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The Chuuk Islands are a group of small islands within the Federated States of Micronesia. The historical name of these islands is Truk.
The Truk Islands began with their discovery by Spanish navigators and continued with the research of the French navigator Dumont-Durville, and then the Russian traveler Fyodor Petrovich Litke. After the Spanish-American War of 1898, by agreement between Spain, Germany and the United States, Micronesia, with the exception of the island of Guam, was purchased from the United States by Germany for $4.2 million. At the beginning of the First World War, in 1914, the islands were occupied by Japan.

Truk Atoll was a major Japanese logistics base as well as the home naval base of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet. In effect, the base was the Japanese equivalent of the US Navy's Pearl Harbor, was the only major Japanese air base within the Marshall Islands, and played a key role in the logistical and operational support of the Japanese garrisons forming a defensive perimeter on the islands and atolls of the central and southern Pacific.

Five airfields designed for almost 500 aircraft. In addition, patrol, landing and torpedo boats, submarines, tugboats and ship mine sweeps took part in ensuring the protection and functioning of the base.

To provide air and sea support for the upcoming Enewetak offensive, Admiral Raymond Spruance ordered an attack on Truk. Vice Admiral Mark Mitscher's TF 58 consisted of five aircraft carriers (Enterprise, Yorktown, Essex, Intrepid and Bunker Hill) and four light aircraft carriers (Bello Wood, Cabot, Monterey and Cowpens), which carried more than 500 aircraft. The carriers were escorted by a large fleet of seven battleships and numerous cruisers, destroyers, submarines and other ships.

Fearing that the base had become too vulnerable, the Japanese had moved the Combined Fleet's aircraft carriers, battleships and heavy cruisers to Palau the previous week. However, numerous smaller warships and cargo ships remained at anchor, and several hundred aircraft continued to remain at the atoll's airfields.

Codenamed Operation Hailstone, the attack took the Japanese military by surprise, resulting in one of the most successful American battles of World War II.

A Japanese freighter off Truk Atoll after being hit by a torpedo dropped by the USS Enterprise's TBF Avenger during a raid on Truk, February 17, 1944.

The American offensive was a combination of air raids, surface ships and submarines over two days and seemed to take the Japanese by surprise. Several daytime, along with night, air raids, including fighter aircraft, dive bombers and torpedo bombers against Japanese airfields, aircraft, coastal infrastructure and ships in and around the anchorage of Truk Island. American surface ships and submarines patrolled possible escape routes from the anchorage and attacked Japanese ships that were trying to escape air raids.

A total of three Japanese light cruisers were sunk during the operation: (Agano, Katori and Naka)

four destroyers: (Oite, Fumizuki, Maikaze and Tachikaze), three auxiliary cruisers (Akagi Maru, Aikoku Maru, Kiyosumi Maru), two submarine bases (Heian Maru, Rio de Janeiro Maru), three smaller warships (including including sea hunters Ch-24 and Shonan Maru 15), air transport Fujikawa Maru and 32 cargo ships.

Some of these ships were destroyed at anchorage, and the rest in the vicinity of Truk Lagoon. Many cargo ships were loaded with reinforcements and supplies for Japanese garrisons in the central Pacific. Only a small number of troops aboard the sunken ships and a small portion of the cargo were salvaged.

Maikaze and several other ships were sunk by American surface ships while attempting to leave the Truk anchorage. Those who escaped from sinking Japanese ships, according to reports, refused to be rescued by American ships.

The cruiser Agano, damaged during the raid on Rabaul and which was already on its way to Japan when the raid began, was sunk by the American submarine Skate. Oite, who had raised 523 sailors from Agano, returned to Truk to take part in the defense with his anti-aircraft guns. It was scuttled immediately after the start of the air raid with all the surviving Agano sailors; only 20 Oite crew members were saved.

Over 250 Japanese aircraft were destroyed, most of them still on the ground. Many of the aircraft were in various stages of assembly, having just been delivered from Japan in disassembled condition aboard cargo ships. Only a small part of the assembled aircraft were able to take off to repel the attack of US aircraft. Several Japanese planes that took off were shot down by US fighters or bomber gunners.

