Dive Palau: The Shipwrecks

by Rod Macdonald

Overview

Recounted with his usual level of meticulous historical research, Rod weaves an easily readable account of the build-up to and implementation of Operation Desecrate 1 – the raid undertaken to destroy Japanese ships and aircraft in the lagoons of Palau. He uses his intimate knowledge of shipwrecks to reveal in glorious detail each of the 20 major Japanese WWII shipwrecks lying at the bottom of the Palauan lagoons today.
On 30th March, 1944 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters made an Initial fighter sweep of the lagoon to destroy Japanese air cover. Simultaneously Grumman Avenger torpedo-bombers dropped mines and successive group strikes of torpedo bombers and dive-bombers sank the shipping and destroyed the airfields. Palau was neutralised as a Japanese naval and air base in a repeat of the same Task Force 58 raid, Operation Hailstone, on Truk Lagoon 1,000 miles to the east just six weeks earlier.
A number of long-lost wrecks have recently been relocated including a Japanese freighter filled with depth charges and Army helmets. This was found in 1989 but remained unidentified until now – after painstaking research Rod reveals her identify for the first time in the book. Each wreck is covered in detail and is supported by underwater photography and by fabulous illustrations by renowned artist Rob Ward. The shipwrecks of Palau are now revealed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849951708
Publisher:	Whittles Publishing
Publication date:	05/07/2016
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rod Macdonald is one of the world's preeminent shipwreck explorers and an international best-selling author of a number of classic shipwreck diving books. His books about his diving adventures around the world include Into the Abyss, diving to adventure in the liquid world; The Darkness Below; Great British Shipwrecks; Force Z Shipwrecks of the South China Sea, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse and Dive Truk Lagoon, the Japanese WWII Pacific Shipwrecks. He has recently been inducted into the prestigious Explorers Club of New York. See author's website, www.rod-macdonald.co.uk

Also Known As:

Craig JenkinsSeth Boyd

Table of Contents

Foreword from the Governor of Palau 5

Acknowledgements 6

Introduction 9

Book 1 War 19

1 War in the Pacific 20

2 The Japanese naval base of Palau 31

3 Rainbow 5. Operations Galvanic, Flintlock and Catchpole - the US advance west across the Pacific 37

4 Truk Lagoon - Operation Hailstone, 17/18 February 1944 42

5 Operation Desecrate 1 - the first Palau air assault of 30/31 March 1944 52

6 Operation Forager - the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign - June 1944 70

Operation Snapshot - photo reconnaissance, and the second Palau air assault, 25-27 July 1944 72

Operation Stalemate II - invasion of the Palaus, the Battles of Peleliu and Angaur: September-November 1944 73

7 Post-war salvage of the Japanese shipwrecks 85

Book 2 The Shipwrecks of Palau 89

1 IJN Akashi 91

2 IJN Amatsu Maru 95

3 Bichu Maru 108

4 Ch 6, Ch 10 and Ch 12, Cha 22, Cha 26, Cha 52, Cha 53 and Showa Maru No.5 - the subchasers, auxiliary subchasers and picket boat wrecks 117

5 Cbuyo Maru 141

6 Daihatsu landing craft 154

7 Gozan Maru 157

8 The 'Helmet Wreck' - Nissbo Mam No.5? 160

9 IJN Iro 176

10 Kamikaze Maru 188

11 Kibi Maru (1941) 196

12 Nagisan Maru 205

13 IJN Nissbo Maru No.5 214

14 USS Perry - American shipwreck off Angaur 217

15 Raizan Maru 222

16 Ryuko Maru 229

17 IJN Sata 237

18 Teshio Maru 246

19 IJN T.1 255

20 Type F standard refrigerated cargo ship - unidentified 265

21 Urakami Maru 268

22 IJN Wakatake 275

Aircraft wrecks of Palau 281

1 Aichi E13A IJN seaplanes - Allied reporting name: Jake 282

2 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters - Allied reporting name: Zeke 285

3 Vought F4U Corsair 288

Operation Desecrate 1: US Task Force 58 Strike Aircraft 291

1 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver bomber 292

2 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber 293

3 Grummari TBF Avenger torpedo-bomber 293

4 Grumman F6F Hellcat lighter 294

Bibliography 296

Index 298