It’s no secret, technical diving is gear-intensive and if you’re packing for Truk Lagoon or Bikini Atoll — some of the remotest diving destinations in the world — you want to have all your essentials with you. Add a sophisticated underwater camera setup and a closed-circuit rebreather, and you have a recipe for sleepless nights wondering just how much you can stretch the bounds of your luggage allowance.
Dear Dirty Dozen Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. We have been spending time cataloging the vast array of imagery that we have collected over the years from all our incredible expeditions.
Since our photos have been used in dive press, exhibitions and are on canvas prints on walls all over the world, we thought we would share some of our wreck photography protocols for all those aspiring wreck hunters. Let’s get straight to it!
A common misconception is that to get photos that adorn dive magazines worldwide you need years of experience and photo equipment that belongs on decks on National Geographic shoots.
Well, in part this is true, however, the daily rig that I acquired as a workhorse for DD expeditions as you can see in the photo below, cost me less than 3000$ second-hand. It is not the newest DSLR on the market but it has already taken several magazine cover shots, with hopefully many more to come. I will list in detail what equipment I use personally for wreck photography below.
Let me guess - you spent a fortune on your dream photo setup with offboard lights and you found yourself pretty flustered on the dive deck after taking the setup out the first few times!
From learning how to weigh your housing correctly to understanding what buttons to press, underwater photography is complicated at the best of times, especially with a rebreather. Mix in variable exposure, visibility, and hundreds of moving objects in one shot at a time, and you could easily be overwhelmed.
When I knew my underwater photography was going to be wreck-focused for quite some time - I decided to rig my setup to make it as simple as possible to operate while taking care of the people around me on our expeditions.
Having spent most of my career filming underwater, a simple mechanical housing with a fixed 15mm lens has worked best for me. It allowed me time to get comfortable with adjusting the important part - camera settings and lights while “restricting” myself to 15mm.
Photo Settings
Wreck: Shinkoku Maru
Location: Truk Lagoon
Depth: 20m/60ft
Camera/Housing: Nikon D800/Aquatica housing with Acrylic Dome
Focal length: 15mm SIGMA
F-number: 2.8
Exposure time: 1/250
Onboard Lights: 2 x 15K Lumens - Big Blue
The beauty of this focused learning curve is that once you have your camera settings dialed, they only need slight adjustments while your shoot in the same environment (inside or outside a wreck for example).
Getting familiar with your camera and honing a winning set of baseline presets to begin your dive will help you accelerate the rate at which your images improve on a dive trip.
For some background on the photo below: I had a light assistant, a professional model, and only two dives to get the money shot on this very well-known wreck and we decided to head straight for the famous 16” guns!
Sometimes you only get one shot, and this time was no exception.
Step 1: Find a good model that is willing to sacrifice their own exploration on one of the dives for the perfect shot.
Step 2: Find a light donkey/assistant to carry all the heavy offboards! Our liveaboard vessels rent these bad boys out (and possibly the donkey too) which can save you mega $$$ for this kind of setup.
Step 3: DO NOT try and do everything on one dive. On this shot, Geoffrey and I figured out the offboard lights and test shot on the first dive. We left the lights on the wreck in position and returned on the second dive to shoot so we would have a much higher chance for success due to our careful planning and execution
Photo Settings
Wreck: IJN Nagato
Location: Bikini Atoll
Depth: 60m/200ft
Camera/Housing: Nikon D800/Aquatica housing with Acrylic Dome
Focal length: 15mm SIGMA
F-number: 2.8
Exposure time: 1/25
Onboard Lights: 2 x 15K Lumens - Big Blue
Offboard Lights: 2 x 30K Lumens + 2 x 15K Lumens - Big Blue
We ended up spending the best part of an hour at 60m getting this shot. It can be very hard to decide what to spend your time and energy on. But for the money shot, you need planning.
SHOOT FROM THE HIP
Contrary to the advice above, one of the best tips I received from a dear friend was to shoot from the hip.
With big memory cards that get cleared after every dive onto primary and backup drives, you have the luxury of space! Shooting random shots from the hip during the dive can come out great. It makes the whole process more fun and you can look forward to finding that great shot during post-production sessions in the lounge between dives.
Wreck: Nippo Maru
Location: Truk Lagoon
Depth: 40m/120ft
Camera/Housing: Nikon D800/Aquatica housing with Acrylic Dome
Focal length: 15mm SIGMA
F-number: 3.2
Exposure time: 1/250
Onboard Lights: 2 x 15K Lumens - Big Blue
This is where the magic CAN happen! Note that your new best friend will be white balance, so make sure you shoot in RAW. Sometimes a rusty dome, pesky fish, and plankton can be a distraction to the wreck story you want to tell.
Photoshop Spot Healing Brush says no problem! But be careful here as there is a fine line between distorting reality and telling a story. Focus on transforming your underwater photos into something you would be proud to share.
Before editing in post production.
After editing using Photoshop.
Underwater photography can become an obsession, and I have found myself behaving in ways that were maybe not appropriate because I put too much pressure on the shot. This can be a hindrance to the enjoyment of wreck diving for you and the people around you.
Try diving with a buddy who shares your passion for capturing the perfect moment, remember to have fun and the MONEY shots will come!
The Office of the President of FSM released the following statement yesterday:
“As of July 25th, 2021, 49.6% of the eligible adult population defined as citizens 18 years and older have been fully vaccinated in the Federated States Of Micronesia, and formalizes that the “FSM’s COVID-19 vaccination goal is to transition from COVID-19 free to COVID-19 protected with at least 70% vaccination coverage.”
'This emphasizes that the Executive and Legislative Branches of the FSM National Government are cooperative, aligned, and in agreement in this area. The practical effect is that all FSM citizens who are eligible to be vaccinated, with limited exception, are required to become vaccinated.”
The end result of FSM going into a transition from “COVID FREE” to “COVID PROTECTED” is fantastic news for our upcoming expeditions and we look forward to see how this development pans out over the summer.
Fancy joining a photography-based trip? Award-winning cave photographer SJ Alice Bennett and partner Jon Kieren are running a trip for us! There are only a couple of spots left so get in touch sooner than later.
This week we have been glued to Jacque Cousteau’s Lagoon of Lost Ships in the DDE Knowledge Base and watching Philippe Cousteau search out the wrecks in the lagoon using a sonar scanning system to discover the wrecks of Truk Lagoon as they had been left mid-fight, 25 years before during the war.
