''Kizugawa Maru'' (, ), or ''Kitsugawa Maru'', is a World War II-era Japanese water tanker sunk in

Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwat ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

. Damaged by a submarine torpedo attack off Guam on April 8, 1944, she was towed into port for repairs. In port, she was further damaged in three separate U.S. air attacks during the

Mariana and Palau Islands campaign The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Campaign Plan Granite II, was an offensive launched by the United States against Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific between June and November 1944 during the Pacific War. The campaig ...

. Deemed irreparable, ''Kizugawa Maru'' was

scuttled Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vesse ...

by shore guns on June 27, 1944. The shipwreck is now a deep

recreational diving Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

site.

History

On April 8, 1944, she was part of a supply convoy from

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

to the garrison at

Woleai Woleai (), also known as Oleai, is a coral atoll of 22 islands in the western Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, forming a legislative district in the Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia, and located approximately west-northwest ...

, when she was damaged in the port engine room by a torpedo attack by about off the eastern coast of Guam at . She was then towed to

for repairs by the destroyer ''Minazuki ''. Thirty-seven of her sailors were killed in the attack. In the same attack, ''Seahorse'' fatally damaged the munitions transport '' Aratama Maru'', which grounded itself in

Talofofo Bay Talofofo Bay is an inlet in the south-eastern coast of the island of Guam at the mouth of the Talofofo River in the village of Talo'fo'fo. Talofofo Bay is notable for being one of the most accessible brown sand beaches of Guam. This brown sand ...

. At the time, Guam was occupied by the Japanese after being captured from the U.S. in 1941. During the U.S.

, ''Kizugawa Maru'' was further damaged during an air raid on 11 April, and again on 11 and 27 June. Declared beyond repair after the raid on the 27 June, she was scuttled by shore gunfire. Due to her engine room flooding quickly, she sank straight down and sits upright in northern Apra Harbor. About 80% intact, the wreck has an

8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun The Type 41 naval gun otherwise known as the 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun was a Japanese dual-purpose gun introduced before World War I. Although designated as , its shells were in diameter. Design The Japanese Type 41 naval gun oth ...

on her bow with three or four boxes of ammunition. In 2007, researchers noted a large concrete block had crashed through the bow deck structure, apparently due to an mooring accident.

Dive site

''Kizugawa Maru'' is a deep

site, sometimes referred to as the Kitz. She is lauded as an "excellent wreck dive" and a rival to "any that can be found on Truk." The top of Kizugawa Maru's mast is at , while the bow gun sits at . Damage from six bombs is at , with the silt bottom of the harbor at . Due to the depth, recreational divers use

Nitrox Nitrox refers to any gas mixture composed (excepting trace gases) of nitrogen and oxygen. It is usually used for mixtures that contain less than 78% nitrogen by volume. In the usual application, underwater diving, nitrox is normally distinguished ...

or are severely limited on the time available at the gun or deck in order to avoid incurring a decompression obligation. Trained wreck divers considering penetration are further cautioned about plentiful silt, as well as twisted metal around the engine room and holds. In October 2023, a large vessel anchored on or near the Kitzugawa Maru, ripping the deck gun off of the deck, knocking the mast off and damaging the bow. The gun now sits in 137 feet of water, upside down, in the silt on her port side. File:Navy divers from Moible Diving Salvage Unit One measure the remains of a deck gun on the sunken World War II Japanese merchant ship KIZUGAWA MARU during Project Sea Mark, a four yea - DPLA - a0137677e401e72a49f6927c77914833.jpeg, U.S. Navy divers measuring the deck gun in 1987 as part of Project Sea Mark for Navy historic sites File:Navy diver at stack of Kitsugawa Maru in Apra Harbor 1987.jpg, Navy diver and survey line at the stack in 1987 File:Kitsugawa Maru (38877841780).jpg, The mast of ''Kizugawa Maru'' from the deck File:Kitsugawa Maru (38877834830).jpg, Ship ladder in 2018 File:Kitsugawa Maru (40688529081).jpg, The

on her bow

References

: Commonly referred to in diving-related sources as "Kitsugawa Maru." Appears to be a result of a misreading of () for (). Presumed to be named after the river.

History

Dive site

References

See also