The Americans lost 25 aircraft, mainly from intense anti-aircraft fire from the Truk batteries. About 16 American pilots were rescued by submarines or seaplanes. A nighttime torpedo attack by Japanese aircraft from Rabaul or Saipan damaged Interpid, killing 11 crew members, forcing the ship to return to Pearl Harbor and then to San Francisco for repairs. The ship returned to service in June 1944. Another attack by Japanese aircraft resulted in damage to the battleship Iowa by a bomb.

The Truk raid ended Truk's existence as a major threat to Allied operations in the central Pacific; The Japanese garrison on Eniwetok was unable to receive real help and reinforcements that could help them defend against the invasion that began on February 18, 1944 and, accordingly, the raid on Truk made it much easier for the Americans to capture this island.

The Japanese later transferred about 100 remaining aircraft from Rabaul to Truk. These aircraft were attacked by US carrier forces on April 29-30, 1944, as a result of which most of them were destroyed. American planes dropped 92 bombs in 29 minutes, destroying Japanese aircraft. During the April 1944 raids, no ships were found in Truk Lagoon, and this attack was the last raid on Truk during the war.

Truk was isolated by Allied forces (mostly the United States), who continued their advance against Japan, capturing islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Guam, Saipan, Palau and Iwo Jima. Cut off, Japanese troops on Truk, like those on other islands in the central Pacific, were short of food and facing starvation at the time of Japan's surrender in August 1945.

Some 20 years later, adventurers Jacques Cousteau, Al Giddings and Klaus Lindemann discovered the delights of this lagoon, which combines sunken military vehicles with strings of coral and a variety of underwater life.
The Chuuk Islands, with their shallow and picturesque lagoons, are a true mecca for divers. Truk Lagoon is undeniably one of the best wreck diving sites on the planet, with a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes attracting divers from all over the world for both day and night dives. But not all of the historical side of the lagoon is hidden under water. The Japanese lighthouses, located on the peaks with the best views of the lagoon, can be reached by car or on foot. In addition, experienced guides can show you old airstrips and command posts, firing positions and cave networks, hospitals and libraries.

» Truk, Federated States of Micronesia

There is nothing cooler than an evening on a good Micronesian island: with white sand, almost without even the usual marine debris, with palm trees with coconuts removed so that a tourist doesn’t get hit on the head, with a beautiful sunset promising tomorrow’s adventures. The repellent does not cope well with mosquitoes, but this is not visible from the photo.

The morning is even more beautiful. We are divers in a dive hotel in one of the most important dive sites.

A good Micronesian island of the day is Truk, until 1944 the largest Japanese naval base in the South Pacific, and now a worldwide mecca for wreck diving.

Truk

From a dive hotel with a closed area with grass and palm trees, you can and should only go out into the sea, but we take a car and drive around Truk, and Truk turns out to be absolutely beautiful.

Independent since 1986, but the postal code system remains American for now:

On the shield on the left is the heavenly Truk, which is in our heads and hearts (it is worth noting the marked asphalt roads, the collected garbage and the trimmed lawn. No one drinks), on the right is Truk, our days:

The real situation is this: Truk is not an island, but a lagoon in which there are several islands of approximately the same size. We are not going around Truk, but around Weno - the island with the airport, all the business and tourists. Veno is an island, a city, a state capital, and a village, gradually turning into each other.

Veno

The main road:

Veno is fighting for the title of owner of the crappiest main road around the island in Micronesia, but loses to the main one: on Tarawa there is an insane number of potholes and you drive nervously, as if on a grater; on Truk, the potholes have already merged into single half-flooded channels of sorts and the driving has become calmer.

The main road has narrowed, how can you miss an American school bus?

The jungle is gradually digesting the machines and units that could not cope with the Truk road:

But in much better condition.

Village.

A man walking towards you with an empty bucket seems to be hinting:

Good-natured locals hang out. Good nature ends with sunset: Truk is the most dangerous, most vile place. Micronesians have the same problems with alcohol as some aboriginal peoples, Indians, and residents of northern Siberia, but alcohol is not limited to anything other than church propaganda, and by the evening fights begin, robbing rich strangers, or worse.

