152m long Oil tanker
The second largest wreck in Chuuk Lagoon and one of the most popular. Sitting upright on the sandy bottom, the Shinkoku is a wreck that can be dived by anyone, its depth ranges from 11 metres on the bridge down to 39 metres near the prop. Being so large, this is one wreck that can be dived many times. I would suggest that a minimum of two dives should be made to adequately see the vessel.
The Shinkoku Maru was completed on 13 December 1939 by Kawashi Jyuko Co. of Kobe for Kobe Sanbashi K.K. (Kobe Pier Co. Ltd). It was 152 metres long and 20 metres wide and was requisitioned by the Japanese Navy in 1941, four weeks before Pearl Harbour. The Shinkoku Maru was one of eight oilers that refuelled the Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbour.
On February 17th, 1944, during operation Hailstone, while anchored northwest of Fefan Island, SHINKOKU MARU is hit amidships by a bomb dropped by Douglas SBD “Dauntless” dive-bombers from USS YORKTOWN (CV-10). Grumman TBF “Avengers” from USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17) drop six torpedoes on SHINKOKU MARU, but all their torpedoes miss. In the early hours of February 18th, TBFs from USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) drop a near-miss bomb on the starboard side near the engine room that opens the hull and sinks SHINKOKU MARU.
She comes to rest upright in relatively shallow water. 86 men are killed including 16 of the crew.
The dive
I scanned the wreck on Feb. 26th 2025 during one dive. There is so much life around the wreck that is is quite difficult to scan it by photogrammetry.
