritative.  He has researched the minute details of the Order of Battle, including air unit designations and which American aircraft from which carriers were involved in attacks on specific ships.  He also provides information useful for divers planning dives on the wrecks, including the most interesting objects to be found on each wreck, depth, and potential diving hazards endemic to a particular dive location.