Check out this awesome film, and all our other resources in the DDE KB
That sums it up for Dirty Dozen this week. We hope you have some fun plans coming up this weekend but if not, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. During the pandemic, we have taken the opportunity to closely examining our operations. Consequently, we have made some changes, both large and small that will improve our services in all our future expeditions.
Join us as we celebrate the announcement of one of the bigger changes at Dirty Dozen Expeditions and our partner Master Liveaboards, one that we think is very exciting.
Please put your fins together…
Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll
… to welcome a new member of our luxury fleet!
We are adding the expedition vessel M/V Pacific Master to our schedule starting next year in Bikini Atoll, allowing us to offer extra departures in Bikini Atoll for two full seasons.
This ensures that any bookings that were either moved or canceled due to travel restrictions have the chance to rebook, despite Truk Master being almost at capacity.
This vessel is formerly known as the M/V Taka has rich experience in technical diving operations in the Solomons, and we are looking forward to our divers experiencing the same level of service across the whole fleet.
Truk Master began operations in Truk Lagoon in mid-2016 along with the Dirty Dozen and extended its operational area with the addition of Bikini Atoll in 2018. It’s safe to say that our expeditions in these areas, both recreational and technical, have been hugely successful.
With COVID we saw unprecedented challenges arise from backlogged and rescheduled charters. Therefore, April 2022 will see the beginning of a change in both of our destinations.
Our partner’s vessel, the Solomons PNG Master, will depart the Solomon Islands and voyage to Bikini Atoll. In the process, to avoid future confusion, she will take on her new fleet title, Pacific Master.
Truk Master will operate its existing trips in Bikini for the whole 2022 season, resulting in two vessels operating staggered departures in Bikini Atoll, the Pacific Master and Truk Master.
Customers that already booked a trip to Bikini in 2022 with Truk Master, your vessel will stay the same.
Explore the new #teamDD member, Pacific Master, HERE!
Our new sailings on 21 May - 01 June 2022 and 02 July - 13 July 2022 are with Pacific Master. There are still a couple of spots available on these new dates, do not miss your chance and get in touch now if you want to join us in Bikini Atoll next year.
Pacific Master will head to Truk Lagoon instead of Truk Master and will take over full-time duties.
Truk Master will leave Bikini Atoll for her new home in the Solomon Islands. In the process, the vessel will take a new name, the Solomons Master.
*Customers booked on expeditions in Truk Lagoon from October 2022 onwards will be using our new expedition vessel M/V Pacific Master. You can read more about the Pacific Master in Truk Lagoon in our Expedition PDF HERE and our website HERE.
Truk Master will return to Bikini Atoll to operate all cruises as currently booked for the season of 2023.
Customers already booked onto a trip heading to Bikini in 2023 with Truk Master; the vessel will stay the same.
Pacific Master will run new dates in Bikini Atoll, running a second parallel season in Bikini with Truk Master.
Pacific Master will take over Truk and Bikini operations permanently.
Truk Master will retire to Solomons Master permanently and will operate in the Solomon Islands year-round.
That wraps it up for this week. We are really excited about these changes moving ahead and as always look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. Since the pandemic began, we promised to drop the freshest news straight into your inbox each week. And in true Dirty Dozen Style, we delivered.
Eighty-odd emails sent over the last 15 months and we have loved every minute spent researching content, the infinite spell checks, and the great emoji debates.
These weekly check-ins have helped us to stay connected to you. We have stayed present, kept you company, and had so many awesome messages of support and appreciation in return.
#CCDD was a real highlight of our pandemic. If you haven't dived into our smooth sound waves yet, get ready to be transported into a world of exploration. Listen to the whole of the Coming Clean With The Dirty Dozen Season 1 now.
As the world builds bridges to help us reclaim lost moments, we shall maintain the bridge we have built with you over the last year or so.
From here on out, until further notice, we will now be sending out newsletters every other Friday.
Apart from that - we wanted to give you a quick availability update with openings that have come upon our charters scheduled in the next 6 months, should you feel ready to emerge from the lockdown and get down and dirty with us.
Availability Update June 2021 - January 2022
Chernobyl:
2 - 5 September 2021 - 6 available spaces
30 September - 3 October 2021 - 6 available spaces
2 - 5 December 2021 - 6 available spaces
Find out more about Chernobyl HERE.
Galapagos:
9 - 19 December 2021 - CCR ONLY - 1 available space (minimum requirement - CCR MOD1 Air Diluent or equivalent).
Find out more about Galapagos HERE.
Truk Lagoon:
31 October - 09 Nov 2021 with Nick Hollis - 1 available space (minimum requirement - CCR MOD1 Air Diluent or equivalent/TEC 40 OC or equivalent).
10 - 20 Nov 2021 with Marissa Eckert and James Draker - 1 available space (minimum requirement - TDI Air Diluent Deco/Decompression Procedures (OC) or equivalent).
16 - 25 January 2022 with Andy Torbet - 3 available spaces (minimum requirement PADI AOW or equivalent).
26 January - 05 February 2022 with Jill Heinerth - 1 available space (minimum requirement - CCR MOD1 Air Diluent/Tec 40 OC or equivalent).
Find out more about Truk Lagoon HERE.
Bikini Atoll:
No Sailings until May 2022. See our calendar for details and availability.
That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Vic and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. As the world supports the global drive for vaccines we thought we would share some of the positive news coming out of our expedition locations.
For those divers awaiting trips, this is the current status as it stands today and we will be in regular contact with you before you depart to ensure that you are ready to meet the travel requirements at the time of your expedition.
For those keen to book on to future trips, we will always have our fins on the pulse of the latest travel updates to help you fully prepare for your expedition.
So let’s leave the surface, dive into our world-class destinations and get the urge to explore!
You can enter Ecuador without quarantine, the adult population in Galapagos is now vaccinated and entry requirements have been eased significantly.
Travellers arriving on international flight arrivals must provide the following:
Proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination*
Vaccinated travellers may enter Ecuador without providing a COVID-19 test. Must show proof of completed series.
Negative COVID-19 PCR or rapid antigen test result within 72 hours of arrival
If no test results OR traveller presents COVID symptoms upon arrival in Ecuador (despite negative test result): PCR test upon arrival and quarantine (both at own expense) for 10 days or until a negative test result.
Proof of Recovery from COVID-19*
As an alternative to the above requirements, travellers previously diagnosed as COVID positive, but with more than one month since the onset of symptoms, may present a medical certificate from their country of origin attesting to their recovery and current good health.
*Note: entry to Galapagos still requires a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 4 days of arrival, regardless of COVID-19 vaccine or recovery status.
