Diving the wreck of the destroyer IJN Fumizuki at Truk Lagoon

The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Fumizuki had been damaged in an air raid near Kavieng, Papua new Guinea on 4 January 1944 - and then further damaged in another air raid off Rabaul on 31 January 1944. She was sent to Truk for repair, arriving there on 6 February 1944 and anchoring in the Repair Anchorage. She was an important escort ship - armed with a triple Long Lance torpedo launcher.
On the morning of 17 February 1944, the U.S. Task Force 58 surprise fast carrier air raid erupted over the skies of Truk with 72 F6F Hellcat fighters conducting a dawn sweep to win air superiority. Waves of dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers then followed that sent more than 40 Japanese ship to the bottom of the lagoon in the 2-day raid.
With only one engine operational, as aircraft from USS Enterprise (CV-6) attacked her, her gunners threw up AA fire whilst the destroyers made a series of evasive manoeuvres.
One bomb was a near miss on her port side that holed her plating and allowed water to flood into her engine room, killing the one operational engine. Another bomb was a near miss on the starboard side abreast the bridge that sprung her plating and caused further water ingress. Another bomb at the stern caused severe damage to her hull.
After an unsuccessful attempt to tow her for beaching, she sank in the early hours the next morning, 18 February 1944. 29 crew KIA.
Today the wreck of the Fumizuki sits upright in 38 metres of water - with her fo'c'sle collapsed to port.

[@Dunstire]

Years back,a good friend of mine and myself were going to learn to dive with the intention of doing Scapa Flow as we live in the UK.Sadly we never got round to it and now as i'm in my mid-fiftys i doubt i ever will.When i watch clips like this,it makes me realise what an opportunity i've missed in life

[@rodmacdonald6396]

Hi Andy I'm older than you! You've plenty time yet to get diving! All the best from Scotland

[@frosty3693]

At that time of the war those older DDs were used for escort and transport duties, a reason the after torpedo tubes were removed. The story goes that the bridge structure was colapsed by the locals who blew it up to get at the rumored gold in the safe in the bridge.

[@reloadncharge9907]

Excellent video Mr Rod......I need to return to Truk! Thank you, Andrew