They are buried in the yard if the site allows:

The young man stands under a canopy and hides his hands:

Fiber-optic communication line has been extended:

The young man was carrying coconuts, got tired and sat down:

Girls posing:

Soft Borders:

There are very few historical houses of European and Japanese colonists left, but they are incredibly beautiful:

Here are the churches, like everywhere else, in large numbers and in perfect order:

The turtle above the gate is straight out of pre-European history, when public façades were decorated with something cool, like drawings (or skeletons) of useful sea creatures. Actually, modern churches usually stand on the site of temples demolished by the first missionaries.

Sometimes the main road emerges from the jungle village and winds along the crystal turquoise waters of the lagoon

So that the diver does not forget why he needs all this, every license plate, T-shirt and souvenir reminds:

Story

This tragedy happened during World War II, in 1944, American fighters carried out Operation Hilton, aimed at destroying the Japanese fleet and aircraft located at airfields. In an instant, this piece of paradise became a mass grave for military equipment and soldiers who did not leave their combat posts. The defense of the Japanese island was never restored.

For several decades it was just a sunken cemetery of military equipment, and only in the 70s, after the scientific expedition of Jacques Cousteau, divers began to explore the Truk Lagoon.

Truk Lagoon today

Nowadays, the island has developed a modern international tourism industry, the main emphasis of which is on underwater tourism. For those who do not want to dive into the water, excursions to the outer reef are organized.

Living conditions are modest. Truk Island is not a tourist destination. Mostly, divers, travelers, and scientists come to Truk Island. Recommended level of diver certification: AOWD (“advanced”) or diver with experience in wreck diving; in a strong current. An excellent place for underwater photographers and videographers, visibility: often more than 50 meters.

Tropical waters hide more than 50 sunken ships (huge tankers, submarines, small military vessels), as well as tanks and aircraft, including several bombers. Boxes with shells, ammunition, and skeletons of dead people are stored in the holds underwater. All crew members remained buried in the underwater world. The lagoon is surrounded by a ridge of coral, which protects it from the strong currents of the open ocean, so the underwater picture of past years is well preserved. Only bombs were taken out of the water, which, having been defused, were put on display as evidence of the greatest naval disaster. All sunken equipment is protected by the laws of Micronesia; those who try to seize something are punished with a fine or even imprisonment.

Truk Lagoon is shrouded in mystical mystery. Divers die here every year, and their bodies remain unfound. The predatory sharks that live here are also dangerous. Despite this, there will always be those who like to swim underwater among sunken equipment. Scuba divers in tourist centers are given maps that indicate the locations of sunken equipment. By following all safety rules, you can see all types of Japanese technology with your own eyes and study them.

Sunken objects

Thanks to the research of Japanese diver Kimio Iseki and German historian Klaus Lindemann, 48 excellent wrecks were found, mapped and marked with buoys. Here are just a few of them:

Aikoku Maru is a 150 m long cargo-passenger liner, resting directly on its keel at a depth of 64 m. Its holds are empty, and its superstructure is destroyed at a depth of 40 m. The body is damaged by corrosion. A huge anti-aircraft gun is located on the roof of the aft deckhouse.

The 60 m long cargo ship Dai Na Hino Maru lies at a depth of 21 m, with its superstructure and bow gun rising almost to the surface of the water. Any swimmer in set #1 can swim to the wreck to have their photo taken in front of it.

The most popular wreck of the Truk Lagoon is the Fujikawa Maru - a 132 m long vessel, lies at a depth of 34 m, and the deck is 18 m deep. Lush thickets of soft and hard corals, anemones and starfish make the ship, its bow and stern guns especially photogenic. There is still cargo in the holds, and in the second hold there are well-preserved fighter planes.

Fujisan Maru is dived quite rarely - it lies at 52-61 m, in the shallowest place (located in the middle of the ship) reaching 35 m. The ship has not yet been overgrown with corals, only a few sponges and branches of coral have settled on the railings, bridge and davits.

Gosei Maru is also known as the "High Stern Ship". Depth varies from 3 m above the stern to 30 m above the bow. The mushroom propeller and rudder can firmly capture the photographer's attention for the entire duration of the dive! The vessel is stocked with bottles of sake and beer, as well as a beautiful porcelain tea set. In some holds you can find parts of torpedoes.

The 155m-long former cargo-passenger luxury liner Heian Maru, lying on 36m, has been converted for use as a submarine base. The name of the ship, inscribed on the left side in Japanese characters and English letters, looks great in photographs. There are long torpedoes in the forward hold, periscopes under the captain's bridge, etc.