There are two ways to think about testing and your passage to the Galapagos Islands:
Take a single test immediately before travel
For instance, if you are flying to the Galapagos to begin your cruise on Monday, you must take your PCR test no later than mid-day on the previous Friday, 96 hours before you arrive in the Galapagos. You must receive your results and plan to fly to Ecuador on Saturday or Sunday, then proceed immediately to the Galapagos on Monday. This might be a challenge and unduly stressful.
Take your PCR test within 10 days of arrival in Ecuador and test again in Ecuador within 96 hours of your departure to the Galapagos
Tests are available locally in Quito or Guayaquil for under $150 per person. If you are flying to the Galapagos on Monday, you can arrive in Ecuador on Saturday, test at your hotel, receive the results on Sunday, then proceed to the islands on Monday.
DDE can arrange for your tests on arrival, and we can even bring the lab technicians to your hotel!
DDE recently announced a shake-up to our Galapagos expeditions and now we are running annual CCR only trips to the Galapagos Islands in order to deliver the best possible experience. The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.
We had ONE spot open up for our 2021 itinerary that has been sold out for nearly 2 years. Email us ASAP if you are interested in joining us on our CCR ONLY trip this December!
Our 2023 and 2024 availability has also started to tick down, so check out the new dates, and for or more info or to make a reservation, get in touch with us today!
All foreign citizens, without exception, regardless of the country of arrival to enter Ukraine must have a policy (certificate) of insurance issued by an insurance company registered in Ukraine, and covers the costs related to the treatment of COVID-19, observation, and is valid for the entire period of stay in Ukraine. You can purchase the necessary insurance here at VisitUkraine.com for 5 USD and it takes approximately ten mins to complete.
Also, all foreign citizens and citizens of Ukraine need to have one of the following documents:
A document confirming the receipt of a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 with vaccines included by WHO in the list of approved for use in emergency situations; or
A rapid test for the SARS-CoV-2 antigen (RAT) that was done no more than 72 hours before entry; or
A certificate of a negative PCR test result done no more than 72 hours before the entry.
We had such a good time last week in the sunshine at Chernobyl and took the opportunity to answer all the questions we have had about exploring the zone.
For those of you that missed it - we have uploaded the whole thing on our YouTube Channel to catch up on over the weekend. Remember to subscribe to our channel for notifications every time we upload a video!
We already told you how the US Government is planning to ramp up vaccine distribution to the FSM - notably by handing out the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine which should increase inoculations dramatically and this has been positive.
As of June 9th, 2021, the FSM remains COVID-19 free. 21,796 Micronesian adults—or 37% of the Nation’s adult population—is fully vaccinated or has otherwise completed the COVID-19 vaccination regime.
23,369 Micronesian adults—or 40% of the Nation’s adult population—has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As the vaccine drive really ramps up now, it will be exciting to see if FSM announces the opening date in the following months.
The US Government has from the very beginning allotted large amounts of vaccines towards the Marshall Islands, which in turn with enthusiastic local governments has ramped up their vaccination rates to be some of the highest in the world.
As of 25th May 2021, there have been no new COVID cases, vaccination is 49% of the population and still going.
Although this was not enough for us to have a successful season in 2021, it certainly is more than positive for an epic 2022 season that is coming up soon.
We have a few spots available for the next season as we secured some additional seats. Please email us for more information.
Contact us now to reserve your seat or for more information on all our expeditions.
As we like to say at Dirty Dozen, “So many wrecks, so little time.”
So if you are wondering what destination you want to visit first, check out Aron’s latest presentation of Truk Lagoon or Bikini Atoll.
That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Love,
Vic and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. This Friday we are writing you on the road back from Chernobyl, where we just returned from our latest exploration where we decided to run a LIVE AMA while we were on site.
Let’s get straight to it!
Throughout the years we have gotten a mountain of questions about Chernobyl, which we have tried to answer in depth on our Travel Information page HERE. Having said that, we thought it could be fun to film a LIVE AMA on site in Chernobyl on our company Instagram and answer your questions while in the zone.
For those of you that missed it - we have uploaded the whole thing on our YouTube Channel to catch up on over the weekend. Remember to subscribe to our channel for notifications every time we upload a video! Also please let us know or comment on the video if you enjoyed the video, have further questions or want us to do AMAs in Galapagos, Truk Lagoon or Bikini Atoll.
WRECK IN DEPTH - USS SARATOGA PUBLISHED ON IN DEPTH MAGAZINE
GUEs popular magazine InDepth published our next installment of A Wreck in Depth yesterday, this time featuring the USS Saratoga. Have you been enjoying our WID series? Please let us know and maybe what wreck you would like us to feature next!
Our 3D Dive Guide project that we are doing with dear friend James from Chuuk’s Xavier High School is coming along well. Images are still being uploaded to the wrecks on a regular basis from our side. Remember you can make your own account and upload your favorite shots to each wreck. Once this community project takes off - it can serve as an amazing guide for folks wanting to plan which wrecks to dive on arrival - especially photographers.
For those of you not familiar with our 3D Dive Guide for Truk Lagoon - you can visit the full screen version HERE (recommended to view with laptop)
Not been to Truk Lagoon yet? Send us an email HERE about any of our trips showed on the above calendar and we can send you more information with availability and pricing.
That wraps it up for this week.
As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Marc Mitscher pulled the control stick of his aircraft to the side, bringing his plane around and lining up for the first ever aircraft landing on the USS Saratoga (CV-3). Stretched out below him was the 264 m/866 ft flight deck of the newly commissioned carrier.
Marc Mitscher on the deck of USS Saratoga CV-3. Photo by US Navy.
Mitscher would go on to lead the U.S. Fast Carrier Task Force during World War II on a number of daring missions including Operation Hailstone, the fast carrier attack on Truk Lagoon in February 1944. But in January 1928, he was concentrating on bringing his aircraft safely down onto the flight deck of Saratoga. After his successful landing, the rest of his air group followed, and Saratoga went on to conduct her first shakedown cruise before heading to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. Although she was originally designed to pass through the canal, Saratoga knocked down a number of lamp posts on her way through the locks due to the large overhang of her flight deck.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) transiting the Panama Canal on 4 March 1930. Photo by Naval History & Heritage Command
Saratoga would spend the rest of her career assigned to the Pacific Fleet, although she would occasionally take part in exercises or fleet reviews on the east coast during the interwar years.
