Truk Lagoon wrecks from WWII
Death and destruction came to the tiny Pacific outpost of Truk Lagoon in February 1944. Operation Hailstone was designed to destroy as many of the Japanese fleet and bases on the surrounding islands as possible over the course of two days and stop the Japanese advance across the Pacific. While many of Japan’s largest battleships and destroyers had left for Palau and other Pacific regions fearing imminent attack, the Allies still found more than 60 ships in the lagoon, sinking more than 45 and damaging many others. . Of 365 Japanese aircraft, more than 270 were destroyed in the air or on the ground.
In 1970, Truk Lagoon brought the world’s attention back to the world through Jacques Cousteau’s study of the collection of shipwrecks and planes at the bottom of the sea. Truk Lagoon is now on every wreck enthusiast’s wish list.
WWII Truk Lagoon shipwrecks by Dan E Bailey is the ultimate guide to air raid preparation, Operation Hailstone events and details 52 shipwrecks and 5 aircraft wrecks lying on the seabed. The first section of the book deals with the history of the Japanese expansion at Truk Lagoon and its development into a naval base. The days of the Allied raid are comprehensively covered, with decoded intercepted messages and black-and-white images included.
The author is an expert on the Truk Lagoon wreckage, having dived there since the early 1970s. He has extensively researched wartime records and gathered information from other Pacific War researchers to gather information related to the raid. With over thirty years diving the wreck, he has created a comprehensive guide for each one that includes background, description of the wreck, and dive notes with color photographs of the most interesting artifacts.
The good of WWII Truk Lagoon shipwrecks is that you can slide into any area that interests you easily and quickly. It is well laid out and everything is easy to find. If it is only the wreck information you are looking for, then the information is complete in itself, but the options are there to delve deeper into the history of each individual ship or get involved in the details of Operation Hailstone.
I bought this book on the way home from my first trip to Truk. Aside from wishing I knew before I left … it gave me a better idea of the wreckage I had just plunged into. Some of these shipwrecks are so large that there is no chance of seeing it all in one or two dives; This book will tell you about the bits you missed and guide you on your next trip back.
It is hardcover and is over 500 pages long so it is not an easy book to take with you, but if you are planning a Truk dive trip, have just done it, or are a Pacific war enthusiast then you need this book on your coffee table. or bookshelf.