Aikoku Maru (愛国丸) was an armed merchant cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The ship entered service in 1940, the ship was later converted to an ammunition ship. She was sunk in February 1944 during Operation Hailstone.
The wreck of Aikoku Maru is a popular scuba diving spot in the waters of Truk Lagoon, despite her depth of approximately 64 metres (210 ft). The wreck is upright, with the bridge at the 40 metres (130 ft) meter level and deck extending approximately 10 metres (33 ft) deeper. The remains of an anti-aircraft gun on top of the aft deckhouse is often photographed, as are the scattered dishes and kitchen utensils in her galley. In July 1980, a Japanese recovery team retrieved the remains of approximately 400 men who were killed in the attack, but the remains of hundreds more remain on site.
tonnage: 10437 grt
Dimensions: 149,96 x 20,2 x 12,4 (m)
Motor: 2 x 12 cyl. 2SCSA B&W diesel engines, dual shaft, 2 screws, cruiser stern
Arnment: 8 x 5.5-inch (140-mm/50, 2 x 3-inch (76-mm) HA guns, 4 x 25-mm AA, 2 twin 13. 5-mm MG (2×2), four 21-inch (533-mm) torpedo tubes (2×2), 2 Type 94 Kawanishi E7K2 “Alf” reconnaissance floatplanes carried atop the hatches of Nos. 4 and 5 holds aft.
The dive
I scanned the wreck on Feb. 23rd 2025 during one dive. My maximum depth was 59m.
The model
