Trip Report: Saipan, CNMI 2017 April 24-30
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OP
kumimonster
Contributor
On the way in and out through the channel we would see the sherman tanks that were ever-present. they’re a constant reminder of what happened on this island.
people snorkel to them regularly. if you visit and decide to check them out, don't forget a signal of some sort, boats cruise through this area a lot.
people snorkel to them regularly. if you visit and decide to check them out, don't forget a signal of some sort, boats cruise through this area a lot.
OP
kumimonster
Contributor
My last day of diving was also the most enjoyable one for me. The dive sites we visited were full of the past and one history lesson after another. Unfortunately it was also my last day of diving - but at least I was able to get 4 dives in!
2017 April 28 - Tinian / Dump Coke (day 4, dive 1)
The third day of diving with Cmlc Artha found us heading back to Tinian Island for two more dive sites. Dump Cove (or Dump Coke) was our first destination.
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The 2nd and the 4th marine divisions were assigned to take the Tinian Island. It would be the fourth round for the 2nd marine division in just over 18 months. They started out in Feb of 1943 at Guadalcanal and then in November they had 72 hours of combat on Tarawa.
The 4th started their island campaign in the Marshall Islands at Roi-Namur before heading to join the 2nd in the Battle of Saipan.
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The entire Japanese garrison of 9000 were eliminated and up to 4000 civilians also died. Some figures place that number at 5000. The majority were also suicides. US casualties number 326 killed and about 1600 wounded.
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After US soldiers took over Tinian, they turned this cove into a dumping ground - a place to temporarily hide and discard the remnants of the war and life underwater. I didn’t see any coke bottles or cases (that’s where the name of the dive site comes from), but I did see parts of jeeps and tanks, and other bits of military detritus. It all has to stay underwater though, because a lot of the bomb casings and other items are covered in phosphorus which has been leaching out over the years. It can burst into flames when reaching the surface.
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White phosphorus (Willie Pete) would be used in other places and other wars too: Vietnam, Korea, Chechnya, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, etc.
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The US first employed the use of napalm incendiary bombs in the European theater on March 6 of 1944 on the city of Berlin. It is said that the first use of napalm in the Pacific Theater began on Tinian - in the form of bombs (the M-69) and flamethrowers.
When the B-29s that were targeting cities in Japan ran out of conventional bombs, General Curtis LeMay turned to napalm for the bombing raids.
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One firebomb released from a low-flying plane can damage an area of 2,500 square yards (2,100m2)
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“Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (212˚F) Napalm generates temperatures of 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius (1,500-2,200˚F)” (Kim Phúc, a survivor from a napalm bombing).
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It wasn’t until 1981 that the use of napalm (and WP) against civilian populations became banned by the UN (Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons). The United States signed Protocol III on the 21st of January, 2009 which was President Obama’s first full day in office.
2017 April 28 - Tinian / Dump Coke (day 4, dive 1)
The third day of diving with Cmlc Artha found us heading back to Tinian Island for two more dive sites. Dump Cove (or Dump Coke) was our first destination.
.
The 2nd and the 4th marine divisions were assigned to take the Tinian Island. It would be the fourth round for the 2nd marine division in just over 18 months. They started out in Feb of 1943 at Guadalcanal and then in November they had 72 hours of combat on Tarawa.
The 4th started their island campaign in the Marshall Islands at Roi-Namur before heading to join the 2nd in the Battle of Saipan.
.
The entire Japanese garrison of 9000 were eliminated and up to 4000 civilians also died. Some figures place that number at 5000. The majority were also suicides. US casualties number 326 killed and about 1600 wounded.
.
After US soldiers took over Tinian, they turned this cove into a dumping ground - a place to temporarily hide and discard the remnants of the war and life underwater. I didn’t see any coke bottles or cases (that’s where the name of the dive site comes from), but I did see parts of jeeps and tanks, and other bits of military detritus. It all has to stay underwater though, because a lot of the bomb casings and other items are covered in phosphorus which has been leaching out over the years. It can burst into flames when reaching the surface.
.
White phosphorus (Willie Pete) would be used in other places and other wars too: Vietnam, Korea, Chechnya, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, etc.
.
The US first employed the use of napalm incendiary bombs in the European theater on March 6 of 1944 on the city of Berlin. It is said that the first use of napalm in the Pacific Theater began on Tinian - in the form of bombs (the M-69) and flamethrowers.
When the B-29s that were targeting cities in Japan ran out of conventional bombs, General Curtis LeMay turned to napalm for the bombing raids.
