Even if you are a wreck-tophobe (rather than a wreck-tophile) this place can give you 'wreck-itis'! We are talking about the largest concentration of military shipping anywhere in the World.
Truk has everything that the other Pacific atolls have - the clear water, corals, and sharks on the outer reef but Truk is unique because you dive exclusively inside the lagoon.
The History
Truk is a group of nine islands inside a forty mile radius barrier reef. In March 1944 sixty Japanese ships were sunk, most, fortunately for scuba divers, in relatively shallow water.
The History leading up to these events is well documented in the annals of WWII. The Japanese took control of the Micronesian Islands after craftily siding with the allies (once the Allies would be the victors) only months before the end of WWI.
The Japanese got the islands as spoils of war from the defeated Germans but rather than encourage autonomy they drew a veil of secrecy as they militarised them. The Japanese indentured Japanese, Korean and Okinawan workers to build airbases and infrastructure to support 15,000 military personnel stationed here.
In 1938 they brought in the War machines. They put anti aircraft guns on the mountains. Secrecy was maintained by a virtual isolation. They burnt the islanders ocean going boats so that word would not get out of the build up.
Conjecture has it that Emilia Erhart was shot down whist flying over the island with the hidden agenda of reconnaissance. Apparently several reports place her in prison here where it is alleged she died before the end of the war.
It was, however, a good time for the islanders who benefited from the infrastructure that the Japanese installed. Each island had its own power supply and the roads were lined with flowers. The garrison was large and was served by Geisha houses with nearly 5,000 indentured girls who were kept very busy with the constant military traffic. At one time there could be 500 ships anchored in the lagoon.
Thus, Truk became the Japanese Gibraltar. Once America declared war after the sneak Japanese attack at Pearl harbour (on Dec 8th 1940) Truk assumed enormous strategic importance and was even considered as the first target location to drop the atomic bomb.
Announcements of the capture of other islands came quickly; Guam, Borneo, Sumatra. At times there were 1500 vessels at anchor in the Lagoon and the base was a continual thorn in the side of the allies who were forced to run supply convoys further south.
Gradually the tide of war changed with enormous sea battles like Midway. The allies recaptured islands across the Pacific but soon discovered that the losses were unacceptable. The fighting went hand to hand at times with the Japanese who were deeply entrenched and fought almost to the last man. Nearby Saipan and Pohnpei was recaptured in this way with heavy loss of life. The Americans were charged with operations in the Pacific. The allies strategy sifted to airborne bombing launched from Carriers and the biggest fleet ever assembled including the Battleship Iowa.
The operation to neutralise Truk was codename operation Hailstorm. On Feb 4th 1944 as the allied fleet got closer, a reconnaissance flight suggested an early attack on Truk. The allies hoped that they would trap the better part of the Japanese fleet making the lagoon a shooting gallery but within three hours ships started pulling out.
The element of surprise was regained and Operation Hailstorm began with a disinformation message sent by the Allies in a code that they knew the Japanese had broken. It indicated that the expected offensive would bypass Truk and head straight for Guam. Rather unwisely the remaining Japanese went on a weekend long party to be rudely awakened on the morning of by the first airborne strike which was aimed at knocking out the six airstrips that the Japanese had built. Of 300 fighter planes available the Japanese managed to get 75 planes onto the runway but 35 were destroyed before leaving the ground and the rest were totally outgunned in the air and re shot down.
This left the shipping at the mercy of subsequent waves. It was not the decisive victory hoped for. Many ships had escaped seven days earlier after the reconnaissance flight had first been seen. Nevertheless, within two days sixty ships had been sunk. After the initial two day attack the starvation began.
A second wave practising carpet bombing destroyed the vegetation. The Japanese took to caves and reports of islanders being tortured for the little food left. Some were cannibalised.
Veteran diver Kimiuo Aisek and patriarch of Truk diving who has been running Blue Lagoon divers for 25 years here was 17 when the actual raids took place. 'I was very scared. Soon after the bodies washed u on the shore'.
The surrender of Truk took place after the official and unconditional surrender accepted by on the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The Americans landed in February of 1945 To find the Japanese had taken to caves.
The Diving
The sunken fleet has had fifty years of coral growth. Little salvage has taken place and artefacts. The deeper the wreck the more intact.
The choice of dive operations is between live-aboard or shore based. The day boats spend a lot of time getting out to sites and therefore limited to a couple of dives a day.
There is an Aggressor here which moves about and gives multiple dives on the same wreck. This is a good thing for working a wreck photographically.
The other major boat operation is the Thorfinn, which is not exactly a typical liveaboard in many ways. Firstly, it never moves! It is permanently moored in the middle of the 'action' and offers a different wreck each dive via satellite boats (no more than a ten minute journey).
The Thorfinn is an ancient 190' ex Norwegian whaler with a bloody history in the Antarctic. It is Canadian run by the most opinionated and obnoxious skipper you could meet, Cap'n Lance! But ignore him, diving needs characters!
The Thorfinn a floating hotel. Unfortunately, if it were a real hotel it would be called the roach hotel and condemned! Meals are more school dinners than the claimed gourmet fare advertised. In fact this boat has the dubious distinction of being named the worst live aboard boat ever!
The Thorfinn claims to be photographer friendly and even offers E-6. However, only avail yourself of the facility if you like scratched film!
The only saving grace is that the Thorfinn offers five dives a day. They have a lot of divers through here and have formulated a technique alledgedly recognised by several agencies as safe. Basically no stop diving with safety stops. They encourage a 60M/200' dive, followed by a 40M/130', then a couple of 30M/100' dives, with a shallow dive to finish! If you like it deep then this is for you. This is not a photographers profile and you spend a lot of time hanging off lines! The aggressor certainly takes a more conservative schedule. Oh, and the nearest chamber is in Guam!
The water quality is variable in the lagoon and this is important for two reasons. The first is that there is a lot of bacteria (so be sure to wash your ears to avoid infections). The second reason is the silt which can frustrate your photography. Some areas therfore have inherently better vis than others!
In common with the rest of the Micronesian islands there are well formed barrier reefs large pelagics and sheer walls on the seaward side of the atoll. Few operators dive there though.
Truk was the ideal deep water anchorage. There are nine island and three distinct diving areas. The repair fleet, ships either involved in repair or were being repaired which tend to have the worst vis, the 4th fleet which are deeper and more intact with excellent vis that allows you to see the entire ship, and Uman area which has better vis.
The names of the ships tend to blur together, but each has a distinct character once you get to know it. The majority sit upright with several on their port or starboard side and only a couple upside down. Several have airplanes still in their hangers.
Artefacts are everywhere. The local policy is to not salvage the wrecks but you can see items have been moved about by divers. For example toilets on the outer superstructure! It is eerie to see things just the way they were back then. It is also exceptional to find the items usually long since removed on any other wreck site in the world (like a ships telegraph) intact!
There is no truth in the rumours that the Japanese are about to ban diving on the wrecks because they are War graves. This was a sensationalised story created by a certain (non diver) journalist. There was a great deal of interest after the first footage shot by Al Giddings was shown on TV. It showed there is therefore no urgent need to rush out there whilst you still can. However, if you're a 'wreckie' I would strongly recommend an early visit.
Truk is a wreck divers heaven. The hands off policy means that the rest of us will be able to appreciate it for some time to come.
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