Saratoga was laid down at the Camden, New Jersey yard of the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in September 1920, originally as a Lexington class battlecruiser. In February 1922, the Allies adopted the Washington Naval Treaty, which aimed to prevent a post-World War I arms race. The treaty placed restrictions on the number, size, and armament of certain naval vessels as well as which types of new vessels could be built. As a result of the treaty’s restrictions, the Navy scrapped their plans to build six Lexington class battlecruisers. Part of the treaty, however, allowed two vessels that were already under construction to be converted into aircraft carriers.
USS Saratoga (CC-3) under construction, 1921. Photo supplied by Wikimedia Commons.
So, on July 1, 1922, the Navy selected Saratoga and her sister Lexington to become the fleet’s first aircraft carriers. Japan followed suit and converted the battlecruiser Akagi and the battleship Kaga into aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers weren’t exempt from the Washington Naval Treaty’s limits on the size and armaments of naval ships. Per the treaty, the vessels were limited to 36,000 tons maximum standard displacement, which included 3,000 tons for antiaircraft and torpedo defenses. This benchmark proved difficult to achieve, and both the Saratoga and Lexington exceeded their limit while the treaty was in force.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) in a dry dock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 17 November 1930. Photo by U.S. Navy
Saratoga became the Navy’s first purpose-built fleet carrier to be launched when she glided down the slipway into the Delaware river on April 7, 1925. She was commissioned for the first time at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on November 16, 1927, and sailed for the first time under the command of Captain Harry E. Yarnell. While the original role of aircraft carriers was perceived to be fleet reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrol, and spotting for the big guns of capital ships, the Navy spent the interwar period developing tactics and multi-mission capabilities of aircraft carriers through a number of fleet training exercises and war games.
Saratoga in drydock at Hunter's Point, San Francisco, 1928. (San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park)
Naval Aviation grew to become a key component of fleet battle tactics and was constantly developed to improve and project the fleet’s strike power over the horizon. Other scenarios were played out in exercises that developed the Navy’s ability to attack other aircraft carriers and shore bases, as well as to offer support for amphibious operations. In one fleet problem exercise in 1938, Saratoga successfully launched a surprise air attack on Hawaii in what was an almost identical scenario to the Japanese attack in December 1941.
At the start of the Pacific war, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Saratoga was in San Diego, having just completed a dry dock and maintenance period. After embarking her air group, she managed to get underway within 24 hours of the Japanese attack for her first mission of the war—carrying reinforcements for the U.S. garrison on Wake Island. Ultimately, the mission was cancelled before Saratoga could reach Wake, and the island fell into Japanese hands.
View from directly opposite the damage showing torpedo bulkhead No. 1 and the forward edge of the hole. Photo by Naval History & Heritage Command
In January 1942, the Japanese submarine I-6 torpedoed Saratoga for the first time, forcing her to return to the west coast for repairs. Returning to the fleet just before the Battle of Midway, the fighting was finished by the time she reached Pearl Harbor where she loaded replacement aircraft for both the Hornet and Enterprise so that they could replace the planes they lost in the battle.
Torpedo Damage Diagram. Photo by Naval History & Heritage Command
By August 7, 1942, Saratoga was in the Solomon Islands supporting the U.S. offensive on Guadalcanal. At the end of August, Saratoga was torpedoed for a second time, this time by submarine I-26. After repairs at Pearl Harbor, Saratoga returned to the South Pacific.
Saratoga spent most of 1943 operating from Nouméa in New Caledonia supporting operations in and around the Solomons. She was, for a while, the only operational U.S. carrier in the Pacific. In November, Saratoga supported the U.S. offensive in the Gilbert Islands and Nauru before heading back to the west coast for a much needed refit.
Saratoga in the Solomons. Photo by Naval History & Heritage Command
January 1944 saw Saratoga back in action, this time supporting operations in the Marshall Islands before joining the British Eastern Fleet, which was operating in the Indian Ocean. During operations with the British, Saratoga carried out a number of successful raids on both Sumatra and Java during April and May.
In June that year, the Saratoga was back in dry dock at the Bremerton yard in Washington, and when she emerged in September, she had a new, special role. Saratoga was chosen to develop night fighting tactics and to train pilots for night fighter operations.
Saratoga on fire after a kamikaze attack. Photo by US Navy.
In 1945, Saratoga returned to frontline duty, and in February was tasked to provide air cover for the amphibious landings on Iwo Jima. On February 21, she was hit by kamikaze planes and bombs in two separate attacks by the Japanese. Although the forward part of her flight deck was seriously damaged, she managed to recover her aircraft before retiring from the operation and returning to the U.S. for further repairs.
Saratoga on fire after a kamikaze attack. Photo by US Navy.
During the repairs, the Navy decided to convert Saratoga permanently into a training carrier. The aft aircraft elevator was welded in the up position and all its associated machinery was removed. A larger forward elevator was fitted and its operating machinery upgraded. Finally, parts of the hangar deck were converted into accommodations and classrooms. Saratoga spent the remaining months of the war as a training venue for pilots operating out of Pearl Harbor.
Once the Japanese had surrendered, Saratoga took part in Operation Magic Carpet, the repatriation of American servicemen. In the end, she took over 29,000 American servicemen home, more than any other ship. Since Mitscher’s first landing in January 1928, over 98,500 planes had touched down on Saratoga’s flight deck, setting a U.S. Navy record.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) during Operation Magic Carpet in 1945. Photo by US Navy.
As a result of technical advancements made during the war, the Saratoga had become obsolete, and she was selected to take part in Operation Crossroads, the first atomic tests at Bikini. She departed from the U.S. mainland for the last time on May 1, 1946, sailing out under the Golden Gate bridge from San Francisco for her date with destiny at Bikini Atoll.
For test Able, Saratoga was deliberately positioned some distance from the planned zero point so that she could be used later in test Baker. After the Able test she suffered some minor damage, mainly from fires on her teak-covered flight deck, but these were soon extinguished.
Some of her crew even moved back onboard the ship for a couple of weeks while preparations for the Baker test were made. Despite being placed in the expected fatal zone for the Baker blast, some of these crew members left their kits and personal belongings onboard, believing the Saratoga wouldn’t sink.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) sinking in Bikini Atoll, 25 July 1946. Photo by US Navy.
But she did.
As built, Saratoga's official standard displacement was 36,000 tons (43,055 tons full load), and she was 270 m/888 ft long. Modifications to the vessel in 1945 increased her full load displacement to 49,552 tons and her overall length to 277 m/909 ft, making her one of the largest diveable shipwrecks in the world.
The Saratoga now sits upright in 51 m/167 ft of water with the top of her superstructure reaching 18 m/60 ft and the flight deck averaging 27 m/90 ft.
USS Saratoga schematic. Download the full schematics in our knowledge base.