.
One firebomb released from a low-flying plane can damage an area of 2,500 square yards (2,100m2)
.
“Napalm is the most terrible pain you can imagine. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (212˚F) Napalm generates temperatures of 800 to 1,200 degrees Celsius (1,500-2,200˚F)” (Kim Phúc, a survivor from a napalm bombing).
.
It wasn’t until 1981 that the use of napalm (and WP) against civilian populations became banned by the UN (Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons). The United States signed Protocol III on the 21st of January, 2009 which was President Obama’s first full day in office.
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OP
kumimonster
Contributor
Dive 2 of the day was at #Tinian as well. This was a “secret” spot near some rocks close to the coast. It was beautiful. As we swam between the rocks that climbed above our heads, we could see the sun piercing through the #surface. If you took the time to pause and look a little closer, you’d notice all sorts of creatures crawling around the #rocks. I kept seeing shells with #hermitcrabs slowly creeping along. I wish I had a macro lens. I know it’s pointless trying to take photos or videos of anything too small until I buy one.
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We would swim through a tight spot and it would open up and offer up something interesting. . Some of those things were dark and rocky while other areas opened up a bit more to the sky and light shining through. Near the end of our dive the rocks opened up into a larger enclosure completely shielded from the light and we swam in. I noticed some different fauna as well as some pipefish hiding out in the dark. Otherwise it was too dark for me to capture.
We continued our swim north alongside of a rock face covered with life as we ascended and enjoyed our safety stop near the rocks before swimming away from shore again to meet up with the #boat.
I really liked this dive site! Thanks to Mr T from CMLC Artha who brought us here!
OP
kumimonster
Contributor
April 28 - "B-29" / Emily
After the two dives at Tinian, we headed back to the shop for lunch and a break.
Then we went out again! This time we headed a little bit north but not as far as the northern dive sites (Those are seasonal. If you want to dive them, the conditions have to be just right. I arrived too early and the water is just too rough for divers).
I really wanted to dive this wreck. When I was reading up on the dive sites I noticed that some places call this the "B-29 / Emily" which is only half correct.
The B-29 Superfortress was an American bomber and a primary reason the Battle of Saipan and the Mariana Islands Campaign was deemed necessary by the US. It gave the Americans a staging point to conduct bombing raids on Japan and would bring Tokyo into range. The bases in China fed via planes stationed in India were simply not close enough.
The B-29 project cost more than the Manhattan project to develop. The final missions of the B-29 during WW2 including dropping 2 bombs: the Enola Gay dropped LittleBoy on Hiroshima and Bockscar dropped FatMan on Nagasaki.
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Operation Meeting house began the March 1944 series of bombings on Japan and were conducted by B-29s. 346 of them left the islands and headed for Tokyo. In the end, 279 of them dropped 1,665 tons of bombs. The majority of these bombs were 500 pound E-46 clusters that released the smaller M-69s at around 2000 ft. These smaller bombs would punch through buildings and homes or land on the ground and ignite a few seconds later, spewing napalm all around.
M-47 bombs were also released. These were 100 pound incendiary bombs filled with jellied gasoline and phosphorus.
Post-war estimates number the casualties of this operation at around 100,000 people - the single most destructive raid of the war.
.
But as I mentioned, this was not the B-29 bomber.
.
What we got to explore was the Japanese Kawanishi H8K - a 4-engine long range flying boat used for patrols. The allies called it "Emily." It was considered to be the best flying boat of the second world war - even when compared to the British Short Sunderland used by the Royal Air Force. The Sunderland excelled at rescuing men from torpedoed ships but after some improvements, it proved itself to be more than handy at defending and shooting down Junkers Ju-88 fighters of Germany as well as their U-boats. Like the Sunderland, the H8K would prove to be very competent at sinking subs.
First produced in 1941, it went into action in 1942 during the second raid on Pearl Harbor. It had to refuel via submarine on the way. It was the longest sortie ever planned without a fighter escort as well as the longest distance covered by two planes on a bombing mission.
The first H8K2s had two 20mm cannon and four 7.7mm. It was later improved to 5 cannons. It was also equipped with ASV (air to surface) radar and was a sub sinker. They had range, they had improved armor protection as well as offensive firepower, and they could switch between bombs or torpedoes. It had an operating crew of ten but could carry an additional 64 troops if set up for transport. It was pretty bad ass.
The wreck is a great dive. There's a large turret top that's pretty intact with its 20mm cannon. I was tempted to swim into the turret but I decided against that due to too many rusty sharp bits. I also had a big lunch and I wasn't feeling too trim
One of the large wings is still in one piece and you can make out all 4 engines.
