Sub-aquatic Graveyard Of WW2 Ships And Aircraft

By Rebecca Lewis @RebeccaSLewis

ON the ocean floor lies a ghostly graveyard of ships and aircraft sunk in the height of the Second World War

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A wreck of an aircraft - a Nakajima B6N “Jill” Torpedo bomber - is explored by a diver

A fuselage of a Zero fighter rests in the hold of the Fujikawa Maru

A diver explores a davitt on the wreck of the Shinkoku Maru

A turtle photographed amongst the wrecks

Trucks resting in one of the holds of the wreck of the Hoki Maru, a ship that was sunk by a torpedo

The remains of the Kansho Maru which was struck by a bomb and an aerial torpedo

Aircraft wreck of Kawanishi “Emily” Flying Boat, the Japanese Imperial Navy used the planes for reconnaissance and bombing

A diver explores the interior of the wreck of the Gosei Maru

More than 40 Japanese ships and 250 aircraft have their final resting place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean 1800km from Micronesia.

During the war, which ended seventy years ago, the Japanese used the surrounding islands of the Truk Lagoon – now known as Chuuk – as a base against the Allied forces in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

In 1944, Allied forces launched a two day attack known as Operation Hailstone and destroyed cruisers, auxiliaries and merchant ships which severely injured Japan’s presence in the Pacific.

Seventy-one years later the underwater grave – which is the largest of its kind - is a popular site for divers as fish invade the decayed war wreckage.

Nick Blake, 49, from Woking, visited the site in May last year as turtles swam among the debris.

He said: “Dives were typically about one hour, sometimes a little longer on the shallower wrecks. We would typically do three days per day and I clocked up over 30 dives during my trip.

A delicately balanced steamroller on the edge of one of the holds in the Hoki Maru, a ship that was sunk by a torpedo

“Whilst I had gone to Truk fully prepared to photograph wrecks, what surprised me was the diversity of subject matter on each wreck site.

The bow of the Shinkoku Maru, a ship that was sunk by two aerial torpedoes

“As well as the wreck itself and the fascinating contents of the holds, they are festooned in coral, which makes for some fantastic photo opportunities.

“Without a doubt this stunning destination, with almost 70 charted wrecks, is truly the world’s wreck capital - particularly in view of the sheer number of wrecks, their preservation and stunning condition.”