First dives on the Saratoga are truly awe-inspiring. This is a big wreck, and just orienting yourself can take a number of dives.
The effects of two atomic explosions, war damage, and general deterioration from over seventy years of resting on the lagoon bottom are now starting to show, with parts of her superstructure, hull, and flight deck collapsing in recent years. None of this, however, diminishes the impressive nature of this wreck.
Descending onto the bow of Saratoga. Photo by Jesper Kjøller.
After the Baker bomb exploded underneath LSM-60, the Saratoga was hit by a number of massive tidal waves which lifted the mighty vessel and smashed into her sides, causing serious damage to her side plating. Two million tons of coral, sand, and water were thrown up into the air by the explosion, which then came crashing down onto the flight deck.
5” Guns on the flight deck. Photo by Martin Cridge.
Saratoga was built with an unarmored flight deck. This maximized hangar space and was more easily repaired but was obviously not as strong as an armored deck. Although original reports by Navy divers after Saratoga sank said that the flight deck was largely intact, it was seriously dished from the aft elevator to the stern over the hangar deck area. It’s likely that it was seriously damaged and would have been unusable had the ship not sank. Now, large parts have collapsed onto the hangar deck below.
A plane inside the collapsed flight deck of Saratoga. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson
A number of planes and various pieces of military equipment were staged on the flight deck for the Baker test. The planes were all swept off the deck during the test, and the remains of some of them are now scattered around the Saratoga on the seabed, some still in surprisingly good condition. Planes were also stowed on the hangar deck, although these are now mostly inaccessible due to the collapse of the flight deck over the hangar. It’s still possible to see into the cockpits of some of them, but these planes are now, sadly, in poor condition.
40mm Bofor. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson
Some of Saratoga’s main ship armaments were removed prior to Operation Crossroads, but a representative number were left onboard, including 2x twin 38 caliber 5" dual purpose gun mounts, a number of single 5" dual purpose gun mounts on the sponsons down each side of the ship, along with an array of 40mm Bofor and 20mm Oerlikon guns.
500lb bombs. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson
Lots of munitions were also onboard when the Saratoga was sunk. These include 159 kg/350 lb and 227 kg/500 lb bombs, air drop torpedoes, rockets, 5” gun cartridges, and depth charges, all of which can still be found scattered in and around the wreck today.
Saratoga Bridge. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson
Forward of the forward aircraft elevator, the flight deck is still largely intact apart from a small area towards the bow. This is one of the areas where Saratoga was hit when she was off Iwo Jima—in February 1945—and was hastily repaired. Now the damaged area allows access to the bow area under the flight deck, including the emergency radio room—with all of its vacuum tubes and dials—and the lamp locker with some lamps still in place.
Illustration of penetrations inside the elevator shaft. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson.
The interior of the Saratoga is vast, and probably no more than 10% of the ship has been properly explored since her sinking. The Saratoga was heavily compartmentalized, and the majority of her watertight doors and hatches were closed when she sank, hindering today’s explorations. Most of the penetrations go forward from the forward elevator shaft at various levels.
Diver helmet inside Saratoga. Photo y Jesper Kjøller.
In some areas, permanent lines have been laid, but care is still needed, as a fine silt is present that is easily stirred up within most parts of the vessel. Needless to say, excellent buoyancy skills are a must to avoid silt outs, and divers need to be constantly aware of their surroundings.
Exiting the scullery through a ventilation hatch. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson.
Divers with the necessary skills and experience who do venture inside are richly rewarded with a number of unique sights. A maze of passageways leads off in all directions to storerooms, workshops, galleys, pantries, mess decks, accommodation decks, and bathrooms.
Operation Station - Command Information Center on Saratoga. Photo by Martin Cridge.
You can visit the Command Information Center, the nerve center of the ship when it was operating at war. The cabins and bathrooms used by Admirals and Captains are nearby. Divers can visit the ready room where pilots were briefed on their upcoming missions, and the machine shops packed with lathes, grinding wheels, bench drills, and metal- and wood-working tools.
Dentistry in Saratoga. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson.
Probably the most impressive area, however—especially for those not suffering from dental-phobia—is the dentist’s surgery and sickbay. Three dentist chairs sit in the surgery, complete with dental drills, instruments, and rinse bowls. Everything is almost perfectly preserved, and if it weren't for the fine layer of silt covering everything, the room would look like it was just waiting to receive its next patient.
Elsewhere on the ship, countless artifacts lay scattered around, including plates, bowls, jugs, Coca Cola, bottles, and other debris, much of which has laid untouched since 1946. In store rooms, shelves full of spare parts are still crammed with items including gauges, thermometers, valves, and fittings.
Coca Cola bottles on Saratoga. Photo by Martin Cridge.
Two of the more interesting and unique items for divers to see are the U.S. Navy Mark V diving helmets and standard dress drysuits. The US Navy Mark V diving helmet is one of the most well-known diving helmets in the world. First introduced in 1916, it was used until 1984 and can still be purchased new today.
Dive Helmets inside the dive locker on Saratoga. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson.
All too soon, however, it is time to head back to the surface. Instead of planes, divers can see reef sharks and eagle rays cruising up and down the flight deck and turtles munching on the coral and algae.
Eagle Ray on Saratoga. Photo by Martin Cridge.
Large shoals of jacks, trevally, and rainbow runners will swim around divers as they head back up the mooring line to the surface. While divers complete their deco, they will peer out into the blue to see if the tiger sharks will turn up, and often they do. If they are really lucky, some mantas may cruise by, or even the odd whale shark or tiger shark.
Tiger Shark cruising around the deco bar. Photo by Aron Arngrimsson.
About The Author
Without Martin, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions wouldn't exist. A few years back, Aron and Martin spent a full year diving together in Truk Lagoon. One evening, after a day of demanding dives, they sat, had a beer, and came up with their ideal CCR wreck dive itinerary.
The first-ever Dirty Dozen trip was the result of that beer and the rest is history. Martin has lived in Truk for eight years with his family and works as the skipper of our expedition vessel in Truk and Bikini.
Photography by Aron Arngrimsson, Martin Cridge and Jesper Kjøller.
Before!
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. This week we heard the news that the iconic Darwin’s Arch, a rock formation south-east of Darwin Island in the Galápagos archipelago, has collapsed due to natural erosion. It serves as a stark reminder that our planet is delicate and while we can't intervene in natural geological processes like erosion, we can endeavour to protect the magnificent life on the islands both above and below the surface.
Ecuador’s environment ministry posted the surprising news on the department's Facebook page showing two rocky pillars left at the northernmost island of the Pacific Ocean archipelago.
