Rod Macdonald's video: Diving an unidentified auxiliary sub chaser - possibly Showa Maru No 5 Palau

The wreck of an auxiliary subchaser was located in about 2015, up the west side of Babelthuap, Palau. The ship lies on its port side in 50msw. It was originally a pre-war whaler that was requisitioned for war service and fitted out with Anti Submarine Warfare equipment. She has been hit by a bomb aft during Operation Desecrate 1 on 30 March 1944 as she led a large convoy north that was trying to escape from the lagoon before the U.S. strike went in. She hit the bottom by the stern so hard that her prop, rudder, keel bar were all bent 90 degrees out of line. My best guess is that this is Showa Maru No 5 (ex-Galicia) but nothing definate has been found on her to ID the vessel. The engine cylinder sizes however do not correspond with Lloyds records, but it is possible she was re-engined at some point. The jury is still out on the ID of this wreck.