Sinking History
On February 18, 1944 at 3:10am sunk in the Natshushima Anchorage at roughly Lat 7° 22N Long 151°  56E in Truk Lagoon. There were no casualties during the sinking.

Shipwreck
In 1969, discovered by Jacques Cousteau's 1969 expedition resting upright with a 25 degree port list. Later, this shipwreck was identified as Nippo Maru.

Aboard is a tank, coastal defense guns, mines, munitions, and water tanks. At the bow are large wenches and a gun platform. A spare anchor is against the forecastle. Inside the forecastle are many personal effects of the crew in the silt. The forward hold contains mines, detonators, artillery shells, large containers, gas masks, oil drums.

Some of these containers contain caustic substances. No. 1 and 2 holds contain large bronze range finders and a Type 97 Tank, minus the turret gun which was how they were sometimes transported. There is a large galley and crew quarters below the bridge. In the bridge are three strong boxes. No riches inside here, in the past when ever strong boxes were recovered and opened, they contained only ordinance and small arms. Three howitzers are on the deck near the No. 4 hold. In the No. 4 hold are hundreds of beer bottles, radio equipment and a variety of items. In the aft most hold are barrels for 5" guns. Two AA guns have fallen off the ship and are on the floor nearby.

References
Combined Fleet IJN NIPPON MARU: Tabular Record of Movement
Lagoon of Lost Ships includes dive footage of this wreck in 1969
WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon pages 6, 118, 127, 158, 163, 165, 265, 269, 306, 395-401, 478, 510 (index)

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Last Updated
January 8, 2022