Toa Maru

Silver Soul

Silver Soul

Well-Known Member
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Due to the nature of my job, I was fortunate for a better word to find myself on a small island called Gizo. North in the Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. The year 1992 :D This smallish island, just north of Kennedy Island. Named after the same Kennedy that was to latter go on to President of the USA, whom was marooned for 3 days when his PT boat sank, after being struck by a Japanese destroyer in the dead of night.......... Dwarfed by a massive dormant volcano Kolombangra, these two little islands played out their part of significant WW2 history.

Over the years of my diving career I still conjure up very fond memories of diving a shipwreck called the Toa Maru nestled in a little bay north of Gizo Island, her bow just bellow the surface at 7metres depth. While her ass butts the sandy sea bottom at 43meters A wonderful site she is 450 feet intact fully laden WW2 Japanese supply ship. She was worthy of every minute of me prospecting her! found a few utube flicks of her :D

So please enjoy.
http://youtu.be/LWBp8fZv63s

http://youtu.be/3x3cNPY_QOM
 
This Hellcat fighter is in about 7m of water, some half hour distance south, Gizo island. The Pilot ran out off fuel after getting lost in clouds. Ditched the fighter in a very nice water landing.." As there is not a dent on the aircraft". He, was rescued some days later.

When they found this wreck many years after the war, some authors hungry for a Solomon Island 50th anniversary war story, blended together a reunite the pilot to his aircraft. It was a very moving moment, when the guy scuba dived his own plane.
It is unfortunate that from this video, someone has removed 3 of the once intact .50 caliber machine guns from the port wing. Shame!

http://youtu.be/rGFWSnvyA4o
 
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