Tributes to this famous natural formation have been added to by the diving community including its new title, the Pillars of Evolution. We are looking forward to seeing the new underwater feature and the remaining structure at this shark hot spot on our next trip to the real-life Jurassic Park!
After! Photo Credit Hector Barrera
DDE announced a shake-up to our Galapagos expeditions and now we are running annual CCR only trips to the Galapagos Islands in order to deliver the best possible experience. The minimum requirement to join is MOD 1.
Check out the new dates for our 2023 and 2024 schedules, and for or more info or to make a reservation, get in touch with us today!
We have one spot left on the sought after expedition to Truk Lagoon departing in January 2022.
Not our first expedition with Special Guest Jill, expect photography workshops, presentations diving deep into the powerful themes of Jill's memoir “Into the Planet" and of course, the opportunity to dive with Jill herself in one of the world's most spectacular underwater wreck yards. This expedition is for CCR OC Tec divers.
Email us now to register your interest. First come, first served.
Photo by Jill Heinerth. ©
If recreational is more your thing, you will be pleased to hear we have four spaces left on our expedition to Truck Lagoon with Special Guest Andy Torbet. James Bond’s new stunt man and world-renowned exploration diver Andy Torbet prefers his wrecks shaken and stirred tech and rec! You can bring a single tank, side mount, back mount or rebreather but the dives will be conducted within no-stop limits.
This will give us a chance to explore some wrecks more in-depth that we do not have time for on our tec schedules, and we are really excited to be able to show all divers Truk Lagoon the Dirty Dozen way!
You can ask for more information HERE.
Click the image to see all the wrecks of Truk Lagoon in the recreational range.
A battleship in our collection - The USS Arkansas in Bikini Atoll.
Today we are celebrating remotely at DDE HQ! Founder Aron is getting hitched to his beautiful bride, freediving champion Nataliia Zharkova.
Having already faced many disappointing delays due to the pandemic, Aron and Nat are celebrating their nuptials in an intimate and COVID safe setting. We wish them a beautiful day and a lifetime of love, happiness and diving.
And of course, we are excited for the time when we can all celebrate the union together in true Dirty Dozen style!
Aron is offline until Thursday, 27th May 2021. If you need to get hold of him urgently, please contact him directly on the Signal app.
Signal: +380 (66) 804 09 13
For all non-urgent enquiries and expedition interest, please drop us an email and Aron will reply when he is back in the office.
That wraps it up for this week.
We look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Vic and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. Today we want to highlight our real-life Jurassic Park - The Galapagos - and some changes we are making to our program.
In 1807 the Irish sailor Patrick Watkins became the first known inhabitant of the Galapagos Islands. Abandoned on Floreana, Patrick was left to fend for himself, growing vegetables and hunting to sell his goods to passing whalers and boat crews in exchange for rum and cash.
Imagine what he saw as he sat on Floreana alone.
Giant tortoises, hundreds of years old, swarms of sharks hundreds thick in the waters that surrounded him, marine iguanas grazing on algae, and fur seals lining the rocky coves. Meanwhile, the land is blanketed in thick forest and the island is perched on an active volcanic plate.
Pat was on a true Jurassic adventure, with the dinosaurs to prove it.
Nowadays, pulling into Pat’s landing on Floreana, little has changed. The wildlife remains as intriguing as it was when Charles Darwin first started describing it in the mid 18th century and the islands retain their wild, final frontier feel.
Straddling the equator and spread out over 45,000 km2 (17,000 sq miles) the Galapagos is home to some of the planet’s remotest dive sites including Darwin’s Arch and Wolf Island.
For years, most of the diving here was restricted to recreational trips only.
In order to deliver the best possible experience, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions is announcing our expeditions to Galapagos from now on will be annual and strictly CCR ONLY.
Our local CCR expert guides have worked with the likes of Monty Halls. Watch Monty with our guide team in Galapagos in our link below:
Although our operations in Galapagos have not been affected during the pandemic, our customers have often requested itineraries beyond 2022.
We have listened and are happy to announce our 2023 and 2024 schedules.
We also have 1 opening come up for 2021 that is exclusively announced to all of you at #teamdd in this newsletter.
First come first served.
That wraps it up for this week.
As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. Here are some offers we have noticed during the week that might make your travel to our destinations easier and cheaper. Let’s get straight to it!
Dive RAID Asia hosted Dr. Simon Mitchell last Sunday to discuss the latest research in decompression theory and what it means for modern technical diving.
For those that are not familiar with this juggernaut in technical diving, Dr. Simon Mitchell is a New Zealand physician and scientist with specialist training in diving medicine and anesthesiology. He is widely published with over 150 scientific papers and serves as the Editor of the Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine journal.
Dr. Mitchell has twice served as the Vice President of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society and was elected to Fellowship of the Explorers’ Club of New York in 2006. In 2015 he was named the DAN Rolex Diver of the Year. Dr. Mitchell continues to practice hyperbaric medicine to this day.
Dr. Mitchell's diving career has included more than 6000 dives spanning sport, scientific, commercial, and military diving. He has been a lead member of teams that were the first to dive and identify three deep wrecks of high historical significance in Australia and New Zealand. At a depth of 180m in 2002, these were the deepest wreck dives ever undertaken.
This is not a presentation you want to miss. It was recorded and can be found by clicking on the thumbnail above!
Got your second shot and prepping the kit to get in the water already? DAN Europe has released guidelines to divers planning to hit the water right after being fully vaccinated.
DAN EUROPE wrote:
“At this time, no evidence is available regarding the impact of diving conditions on the severity of the side effects, nor on the resulting impact on the performance of divers with regard to diving safety. Taking into account that these vaccines are new pharmacological products, and in order to ensure that the side effects described above do not interfere with the completion of any safety-related tasks, we would like to draw the diving community’s attention to information and guidelines provided by WHO, EMA, and ECDC on COVID-19 vaccination (see references), and would add the following specific recommendations for divers:
In view of the necessity to contain or end the COVID-19 pandemic as soon a possible and because at this point, widespread vaccination appears to be the only way this could ever be achieved, it is highly recommended that all persons receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as vaccines become available, in accordance with the national COVID-19 vaccine roll-out plan.
Divers should consider a waiting period of minimum 7 days after each dose of COVID-19 vaccine, before engaging in compressed-gas or breath-hold diving activities.
