We would like to extend an offer to your friends and family! Please see our flyer for this summer’s big Open Water scuba deal!

This offer expires on June 1st, 2013.

Sincerely,

David Mansfield

Beach Cities Scuba Centers

Instructor Examination: Corona Del Mar, Ca Feb 9 & 10, 2012
Front row left to right: Lisa Shireman, Chris Cox, Alex Gutierrez
Back row left to right: CD Linda Shafer,Paul Felix, IDCStaff Todd Marsh, John Skorstad

In order to fully appreciate Truk Lagoon, one must go back to 1944. To Torakku (the airstrike on Truk Island). The Americans know it as Operation Hailstone. Where Marc Mitscher and Masami Kobayashi went head to head in an American led attack on one of Japan’s largest logistical bases. The action was devasting to the Japanese fleet. But, with tactical forethought, Kobayashi realized that Truk was becoming vulnerable and moved many of their war ships to another great dive destination known as Palua. In the end, the Japanese lost 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 3 auxiliary cruisers, 2 submarine tenders, 3 smaller warships, 32 merchant ships, and 270 aircraft. Many of the ships were unmanned, but there were many Japanese lives lost that day. 40 Americans were killed. The attack changed the tempo of the war itself. Minimizing Truk had opened up attacking into Palua, Guam, Saipan and Iwo Jima. Japan never fully recovered from this devastating blow and Truk would remain isolated by the Americans until the Japanese surrender in 1945.

Sixty-eight years later, 12 men from Beach Cities Scuba Centers embarked on a journey from Los Angeles to Truk in order to visit 13 of the ships located here.

We visited the following wrecks:

Kiyosumi Maru
Yamagiri Maru
Fumitzuki
Shinkoku Maru
I-169 Submarine
Gosai Maru
Rio de Janeiro Maru
Hoki Maru
Fujikawa Maru
Nippo Maru
Heian Maru
San Fransisco Maru
Kansho Maru

Each wreck had its own personality and its own story. An excellent historical account of each ship’s fate is located in Dan Bailey’s book World War II Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon (ISBN 0911615067). From serving as a submarine tender to carrying millions worth of cargo, each dive was different and equally amazing! To say that the team took thousands of pictures and video would be an understatement. On board the San Francisco, the crew explored hundreds of heavy-duty landmines destined for a not-so-distant battlefield. They also viewed tanks and anti-aircraft guns sitting on the decks waiting for a crew to man them against their enemy. On the Fumitzuki, Jeff Rey took beautiful footage of the gigantic propeller blades and actual books where you can still view the Kanji script. On the Yamagiri, the compelling evidence that battle does not come at an easy price was apparent as we were presented with the remains of a Japanese national. The skull staring into the depths reminded all of us that this was a very real event with very real consequences.

Every night was marked with an excellent dinner followed by dessert. Most of the team would move on to dive planning for the next day or sit in the recreation room swapping dive stories and pictures while playing the latest comedy on the television. Each morning, we’d get up bright and early for the dive briefing and start our next adventure into the depths of the Lagoon.

It was certainly a trip that won’t be lost in memory for the 12 of us. I know that I am looking forward to the next adventure to Cozumel (June 23rd, 2012) and Fiji (October 2012), but this trip was definitely one of my favorites.

If you truly want to get away to enjoy warm waters and beautiful diving; I highly suggest you give us a call and go on our next adventure! The trips are affordable and the memories are forever.