The Hanakawa Maru, loaded with aviation gasoline, was sunk by a direct torpedo hit. The vessel lies at a depth of 34 m, several hundred meters from the shore, near the southeastern tip of Tol Island. The ship's hull is covered with a thick carpet of algae and corals. In the center of the upper above-deck structure there is a telegraph.

The tanker Hoyo Maru, 143 long, lies at a depth of 36 meters, stern up, rising to 3 m. During the dive, you can dive under the ship and inspect the deck with pipes and valves. The wide bottom of the ship is inhabited by corals and fish and now looks like a huge reef.

While resupplying with fuel and provisions in April 1944, a signal from an American air attack forced the I-169 submarine to sink to a depth of 40 m to wait there for the end of the alarm. But the boat was no longer able to float to the surface... Upon examination, it turned out that a depth charge had hit it. Of greatest interest is the aft section with the conning tower.

The cargo and passenger ship Kansho Maru, while being repaired, sank at a depth of 18-25 m with a list of 15-20 degrees to port. The most attractive part is the engine room, which is well lit and quite accessible. Only experienced divers should enter the lower engine room.

Kiyuzumi Maru lies on the port side at 12-31 m depth. Most of the hull is covered with algae and corals. There is an interesting cabinet on the ship in which bronze lanterns and parts for them are stored. Access to the lower deck is through the deck level lavatory door. You can see dishes in the galley.

The cargo ship Nippo Maru lies at 40-50 m with a slight list to port. There are trucks and a tank on the deck in front of the bridge, and there are four anti-tank guns at the stern. There is also a whole battery of five-inch guns in the aft hold. Nippo Maru has one of the most picturesque bridges, the wheel and telegraph are perfectly preserved and provide an excellent opportunity to take unforgettable photographs.

The 142 m long passenger liner Rio de Janeiro Maru was used as a transport and a floating base for submarines. Now it lies at a depth of 12-35 m on the starboard side with a raised stern. The vessel itself, with its six-inch stern gun, is very photogenic. Below the stern rail the name of the vessel is distinguished. The cargo includes coastal guns, barrels of gasoline and a hold full of beer bottles. The engine room is very large, suitable for a dual engine, but requires special skills to enter.

The passenger-and-cargo ship San Francisco Maru, being fully loaded during the sinking, left and is standing completely level under water at a depth of 65-45 m, which is why it is often called the “Million Dollar Wreck.” Deck cargo includes tanks and trucks, in the holds there are mines, torpedoes, bombs, artillery and anti-tank guns, firearms, engines and their parts for aircraft, barrels of gasoline. Many artifacts remain in the bridge area.

Sankisan Maru is a cargo ship carrying aircraft engines, trucks and medicines that sank at 17-26 m. The ship is very popular among divers. The masts are overgrown with soft corals, and huge anemones live on the destroyed deck.

Another ship that sank at a depth of 38-12 m - Shinkoku Maru - occupies the top position in the ranking of popular wrecks. The bow gun is overgrown with soft and hard corals of every color imaginable. Tiny, brightly colored fish swarm every inch of the ship. There are still three telegraphs on the bridge, and in the infirmary there are two operating tables and many bottles of medicine.

In addition to the rivers, you can see the magnificent canyons and barrier reefs of the atoll, dizzying walls stretching into the abyss. A wide variety of sharks, rays, manta rays, and other pelagic fish.

The huge cargo-passenger liner Yamagiri Maru lies on the port side at a depth of 34-9 m. The ship is well preserved. The deckhouse and deckhouse are easily accessible and very interesting. The fifth hold contains fourteen-inch shells for Japanese naval guns and construction tools.

Location and climate

Truk Lagoon is located 1000 km southeast of the island of Guam, 1200 km north of Papua New Guinea, located on the islands of the same name, belonging to the state of Chuuk (formerly also Truk), one of the states of the Federated States of Micronesia.

The climate of the Truk Islands is warm and tropical.
The best season to visit is dry: December – April
Wet season: April – December
Coolest season: July – October (cloudy skies, waves, reduced visibility)
Average annual air temperature: +26–32°C.
Water temperature: +28–20°C.