It is advised to extend this interval to 14 days for divers
a. Who have had side effects after vaccination persisting for more than 48 hours
b. With personal health risk factors such as, but not limited to:
Excessive body weight
Chronic metabolic disease (including diabetes)
Smoking
Use of medication which may increase the risk of thromboembolic incidents (including oral contraceptives)
Or any combination of the above
c. Who wish to perform dives which require specific technical skills or which are exceeding the limits of no-decompression recreational diving (technical diving, deep decompression diving)
Divers are advised to consult with their general practitioner in case side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination persist for more than 48 hours following the vaccination.
In case any symptoms, possibly related to diving disease, should appear after seemingly low-risk dives performed in the 7-day period after a COVID-19 vaccination, consultation with a diving medicine specialist is advised. We encourage all divers and local diving federations and scientific societies to report any such incidents to the DAN Europe Medical Division at medical@daneurope.org
As a COVID-19 vaccination does not completely protect against the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV2 virus to other persons, protective measures (distance, mask, hygiene) must continue to be observed by all divers, vaccinated or not.”
Jill Heinerth gets asked a lot of questions - not just about diving or exploration, but also about life in general. Now, Jill and her husband Robert have collected some of them and answered with a series of Youtube videos.
If you have a burning question you’d like her to answer, (it doesn’t have to be about diving) please use the comment section below the Youtube video and she will feature it in the series!
We have 2 spots left on Jill’s trip in January next year. Join us! Click here to email us for more information.
That wraps it up for this week.
As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
The shout from the starboard lookout shattered the silence on the bridge of the British cruiser HMS Suffolk. All the bridge officers immediately rushed to the bridge wing and looked towards the starboard quarter and there they were, the two German ships they had been searching for—the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the battleship Bismarck. The year was 1941.
Scarily for the crew of the Suffolk, the German ships were less than 11 km/7 miles away and their ship was well within the range of the 38 cm/15 in guns on the Bismarck and 20 cm/8 in guns on the Prinz Eugen. Realizing the danger, Captain Ellis immediately ordered the wheel on the Suffolk hard over to port and as the rudder started to bite, the British cruiser leaned over and began to come around in an arc and away from danger.
The ships were in the Denmark Strait, a narrow sliver of sea between Greenland and Iceland. The Irminger current splits off from the Gulf Stream on the Icelandic side of the strait, clearing the Icelandic side of ice throughout the year. However, the Greenland side, unaffected by the current, features extending and retreating pack ice depending on the time of year. To further reduce the width of the strait, the British had laid a minefield to the northwest of Iceland.
At the time of the German ships’ passage, it was estimated that the navigable area between the ice and the minefield was around 97 km/60 miles. It was in this area that the Suffolk and her sister ship, the Norfolk, were patrolling. Conditions were difficult; in addition to the ice and mines, wind, snow, and atmospheric conditions (which could play tricks on lookouts’ eyes), false reports weren’t uncommon. The cold air flowing over the warmer water towards Iceland also caused dense fog banks to form off the Icelandic coast. The crew of the Suffolk hoped that one of these fog banks would save them.
The German ships were expected to come from the northeast, and the two British cruisers steamed up and down the Denmark Strait in a northeast/southwest direction. It was the southwest leg that Captain Ellis feared the most, as the German ships would be coming up behind him and would be hard to spot. Although the Suffolk had radar, the radar of that time wasn’t very effective across the stern arcs of the ship.
His worst fears realized, Captain Ellis now hoped the fog the Suffolk was heading into would hide them from the German ships. He had no way of knowing if the German ships had seen him. The first sign that the Suffolk was spotted would be when German shells started falling out of the sky around his ship. The Suffolk was no match for the German ships. Her role was to find the German convoy and then direct the heavy British ships that had already left Scapa Flow to intercept. To engage the Germans would be suicide, even if it was just the Prinz Eugen. Although the Suffolk had the same complement of 20 cm/8 in guns as the German cruiser, she was built to the 10,000-ton treaty limit whilst the Prinz Eugen was not—and was, therefore, more heavily armored.
In the fog, Captain Ellis allowed the German ships to draw past his position before coming around and latching onto their port quarter at a distance of around 19 km/12 miles: the limit of the radar set onboard.
The German ships had been hoping to reach the Atlantic ocean undetected in order to start commerce raiding activities, disrupting the Atlantic convoys to and from the USA and Canada. Now that they had been spotted, Admiral Lutjens on the Bismarck had a choice: he could turn and attack his pursuers, or he could press on and hopefully get into the wider Atlantic where he had a better chance to shake them off. He chose to press on. Unbeknownst to Lutjens, the British battlecruiser HMS Hood and battleship HMS Prince of Wales were steaming out to confront him before he could disappear into the vast Atlantic.
At 05:37 on May 24, 1941, the Prince of Wales sent an enemy sighting report saying they had spotted the German ships at a distance of 27 km/17 miles, and seven minutes later the Hood sent a similar report saying the Germans were now at 23 km/14 miles. Admiral Holland, in charge of the British ships, ordered them to turn 40 degrees in order for him to shorten the range to the German ships.
Unfortunately, only the forward turrets of the British ships could fire on the German ships, but Holland knew if he could get closer and turn, he could fire a greater broadside than the Germans could. Also, at greater ranges, he knew that his ship the Hood was in danger of being hit and damaged by a plunging shell due to her lack of deck armor and that this risk decreased the closer he was to the German ships. He was also concerned about the Prince of Wales—rushed out of the shipyard, she still wasn’t battle-ready—in fact, she still had civilian employees onboard trying to fix various issues, especially with her guns.
Holland made another signal, and the two British ships turned another 20 degrees toward the German vessels. Slicing through the ocean swell at 28 knots, both British ships closed in on the Germans, the Prince of Wales 750 m/0.5 miles or so behind the Hood.
The four ships were now just over 19 km/12 miles apart. On the German side, the Prinz Eugen was leading the Bismarck. On the British side, the Hood was leading the Prince of Wales. Holland’s plan was to concentrate the attack on the Bismarck first. At 05:52, the fire gong sounded on the Hood and she fired her first salvo of shells—not at the Bismarck, as planned, but at the Prinz Eugen. The Hood had misidentified the German vessels. The Prince of Wales, realizing Hood’s mistake, immediately started firing upon the Bismarck. Within minutes, all four ships were firing at each other.
The Germans were concentrating their fire on the Hood and quickly found her range. After the third salvo of shells from the German ships, the Hood was hit, possibly by shells from the Prinz Eugen, starting a fire on her boat deck.
