Does This Look Like Brass to You?

[IwakuniDiver]

This is a photo that I took the other day while diving the Battleship Mutsu. Its the range-finder for the 16" main guns and its been underwater for 63 years.

Question, does this look like brass to you?

 

[MattL]

i cant see it very will but how was the dive??

 

[mark G]

yup sure does but I'm drinking memorial day beer!

 

[IwakuniDiver]

The dive was incredible. This is the 8th time I have been on the wreck and visibility was in the 25-30 foot range even on the bottom at 130fsw.

For more background info on the Mutsu, I updated Wikipedia with more detailed info. Here's the link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mutsu

The waters around South Eastern Honshu are infamous for their poor visibility especially during the summer when the warm currents come in from the south. 30 foot vis is about as good as it gets.

This dive we concetrated around the number two turret area and what's left of the forward part of the bridge. She's pretty heavilly deteriorated and salvaged, but still a massive wreck. She lies in 134fsw upside down, port-side up just beyond a 45 degree angle and the tallest part of the hull is at 55fsw.

I'll admit she's not much to look at compared to the more famous wrecks around the world but she's one of the few (three I believe) Japanese battleships in the world that is diveable. Nagato (Bikini Atoll) and Yamashiro (Suriago Straight) are the other two.