Diving the USS Pennsylvania

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plumbcrazy

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Right in the middle of Iowa With NO Clean water ar
# of dives
50 - 99
My Grandfather was one of the last people on this ship in 1946 when they were loading it up with canned foods to study the effects of radiation, and also how to clean it up as well. He was also on the ship when she had a torpedo put in her side and almost sunk off the coast of Japan. They then brought her back thru a typhoon with only one screw he said it was quite a ride.
I have been looking to find out if the ship is diveable but there isn't much info on this wreck. I did find that the other wrecks scuttled with her are safe from radiation and are diveable.
So my question is does anyone have any info on this wreck (depth, dive shops that dive it, or even pics)? I hope to dive it someday. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
 
I have not dived this wreck, but I might make a suggestion. Do some internet searches for dive operators that service Kwajalein, or the Marshall Islands in general. Obtain some email address for contacting them. Then write to them. Tell them your story, and what you are looking for. Ask for their help. Ask them to suggest someone else to talk to that might know more. Using this method you will meet some interesting people, make some great contacts for your 'someday' trip and who knows you might even find some answers. When you are looking, get all information that you can on all unidentified wrecks off the coast of Kwajalein.

Good luck,
 
Kwajalein doesn't really have dive operators.... just a dive club for local members, which they then arrange some boat diving.

You can't visit there without being sponsered by an individual who lives there or going for (approved) work purposes. it's not a tourist destination.
 
Sent of an email for you. Here is the response I received:

"... The Pennsylvania was nuked at Bikini I take it? If so, I believe that all those ships, except the Prinz Eugen, were towed out to open ocean and scuttled/sunk. I am pretty certain that they were not scuttled in the lagoon. That means that odds are that they are outside the lagoon and anything there would not be reachable by sport divers. The bottom drops off to several thousand feet just outside the lagoon.

Now the atoll is the worlds largest and I know that it hasn’t been totally searched. However, the nautical charts do list the larger Japanese wrecks form WWII, so I would imagine that the Pennsylvania would have been noted on the charts had they found it."

Hope it helps,
 
Well that's a bummer, I really wanted to see it. I guess I'm going to have to start saving for a sub. :) Thank you very much for the digging you did.
 
Hello guys,
I am just back from western pacific - we spent (except Bikini) one week in Kwajalein lagoon diving Prinz Eugen and preparing film about this "lucky" german battlecruiser.

I made also some investigations regarding Pennsylvania wreck. Spoke with local divemaster and some fishermen, there are no evidence, that Penny was sunk inside the lagoon.
All known wrecks - except Eugen, are only cargo vessels or planes.
According my info, Penny was anchored in Kwajalein lagoon for radiological and structural studies until 10th of February, 1948 when she was sunk outside the Kwajalein lagoon. No need to add, that depth at this area should be thousands of feets.
 
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