One of the deeper wrecks in the lagoon sitting upright from 45 to 63m (145-205ft), it is unique as there is not much growth due to its depth.
It is also a very interesting wreck because it has three intact Japanese Type-95 light tanks that were crewed by three people these tanks go up to 30mph and had ½ inch armor. The San Francisco Maru was built in 1919 as a freighter she became a cargo ship in WWII.
Known as the million dollar wreck because of her estimated worth of cargo, divers find many very interesting war artifacts on this ship. Hold #1 contains sea mines and detonators, hold #2 has several trucks, fuel and aerial bombs and torpedoes and depth charges are found in the aft holds.
She was sunk on the 18th of February, 1944 taking 5 crewmen with her.
Bow gun from the San Francisco Maru. (Credits: Argunners)
Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks on the San Francisco Maru wreck. (Credits: Argunners)
Truck Wreck on the San Francisco Maru. (Credits: Argunners)
Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks on the San Francisco Maru wreck. (Credits: Argunners)
Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks on the San Francisco Maru wreck. (Credits: Argunners)
Read also:
- Shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon, list with all known shipwrecks in Chuuk.
- Ship graveyard in Truk Lagoon, stunning pictures and informative article on the Ghost Fleet of Chuuk.
- Airplane wrecks in Truk Lagoon, next to dozens of Japanese vessels also Japanese airplane wrecks can be found in Chuuk Lagoon.
- Nippo Maru, (aka Nichiho Maru) was torpedoed and sunk in the Balabac Strait west of the Palawan Passage.
- Rio de Janeiro Maru, bombed and damaged in the Pacific Ocean east of Umon Island, Truk by United States Navy aircraft. She sank the next day.
- Heian Maru, ocean liner converted into a submarine tender, sunk in February 1944.
- Kiyosumi Maru, auxiliary cruiser which was sunk in the Pacific Ocean off Fefan Island, Truk by United States Navy aircraft.
- Yamagiri Maru, sank by dive bombers from the Yorktown and Bunker Hill.
- Fujikawa Maru, she was sunk on February 18, 1944 by diver bombers.
- Fumitsuki Destroyer, one of only two made-for-war ships sunk in Chuuk.
- Shinkoku Maru, naval tanker that was sunk in February, 1944.
- Hoki Maru, a British/New Zealand cargo and passenger ship launched in 1921 and seized by the Japanese in 1942. Sunk.
