Akitsushima and Okikawa
2015-05-08 @ 12:54:00 / Filippinerna
Coron är en liten stad belägen på den största av en grupp öar norr om El Nido. Alldeles utanför stan ligger en hel flotta av japanska krigsskepp från Andra Världskriget begraven. Vi har dykt in i två av dem idag, Akitsushima och Okikawa. Den förstnämnda en båt för att transportera stridsflygplan till havs, den andra en oljetanker.
Helt otroligt spännande var det. Vi fick se kanoner, lyftkranar och enorma radarmaster. Vi fick dyka in genom små hål i skrovet, följa mörka gångar där man kunde se våning efter våning under sig, in i maskinrum, genom fler trånga hål och in i rum så mörka att vore det inte för ficklamporna hade vi inte sett ett skvatt. Och i Okikawa, i ett av rummen, fanns resterna av vad de sa var en mänsklig käke...
Det var så obeskrivligt fascinerande att se de enorma skeppen som blivit totalt förvandlade under sina mer än 70 år under ytan. Nästan allting som en gång var skeppets yttre har försvunnit, och kvar är ett skelett av rostad metall. En enorm bit stål, där rummens golv är täckta av silt och varenda balk bär tecken på havets växter och liv. Att simma genom de mörka gångarna och rummen, tvärs igenom hela det som en gång var ett kraftfullt fartyg, var bland det häftigaste vi gjort.
21.11
19/4/2015
"Before 1939, Japan – a land which is not blessed by natural resources, used to depend on the United States for supplies of ores and petroleum, to thrive their industries. It was under the term of U.S. President Roosevelt [...], that American supplies to the Japanese were held back. This was done with the intention to indirectly force the Japanese to end all belligerencies against China.
After Japan stopped receiving the supplies of strategic minerals from U.S. they eyed the British and American colonies of the south to meet their demands for raw materials for their industries. As Japan attempted capturing the southern islands, it was only America which came in its way. The Pacific Fleet at the Pearl Harbour in U.S. was the only force which was capable of defeating the Japanese Navy. Another problem that Japan might have faced while its communication with East Indies was the American bases in the archipelago of Philippines. Oil tankers that were headed towards Japan needed to pass by Luzon – the northernmost group of islands in the archipelagic Philippines. At that time Philippines was under the reigns of America.
The Japanese, thus, contrived to declare war against America. First, it was a sudden attack on Pearl Harbour. Next, the Japanese usurped the U.S. bases at Guam and Wake islands. It was the same time that they also invaded Philippines. By that time the war had begun."
"The history of Coron dates back to 24th September, 1944. It was when a US Navy and dive bombers attacked a Japanese fleet of 24 ships, full of supply, in Coron Bay and around the Busuanga Island. The way by which the U.S. Navy spotted the Japanese fleet is still a topic of debate. Few think the Japanese fleet was observed by aerial photo investigative interpreters, while others are of the opinion that U.S. had intercepted the radio transmissions of the Japanese. Whatever were the ways of spotting the Japanese fleet, it led to an abrupt aerial attack by the U.S. Navy carrier based aircraft. As a consequence the Japanese fleet sank at anchor." (Corto Divers, 2011)
After Japan stopped receiving the supplies of strategic minerals from U.S. they eyed the British and American colonies of the south to meet their demands for raw materials for their industries. As Japan attempted capturing the southern islands, it was only America which came in its way. The Pacific Fleet at the Pearl Harbour in U.S. was the only force which was capable of defeating the Japanese Navy. Another problem that Japan might have faced while its communication with East Indies was the American bases in the archipelago of Philippines. Oil tankers that were headed towards Japan needed to pass by Luzon – the northernmost group of islands in the archipelagic Philippines. At that time Philippines was under the reigns of America.
The Japanese, thus, contrived to declare war against America. First, it was a sudden attack on Pearl Harbour. Next, the Japanese usurped the U.S. bases at Guam and Wake islands. It was the same time that they also invaded Philippines. By that time the war had begun."
"The history of Coron dates back to 24th September, 1944. It was when a US Navy and dive bombers attacked a Japanese fleet of 24 ships, full of supply, in Coron Bay and around the Busuanga Island. The way by which the U.S. Navy spotted the Japanese fleet is still a topic of debate. Few think the Japanese fleet was observed by aerial photo investigative interpreters, while others are of the opinion that U.S. had intercepted the radio transmissions of the Japanese. Whatever were the ways of spotting the Japanese fleet, it led to an abrupt aerial attack by the U.S. Navy carrier based aircraft. As a consequence the Japanese fleet sank at anchor." (Corto Divers, 2011)
Akitsushima
Seaplane Tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet in WWII
Sunk 24 September 1944 by U.S. air raid
Length: 114 m
Depth: 35 m
"The first to be attacked [...] were Akitsushima and Okikawa Maru. The Akitsushima, a heavy and well armed sea vessel, initially fought back aggressively, but she was soon overpowered by hits from multiple directions, internal explosions and conflagration. Within about 15 minutes the Akitsushima gradually sank in between the passage of Lajo and Manglet Island." (Corto Divers, 2011)
Okikawa
Auxilliary Oiler of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet in WWII
Sunk 9 October 1944 by U.S. air raid
Length: 160 m
Depth: 25 m
"Okikawa Maru was a ship of fuel oil. Quite evidently it hardly took any time for Okikawa to set ablaze and get maimed. Still, she kept fighting and floated gradually towards the north, but it sunk during a 'mop-up' assault on 9th October (three weeks later)." (Corto Divers, 2011)
Källa: http://www.cortodivers.com/history
