2025 Mega Trip, Part II - Micronesia
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:50 am
Two and a half years ago a good friend announced he wanted to organise a dive trip to celebrate his retirement, the chosen location Truk Lagoon, in Chuuk - one of the Federated States of Micronesia.
Sadly when the time came around, he had retired but his hip had failed. instead of coming with us to Truk he underwent surgery for his hip replacement. There's a lesson there to be sure to do things when you can. But the lead time to get the best accommodation / boat in Truk is 2 years+ ...
We all had a super time out there, and sent our best regards to our missing group leader.
So Truk ..... a brief history. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and America faught back over the ensuing years. In February 1944 they launched their own carrier born bomber and torpedo airplane attack on Japan's naval base in Chuuk.
Operation Hailstorm.
Most of the warships sailed away in time, but a very large tonnage of merchant and support ships were sunk. These carried spare equipment for submarines, aircraft, guns, ammunition, fuel, everything needed to maintain the Pacific war. There is also one destroyer, and one submarine.
So Truk is now littered with the most dense array of sunken militaria that is accessible any where in the world. Also due to its isolation it has not been salvaged. It is number 1 location worldwide for wreck divers.
Here are some of my photos, but first one is of us taken from 42m ....
Us from the sea bed.
PXL_20250213_212811372 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Us
DSC_0015 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Jenny with a tank
DSC_0163 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Spare Periscopes
DSC_0223 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Binnacle and engine telegraph
DSC_0199 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Spare Zeros
DSC_0271 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Fo'cstle telegraph
DSC_0301 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Air compressor
DSC_0246 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Inside a Betty Bomber
DSC_0120 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Bullets
DSC_0165 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
More bullets
DSC_0173 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Machinery space penetration
DSC_0112 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
DSC_0108 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
DSC_0115 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
DSC_0103 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Galley with a huge wok.
DSC_0122 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
Sunset on the dive boat.
IMG_1162 by gawaine appleby, on Flickr
It was an awesome week of diving, following a veery large time spent travelling through Indonesia, Manilla, and Guam. To take full benefit of the trip Jenny and I front loaded this trip with a dive safari in Indonesia. In all during January and February we spent 1 day, 17 hours, and 17 minutes underwater, recording 40 dives.
Sadly when the time came around, he had retired but his hip had failed. instead of coming with us to Truk he underwent surgery for his hip replacement. There's a lesson there to be sure to do things when you can. But the lead time to get the best accommodation / boat in Truk is 2 years+ ...
We all had a super time out there, and sent our best regards to our missing group leader.
So Truk ..... a brief history. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and America faught back over the ensuing years. In February 1944 they launched their own carrier born bomber and torpedo airplane attack on Japan's naval base in Chuuk.
Operation Hailstorm.
Most of the warships sailed away in time, but a very large tonnage of merchant and support ships were sunk. These carried spare equipment for submarines, aircraft, guns, ammunition, fuel, everything needed to maintain the Pacific war. There is also one destroyer, and one submarine.
So Truk is now littered with the most dense array of sunken militaria that is accessible any where in the world. Also due to its isolation it has not been salvaged. It is number 1 location worldwide for wreck divers.
Here are some of my photos, but first one is of us taken from 42m ....
Us from the sea bed.
PXL_20250213_212811372 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrUs
DSC_0015 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrJenny with a tank
DSC_0163 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrSpare Periscopes
DSC_0223 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrBinnacle and engine telegraph
DSC_0199 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrSpare Zeros
DSC_0271 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrFo'cstle telegraph
DSC_0301 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrAir compressor
DSC_0246 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrInside a Betty Bomber
DSC_0120 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrBullets
DSC_0165 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrMore bullets
DSC_0173 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrMachinery space penetration
DSC_0112 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrDSC_0108 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrDSC_0115 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrDSC_0103 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrGalley with a huge wok.
DSC_0122 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrSunset on the dive boat.
IMG_1162 by gawaine appleby, on FlickrIt was an awesome week of diving, following a veery large time spent travelling through Indonesia, Manilla, and Guam. To take full benefit of the trip Jenny and I front loaded this trip with a dive safari in Indonesia. In all during January and February we spent 1 day, 17 hours, and 17 minutes underwater, recording 40 dives.