When you hear about some of the big name wrecks in Chuuk and Truk Lagoon, you'll notice that most of them are merchant ships. That is because the imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) knew that the American forces were getting ready to attack and had ordered many of the warships out of the lagoon.
Fumitzuki, however, was unable to move. A little over two weeks before Operation Hailstone, this destroyer had limped into the lagoon, despite having suffered serious damage. Unfortunately for the ship, the repairs were not completed in time for the destroyers to escape the American attack. In February 1944, Fumitzuki was sitting in the repair anchorage with turbines removed and waiting to be fixed when the first bombers swept over the lagoon.
The ship's crew tried to defend against the attacks while repair crews were working to make Fumitzuki mobile again. One of the turbines was back online quickly, allowing the vessel to move, but it wasn't enough. Despite trying to escape, the Fumitzuki received more damage, eventually causing the ship to flood beyond recovery and sink.
Diving the destroyer today, its isolated position is testament to its attempts to leave the lagoon. You can also see some of the damage done to it, just notice the misshapen side panels.
By the way, my wisdom about what happened during Operation Hailstone is thanks to the new edition of Rod Macdonald's book 'Dive Truk Lagoon.'
To learn more about diving here and join our 2025 trip with Lust4Rust and Dark Horizon Diving, check out darkhorizondiv....
13 окт 2024
