Rod Macdonald's video: Diving the wreck of the Japanese transport Hoki Maru at Truk Lagoon

The 7,113grt Japanese auxiliary transport ship Hoki Maru was sunk at Truk Lagoon on 18 February 1944 by US fast carrier aircraft from Task Force 58. Hoki Maru was built in Scotland in 1921 - but had been captured in 1942 by the Japanese armed merchant cruisers Aikoku Maru and Hokoku Maru. She was taken back to Japan, renamed and converted into a transport ship. When Operation HAILSTONE began early on 17 February 1944, Hoki Maru was at anchor in the IJN 4th Fleet Anchorage, south of Dublon Island. She was hit and set on fire - but survived the day. On the 2nd day of Operation HAILSTONE, 18 February 1944, she was hit by a 1,000-lb bomb in her foredeck holds - where a cargo of aviation gasoline in 55-gallon drums was stored. The resulting secondary explosion was catrastrophic - blowing out the sides of the ship. Hoki Maru sank quickly into 50 metres of water.