World War II Wrecks
of the Truk Lagoon
by Dan E. Bailey
North Valley Diver, 2001
$70.00 plus shipping
Dimensions: 11 x 8
518 pages
ISBN: 0-911615-06-7

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via amazon.com

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North Valley Diver
 nvdp@c-zone.net

P.. Box 991413
Redding, CA 96099 USA
Phone: (530) 246-7755
Fax: (530) 246-0587

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Dan Bailey first visited Truk Lagoon in 1971. Since then, he has returned over forty times in the past thirty years. The release of the beautiful hardcover edition of WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon is a volume that anyone interested in Truk should acquire and add ttheir book collection. This book builds on the 1989 version. With new research, discoveries and photography this book is an entirely new and expanded volume over 500 pages long! As you will see below, this book goes highly recommend, and is a benchmark for all history and photograph books in the genera of Pacific diving and history.

The first thing tnote, is the production value of the book. It is certainly worth its weight - as it is a full size book, with hundreds of B&W wartime photos, line drawings, schematics and lavish color photographs taken underwater. Als, the author presents these photos in very large format 5 x 7 or larger. This is a treat for readers, whare able tappreciate the crisp details of each image. The text is well laid out, and easy tread in twcolumn format.

The cover of the book is a full sized image of deck of the San FranciscMaru, and the Japanese tank stowed on the deck. Aficionados of the Pacific Wreck Database website will appreciate that the diver behind the tank is contributor Peter Ording. This tank is the same pictured on National Geographic Magazine May 1976, that for many world wide sparked widespread interest in Truk Lagoon (myself included). In my opinion, Bailey's cover photis a far better photograph of this eerie scene.

Truk Today
The book begins with a very extensive listing of all terms, ships and aircraft types. This is a good reference, especially for those unfamiliar with the complicated Japanese nomenclature and dating systems. Next, Bailey describes contemporary life at Truk (Chuuk) Lagoon and interesting facts like pilgrimages back by Japanese veterans, and details diving operators and live aboard ships and a section on the recent use of mixed gas dives since 1996 at the lagoon that allows longer and deeper dives. Of particular interest, are his sections on the deterioration of the shipwrecks due tincreased diving, natural decay and threats this presents. Als, about the removal of munitions illegally and how they are still being (illegally) used tthis day... and touching on the outcomes of increased tourism in Truk and its positive and negative impacts on wrecks and history there.

Background
The next section deals with the history of the Japanese occupation of Truk after the islands were mandated tthem following WWI. Building up of the islands as military fortifications and bases during the 1930's The greatest contribution of this section are detailed force lists for all units based there during the war, including both Navy and Army units, and additional details like convoys tthe islands, names of commanders and captains of ships - together spanning six pages.

Island Installations
Detailed graphics, like this map of Dublon Island are provided for all of the areas targeted during Operation Hailstone. This extensive section spans from pages 19-102 of the book. Each target area has a location thumbnail, detailed line drawing, target area descriptions and intelligence analysis summary. When available, there are alsWWII reconnaissance photos of the location. Aside from their historical importance, they provide an unprecedented resource for visitors or historians tretrace the bases, and know the identity of buildings and fortifications. This is the most detailed assembly of Truk area island fortifications, down tevery building, gun, searchlight and depot. Below is an example, on page 49. Mouse over the map tread descriptions of each location.

The WWII text tthe left gives an idea of the scope of each:
"This area included much of the Dublon Town and was filled with priority targets; it was dominated by warehouses and small boat facilitates. Ravetted or reinforced buildings were conspicuously absent. Target analysis recommends the use of incendiaries in bombing this section as most construction was frame with many old residences and business establishments present. Fire fighting facilities were estimated tbe inadequate. Pilots were encouraged tlook for small boats afloat or laid up ashore along the waterfront for strafing targets. Target area D-10 was assigned a priority 8 during Operation Hailstone strikes.

Allied Air Campaign Against Truk
The next section includes over 150 pages dedicated strictly tthe Allied strikes against Truk. Operation Hailstone was a massive military event and this coverage does it justice, explaining every aspect of the raid in a very clear and concise format profiling each ship, plane, strike and target. Aside from summaries of the strikes and action, each subsection ends with a few paragraphs about particular specific pilot's experiences, like this except from Essex VF Sweep with 11 F6F's that alsincludes the experiences of each of the pilots, some a few sentences, other many paragraphs in length. For instance, this expert from on of the Essex F6F's:

Lt. (jg) H.R. Hudson Following a strafing run of the Param airfield, Lt. Hudson came upon a Kate very low off the water (about 15 feet). He mad an astern run and obtained hits throughout the fuselage area. The Kate burned and crashed.

The level of history puts the reader in the cockpit of each airplane, and give one the sensation of the enormous operation, and how many planes participated, and how much damage was caused with bombs and bullets. WWII strike photographs that are breath taking accompany the accounts were appropriate.

Hailstone was the most famous event at Truk, but what is really exciting about the history section is that it includes far more that just this one mission. Equally intriguing and detailed are the coverage of the Japanese Strikes carried out in retaliation after the raid. Als, land based strikes by the USAAC's 13th Air Force, Fast Carrier Strikes in late April, 1944 and in October 1944 - August 1945 experimental B-29 raids, and even an attack by British Carrier Attack Operation "Inmate"

The history section ends with details of the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945 when the remaining 24,061 Naval personnel and 14, 299 Army troops laid down arms. Following surrender, the American occupation that began on November 24, 1945 and efforts trepatriate the military personnel, clean up the island dispose of munitions and assist with the cleanup. The investigations and trials of war crimes committed against captured Allied aviators and other prisoners for torture, medical experiments The last Japanese military left on December 26, 1946.

Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon
The last 200 plus pages of this volume cover the ship and aircraft wrecks in the lagoon from WWII. Again, like the previous sections, the authors treatment is painstaking and arguably the most complete research available on each of these ships. Each wreck has a complete background history, that begins with its construction and equally interesting prewar and wartime history. Each ship has a full listing of military operations that it participated in, which reads like a history of the war in the Pacific itself, and many other interesting bits, like the camouflage schemes applied, relevant WWII photographs, full page schematics, color photographs from contemporary dives and diving notes for SCUBA divers.

This intensity of research is repeated for more than fifty Truk shipwrecks, and half dozen submerged aircraft. Reading about each of the Japanese wrecks widens the readers apperception for the enormous amount of history and human interest stories about the Japanese side of the history and that each of these vessels contain, and the details of how they met their final demise in the Lagoon of Truk.

The book has many audiences, firstly any veterans of the Operation Hailstone February 1944 air strikes. Als, anyone interested in Pacific WWII history and military archeology of the Truk Lagoon. And, of course divers, whwill appreciate Bailey's background as a SCUBA diver and even diving notes for those whthemselves intend tdive the lagoon. If you are not any of the above, still consider this book as you are guaranteed tbecome interested! Get this book while it is still in print!

Interview with Dan E. Bailey