A short distance away from the wreck is a stone memorial apparently placed there by divers in the 1990s. It was placed there to mourn the deaths of the conscripted Korean solders on board. (And it doesn't mention the loss of any other nation's soldiers).
After the two dives at Tinian, we headed back to the shop for lunch and a break.
Then we went out again! This time we headed a little bit north but not as far as the northern dive sites (Those are seasonal. If you want to dive them, the conditions have to be just right. I arrived too early and the water is just too rough for divers).
I really wanted to dive this wreck. When I was reading up on the dive sites I noticed that some places call this the "B-29 / Emily" which is only half correct.
The B-29 Superfortress was an American bomber and a primary reason the Battle of Saipan and the Mariana Islands Campaign was deemed necessary by the US. It gave the Americans a staging point to conduct bombing raids on Japan and would bring Tokyo into range. The bases in China fed via planes stationed in India were simply not close enough.
The B-29 project cost more than the Manhattan project to develop. The final missions of the B-29 during WW2 including dropping 2 bombs: the Enola Gay dropped LittleBoy on Hiroshima and Bockscar dropped FatMan on Nagasaki.
.
Operation Meeting house began the March 1944 series of bombings on Japan and were conducted by B-29s. 346 of them left the islands and headed for Tokyo. In the end, 279 of them dropped 1,665 tons of bombs. The majority of these bombs were 500 pound E-46 clusters that released the smaller M-69s at around 2000 ft. These smaller bombs would punch through buildings and homes or land on the ground and ignite a few seconds later, spewing napalm all around.
M-47 bombs were also released. These were 100 pound incendiary bombs filled with jellied gasoline and phosphorus.
Post-war estimates number the casualties of this operation at around 100,000 people - the single most destructive raid of the war.
.
But as I mentioned, this was not the B-29 bomber.
.
What we got to explore was the Japanese Kawanishi H8K - a 4-engine long range flying boat used for patrols. The allies called it "Emily." It was considered to be the best flying boat of the second world war - even when compared to the British Short Sunderland used by the Royal Air Force. The Sunderland excelled at rescuing men from torpedoed ships but after some improvements, it proved itself to be more than handy at defending and shooting down Junkers Ju-88 fighters of Germany as well as their U-boats. Like the Sunderland, the H8K would prove to be very competent at sinking subs.
First produced in 1941, it went into action in 1942 during the second raid on Pearl Harbor. It had to refuel via submarine on the way. It was the longest sortie ever planned without a fighter escort as well as the longest distance covered by two planes on a bombing mission.
The first H8K2s had two 20mm cannon and four 7.7mm. It was later improved to 5 cannons. It was also equipped with ASV (air to surface) radar and was a sub sinker. They had range, they had improved armor protection as well as offensive firepower, and they could switch between bombs or torpedoes. It had an operating crew of ten but could carry an additional 64 troops if set up for transport. It was pretty bad ass.
The wreck is a great dive. There's a large turret top that's pretty intact with its 20mm cannon. I was tempted to swim into the turret but I decided against that due to too many rusty sharp bits. I also had a big lunch and I wasn't feeling too trim
One of the large wings is still in one piece and you can make out all 4 engines.
A short distance away from the wreck is a stone memorial apparently placed there by divers in the 1990s. It was placed there to mourn the deaths of the conscripted Korean solders on board. (And it doesn't mention the loss of any other nation's soldiers).
OP
kumimonster
Contributor
Saipan.D4.d4.ShoanMaru
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The Shoan Maru was my last dive for the day and my visit to the Mariana Islands. It was also one of the wrecks I was interested in seeing so this last day turned out perfect!
Two dives on Tinian which included Dump Coke and the wonderful surprise of Lamp Post followed by the Emily wreck and then this one. My buddy Brad got to join me for the latter two. I couldn’t have wished for a better set of sites on this day!
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The Shoan Maru is also known as the Chinsen Maru. It's a large Imperial Japanese Navy freighter (5,624 tons/407 feet) that was launched in October of 1937. It was first attacked on 26 July 1943 by the USS Whale under command of LtCDR John B. Azer before being sunk by American dive bombers of TF-58 (Fast Carrier Task Force) on 22 February 1944. Apparently it was carrying a number of Korean conscript soldiers when it was torpedoed west of the island of Rota.
