The San Francisco Maru was built in 1919 to join a fleet of over 50 identical cargo ships owned by Yamashita Kisen K. K. that were involved in world trade. It was commissioned into the Japanese Imperial Navy during WWII and was used to transport war materials between Japan and its Pacific Island territories and occupied islands. The freighter was 117m (385ft) long with an 8m (27ft) beam and 5,831 gross tons.
Ask any wreck diver who has been to Chuuk and most likely they will tell you their favorite is the San Francisco Maru. The wreck is full of of interesting cargo including tanks, trucks, mines, ammunition, aircraft bombs, torpedoes and depth charges.
It is also popular because of its depth. Sitting in the sand around 62m (205ft), the top deck is at 50m (165ft), and shallowest parts of the ship are the two masts at 32m (105ft). Most of the interesting cargo can be seen between 50m and 56m (170-185ft).
The Dive
I scanned the wreck on Feb 17th 2025 during one dive
