Page 174 - Micronesia
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HEIAN MARU 510’ (155m), 11,614-ton Submarine Tender and room at the stern.
former Luxury Liner-Cargo ship lies on her port side at 120’
(36m) near Tonoas Island. Divers reach the superstructure at 40’ FUJISAN MARU 512’ (156m), 9,524-ton Naval Tanker with bomb
(12m). She gained fame in the 1970’s when Jacques Cousteau damage, mostly on the aft end port side. Somehow the stack
showed her off on TV, with her name in Japanese and English still survived the blast and the sinking. She sits upright with a sharp
readable on the bow. Heian carried supplies for Japanese subs. list to port sloping 170’ to 200’ (51m - 66m). Her deck is at 150’
Periscopes line the upper companionway, and 14 Long Lance (45m), and her s’structure is at 120’ (36m). Experienced skill
torpedoes are found in the fwd hold. Aft holds also carry sub level is required for penetration, and this is a very deep, techni-
supplies and timbers. The whole ship is a coral garden with lots cal dive. The ship’s anchor hangs from the bow. Forward cargo
of fish and zig-zag oysters, and a shark may pass by. This ship is tanks caved in under pressure when the ship went down. The
Chuuk’s largest wreck. bridge is open, as is the galley and aft starboard s’structure.
KATSURAGISAN MARU 285’ (87m), 2,427-ton Cargo Ship rests NIPPO MARU 351’ (107m), 3,764-ton Passenger-Cargo Ship rests
upright on sand at 235’ (70m), having accidentally been blasted upright with a slight list to port. This extraordinary wreck lies in
by a Japanese mine as she headed out of the lagoon in January, 150’ (45m) of water, with her masts rising to 70’ (21m). She was
1944. Discovered by Klass Lindermann in 1994, she is deep, cor- a war-time Auxiliary Water Carrier, with many big water tanks
roded, and collapsing, so diving is rarely attempted. aboard. She was also loaded with seven 12cm (5”) guns in hold
5, four anti-tank guns on the starboard deck at hold 4, and a bat-
PATROL BOAT 34 300’ (91m) (approx.), 1,162-ton No. 31 Type tle tank on the port deck at hold 2. Her galley and aft s’structure
Patrol Boat, Ex-Kuri Type Momi Class Destroyer sits right offshore are accessible, as is her exceptionally photogenic bridge and
in water ranging just 20’ to 40’ (6 to 12m). American bombs helm, complete with engine telegraph. A truck’s remnants hang
dropped from high altitude destroyed this boat, but the guns overboard on port and another lies on the bottom.
were subsequently brought ashore, since she sank sticking out of
the water. Snorkelers explore this rusting hulk, while scuba di-
vers check out the propellers, rudder, troop quarters and engine
