Kwajalein Diving

[Kevrumbo]

Good job Dauntless! Been trying for years to get a work transfer from my employer out to Kwaj (or Guam, or Okinawa). . .

 

[mkerfe]

According to some things I have found on the web the U.S. Navy scuttled quite a few WWII ships at Kwajalein. It seems a lot of the ships at Bikini that didn't sink were towed to Kwajalein for test and eventually scuttled. My question is are any of these accessible for divers or are they all too deep?

 

[pazz]

The Prinz Eugen is the Bikini survivor that you can dive at Kwaj. She sank in the Kwaj lagoon. The picture in my profile (not my avatar picture) is a torpedo from the Eugen. The other survivors that were sunk or scuttled at Kwaj are oceanside and too deep to dive; which is really a shame. Diving the Bikini wrecks (at Bikini) was incredible.......

The following is from Operation Crossroads@Everything2.com


Eventually it was decided to tow the surviving ships to Kwajalein Atoll where the remainder of the measurements and offloading of ordinance could be completed in uncontaminated water. This work continued through to 1947; eight of these ships were towed back to Hawaii for more detailed inspection, and a further twelve were so lightly contaminated they were re-manned and steamed back to Hawaii themselves. The remaining ships were either scuttled or sank by gunfire and torpedoes from the support fleet before it left Kwajalein. Most of the target ships that returned to the U.S were later scuttled or sunk.

 

[Gilldiver]

According to some things I have found on the web the U.S. Navy scuttled quite a few WWII ships at Kwajalein. It seems a lot of the ships at Bikini that didn't sink were towed to Kwajalein for test and eventually scuttled. My question is are any of these accessible for divers or are they all too deep?

Many ships were towed for study at Kwajalein, but they were sunk in very deep water - 3-5000 feet. Look up USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) for one of the US Battleships sunk off of Kawajalein. Go here and scroll down for a few photos of her going down. Battleship Photo Index BB-38 USS PENNSYLVANIA


Here is a list of all the ships used in the tests. Operation Crossroads, Nuclear Tests at Bikini

 

[DennisS]

According to some things I have found on the web the U.S. Navy scuttled quite a few WWII ships at Kwajalein. It seems a lot of the ships at Bikini that didn't sink were towed to Kwajalein for test and eventually scuttled. My question is are any of these accessible for divers or are they all too deep?

There is a good book "In The Arms Of The Sea-A historical guide to the shipwrecks of Kwajalein" by Mark Miller, it lists lots of wrecks in the under 100 ft depth range.


Here are some of the wrecks from another book
http://www.underwaterkwaj.com/wreck/WRECK.pdf

 

[Gilldiver]

Here is what the Navy Records say should be in the area. I'll bet that they are all within 20 miles of the pass:

Operation Crossroads: Disposition of Target Vessels
Battleships
USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) scuttled off Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 10 February 1948.
Cruisers
Prinz Eugen (IX-300) stranded and sank at Kwajalein, 22 December 1946.
Destroyers
USS Mayrant (DD-402) sunk off Kwajalein, 4 April 1948.
USS Mustin (DD-413) sunk off Kwajalein, 18 March 1948.
USS Ralph Talbot (DD-390) scuttled off Kwajalein, March 1948.
USS Rhind (DD-404) scuttled off Kwajalein, 22 March 1948.
USS Stack (DD-406) sunk as target off Kwajalein, 24 April 1948.
USS Trippe (DD-403) sunk as target off Kwajalein, 3 February 1948.
USS Wainwright (DD-419) sunk as target off Kwajalein, 5 July 1948.
USS Wilson (DD-408) scuttled off Kwajalein, 8 March 1948.
Attack Transports
USS Banner (APA-60) scuttled off Kwajalein, 16 February 1948.
USS Barrow (APA-61) scuttled off Kwajalein, 11 May 1948.
USS Bracken (APA-64) scuttled off Kwajalein, 10 March 1948.
USS Briscoe (APA-65) scuttled off Marshall Islands, 6 May 1948.
USS Brule (APA-66) scuttled off Kwajalein, 11 May 1948.
USS Butte (APA-68) scuttled off Kwajalein, 12 May 1948.
USS Dawson (APA-79) scuttled off Kwajalein, 19 March 1948.
USS Fallon (APA-81) scuttled off Kwajalein, 10 March 1948.
LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank)
USS LST-133 scuttled off Kwajalein, 11 May 1948.
USS LST-220 scuttled off Kwajalein, 12 May 1948.
USS LST-545 scuttled off Kwajalein, 12 May 1948.
USS LST-661 scuttled off Kwajalein, 25 July 1948.
LSMs (Landing Ship, Medium)
LCT-412 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-705 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-746 scuttled off Kwajalein, March 1947.
LCT-816 scuttled off Kwajalein, June 1947.
LCT-818 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-874 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-1013 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-1078 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-1112 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.
LCT-1113 scuttled off Kwajalein, June 1947.
Auxiliaries
YOG-83 scuttled off Kwajalein, 16 September 1948.
LCIs (Landing Craft, Infantry)
LCI-327 destroyed on Bascombe (Mek) Island, Kwajalein, 30 October 1947.
LCI-329 scuttled off Kwajalein, 16 March 1948.
LCI-332 scuttled off Kwajalein, September 1947.

 

[Dauntless]

There are many decomissioned WWII aircraft, stripped and sunk in ~100 ft up at Roi-Namur (see first trip - Da Planes) Kwaj.wwebster.com Home Page The ship wrecks in the lagoon are sorta Ho Hum (IMHO) compared to all the other things to see underwater. The Eugen is a must dive though, where else can you dive a wreck that the stern is out of the water and the bow is at ~110 fsw. Since it is on the far side of the lagoon, windward of the prevailing winds (E,NE) the visiability is not the best except in the time of the doldrums.

I saw the Prinz Eugen torpedo room last time and will try to video next trip if I get to go again. Will have all the divers to shine dive lights in the torpedo room and video.

 

[KwajKid]

I'm a Kwaj Kid, got certified @ 16 in 1970, 48 hrs of training for open water, plus 5 50' check out dives and one to 100'. Use to dive P buoy, Barracuda Junction and the Prinz Eugan along with some of the smaller wrecks. Never been back, but I dream about it.

I've just made up some Kwaj Diving T-shirts



You can see that one and more here Blue Ridge Fly Fishing: Home: Zazzle.com Store