Rod Macdonald's video: Diving the wreck of Amagisan Maru - Truk Lagoon

The 7,600grt passenger-cargo vessel Amagisan Maru was built in 1933 and requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy as an auxiliary transport vessel in 1941. On 14 February 1944, she arrived in convoy at Truk Lagoon, her forward holds filled with a cargo of thousands of 55-gallon barrels of fuel. 3 days later, on 17 February 1944, the fast carriers of U.S. Task Force 58 launched their devastating 2-day air raid, codenamed Operation Hailstone. A large, valuable vessel, Amagisan Maru was targeted by dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers. She took a 1,000-lb bomb hit aft - and an aerial torpedo struck her starboard side just forward of the bridge superstructure. The torpedo explosion ignited her cargo of fuel oil in 55-gallon barrels in her forward holds. Burning fiercely, she settled quickly by the head - and within 15 minutes she was on the bottom of the lagoon. Today this large wreck rests on her port beam ends on a sloping bottom from 40 - 60 metres of water.