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The USS Whale (SS-239) was a Gato-class submarine that was built by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo (California) and launched in March of 1942. From November ’42 to August 1945 she conducted 11 war patrols. She would be decommissioned and then recommissioned and then decommissioned again for the last time in Dec 1957. The USS Whale would earn 11 battle stars for sinking over 77,700 tons of Japanese shipping. In September of 1960 she was sold for scrap.
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On the 26th of January 1943, during it’s second war patrol, the USS Whale sighted and shot at the Shoan Maru but missed so it ended up tracking it overnight. After a number of torpedoes, one finally hit but it did not sink the freighter. The boat would later be towed to Saipan. It would undergo repairs off Garapan but in early 1944, the Shoan Maru would sustain irreparable damage from an airstrike by planes of the USS Essex (CV-9) and USS Yorktown (CV-10). Both of these ships formed part of Task Force 58.
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These were the main striking force of the US Navy that comprised of about 4 carriers and an entourage of 18-24 destroyers as well as fast moving battleships. The idea was that the navy could now bring air power into the fight and carriers groups would be able to defend their own with their support vessels. John McCain, Sr would eventually take over command of TF 58 after Rear Admiral Marc Mitscher who was initially responsible for the development and operation of the FCTF. TF-58 commanded more firepower than any navy in history. I first read about these in my book on the battle of Leyte Gulf.
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The USS Essex was sold as scrap in June of 1975. The USS Yorktown would later serve as a recovery ship for the Apollo 8 space mission and “star” in the movie “Tora! Tora! Tora” and “The Philadelphia Experiment.” It is currently a National Historic Landmark and museum ship in South Carolina.
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It’s a shallow wreck sitting at about 35 feet. On this day conditions were calm and it was a very pleasant and easy dive. Lots of sea cucumbers, fish, and 3 resident white tips chilling out under the ship. During the dive you might hear a repetitive droning sound. It’s not your stomach (that’s what I thought at first). It’s the sound of the submarine “Deepstar” which allows tourists to stay dry while checking out the wreck. Plenty of them took our photos too!
The wreck is in bad shape due to being used for bombing runs and target practice after the US took the island.
OP
kumimonster
Contributor
OK. So that's it.
A lot of these were taken from my personal blog posts. I hope the history isn't too annoying. It was my major at school - my minor was military history. I figure it can't hurt to learn a little bit more. Plus, with all the death and destruction from the world at war, you've got new life forming underwater - despite the leeching phosphorus! I also hope that my super giant thread can help out any future visiting divers!
There are some really great things about the Marianas and yet there are also parts that need fixing when it comes down to infrastructure, immigration, etc. It's supposed to be US land and yet some places seem to be very foreign and without proper governance, regulation, and support.
I'd love to re-visit though. But I know there are other areas around with many more dive sites full of history from WW1 and WW2.
Again, I need to credit Lisa from Fishguyz who recommended CMLC Artha. I would also recommend them too.
They really were a great group of guys. The amenities at the shop were really nice too but they made sure that all the divers were satisfied with the choices of dive sites we ended up doing and even accommodated those that didn't want to do both dives in the session. (For example, if one diver only wanted one pm dive, we popped in to a local shore or dock and they would get picked up there instead of having the boat travel all the way back to the local shop dock).
The setting sun! Which reminded me of the rising sun flag of Japan!
bird rock
last japanese outpost & bunker above
banzai cliff & memorials
A lot of these were taken from my personal blog posts. I hope the history isn't too annoying. It was my major at school - my minor was military history. I figure it can't hurt to learn a little bit more. Plus, with all the death and destruction from the world at war, you've got new life forming underwater - despite the leeching phosphorus! I also hope that my super giant thread can help out any future visiting divers!
There are some really great things about the Marianas and yet there are also parts that need fixing when it comes down to infrastructure, immigration, etc. It's supposed to be US land and yet some places seem to be very foreign and without proper governance, regulation, and support.
I'd love to re-visit though. But I know there are other areas around with many more dive sites full of history from WW1 and WW2.
Again, I need to credit Lisa from Fishguyz who recommended CMLC Artha. I would also recommend them too.
They really were a great group of guys. The amenities at the shop were really nice too but they made sure that all the divers were satisfied with the choices of dive sites we ended up doing and even accommodated those that didn't want to do both dives in the session. (For example, if one diver only wanted one pm dive, we popped in to a local shore or dock and they would get picked up there instead of having the boat travel all the way back to the local shop dock).
The setting sun! Which reminded me of the rising sun flag of Japan!
bird rock
last japanese outpost & bunker above
banzai cliff & memorials
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