Now at around 13 km/8 miles apart, the fifth salvo of shells left the German ships. Whilst they were in the air heading towards his ship, Holland gave another order for the British ships to turn to port so that they could bring a full broadside to bear on the Germans. As the bow of the Hood started to come around, there was a massive explosion, and almost instantly the ship broke in half as a massive column of smoke and fire shot high into the air.
The Prince of Wales, following close astern, had to make an emergency turn to avoid the wreckage of the Hood. As they passed the scene, the stern of the Hood had already disappeared, and the bow rose up and into the sky before slipping back into the deep, dark ocean. In that brief moment, 1,415 people lost their lives.
Only three survivors were ever found.
With the Hood gone, the Germans now concentrated their fire on the Prince of Wales. Just after 06:00, a 38 cm/15 in shell from the Bismarck tore through the compass platform, killing or wounding everybody there except the ship’s captain.
Having received a number of hits from both the Prinz Eugen and Bismarck, the Prince of Wales made smoke, turned away, and broke off the engagement. In less than 10 minutes, it was all over. The British had received a bloody nose, which caused a serious loss of morale in the UK when the news broke, but the British weren’t in favor of letting the Germans get away.
Fortunately for the British, the Prince of Wales had managed to hit the Bismarck three times, and two of these hits would prove decisive. One hit forced the Bismarck to shut down two of her boilers due to flooding, which caused her to lose speed. Also, a hit forward caused more flooding that left the Bismarck trailing streams of heavy fuel that the British could follow.
Lutjens knew that he couldn’t carry on his mission without getting his ship repaired first, so just after 08:00, he changed course for France. Suffolk, Norfolk, and the Prince of Wales, still following the German ships, altered course as well. They all headed towards the French coast.
Later that day, Lutjens gave orders for the Prinz Eugen to carry on the raiding mission by herself and gave permission for the ship to detach. Just after 18:00, whilst the ships were passing through a rain squall, the Bismarck turned to confront her pursuers. This unexpected maneuver startled the British, and both the Bismarck and Prince of Wales started firing at each other. Whilst neither side scored any hits, the Prinz Eugen had managed to slip away undetected and head into the Atlantic ocean alone.
Then followed one of the greatest naval chases of all time. Every British naval ship in the area headed out to cut the Bismarck off from reaching the safety of the French coast. In the end, they succeeded, and the Bismarck was finally sunk at 22:40 on May 27.
The Prince of Wales would be repaired and returned to service only to be sunk by Japanese airplanes on December 10, where she became the first battleship to be solely sunk by aircraft in open seas.
The Prinz Eugen ultimately had to abandon her commerce raiding mission due to fuel and machinery problems and headed to Brest for repairs docking on June 1.
The contract for building the Prinz Eugen was placed with the Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in November 1935 with her keel being laid down the following April.
In the presence of Adolf Hitler and other select guests, the ship was launched down the slipway on August 22, 1938, to much fanfare.
Also in attendance was the Hungarian Regent, Vice-Admiral Mikios Horthy de Nagybanya, the last Fleet Commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, and briefly Captain of the Austro-Hungarian battleship Prinz Eugen during World War I.
The German Navy was originally going to call the Prinz Eugen “Tegetthoff,” after Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, who had delivered a crushing defeat to the Italian Navy during the Seven Week War in 1866. Hitler, however, not wishing to offend Mussolini and his new Italian allies, decided on naming the ship Prinz Eugen instead.
After her exploits with the Bismarck, the Prinz Eugen spent the rest of 1941 docked in Brest. With her were the German battleships Schamhorst and Gneisenau. There they became the focus of regular bombing attacks by the RAF, and it quickly became clear that their situation would soon become untenable if they stayed in Brest.
Hitler decided that the ships should be redeployed and that they should make for Norway to support operations there. The ships had a number of options for the journey to Norway. Prinz Eugen could retrace her steps and follow the route back through the Denmark Strait that she had taken with the Bismarck, or she could take the shorter but more dangerous route through the English Channel. Hitler decided the ships should make a daring dash through the English Channel.
On February 11, the three German ships and their escorts managed to slip undetected out of Brest and started their perilous journey toward the English Channel. Although both the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau hit mines, they all managed to slip by the British forces and, once again, the Prinz Eugen had humiliated the British.
That humiliation, however, was short lived again on February 23. During their journey to Trondheim, the British submarine HMS Trident managed to hit the stern of Prinz Eugen with a torpedo, causing serious damage.
After repairs in Germany were completed, the Prinz Eugen spent the rest of the war in Baltic waters. Prinz Eugen saw out the war supporting German forces on the Eastern Front as they were pushed back by the Russians. In March, she fired almost 5,000 shells from her 10 and 20 cm/4.1 and 8 inch guns, bombarding Russian-held positions. Prinz Eugen sailed for Copenhagen on April 19 where she joined the German light cruiser Nürnberg.
As the war in Europe headed towards its conclusion, the Prinz Eugen was ceremonially decommissioned by her crew on May 7, and was taken over by the Royal Navy the following day. From Copenhagen, the Prinz Eugen was escorted to Wilhelmshaven by the British cruisers HMS Dido and HMS Devonshire; once there, the Prinz Eugen was dry docked.
Although the Americans didn’t have a use for the Prinz Eugen, they were keen for the ship not to end up in Russian hands. In the end—to stop the arguments—the remains of the German fleet were divided up into a series of lots which were drawn from a hat. The Americans drew the Prinz Eugen. The Prinz Eugen was commissioned as a war prize into the US Navy on January 5, 1946. She soon departed Bremerhaven for Boston with a mixed American-German crew consisting of 574 German officers and sailors, supervised by 93 American officers and sailors under the overall command of US Navy Captain Arthur H. Graubart.
After an uneventful journey, the Prinz Eugen arrived in Boston around January 22, and the US Navy began examining their new prize. The large, passive sonar array that had proved so valuable to the Prinz Eugen for detecting other ships and submarines were removed and installed on the submarine USS Flying Fish for testing.
The ship was then moved to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where investigations of the Prinz Eugen’s fire control system could be carried out, leading to the removal of her front 20 cm/8 in guns.
By May 1, the last of the German crew had left the ship and were returned to Germany.
The Prinz Eugen arrived in Bikini Atoll the following month with just a skeleton American crew onboard to be used as part of Operations Crossroads nuclear testing.
For the first nuclear test designated “Able,” the Prinz Eugen was moored around 1,100 m/0.70 miles from the planned zero-point above USS Nevada; for the second test, “Baker,” the ship was moored around 1,600 km/ 1 mile from the detonation point under LSM-60.
After both tests, the Prinz Eugen was relatively undamaged but—as with other ships that survived the second explosion—she was now highly radioactive.
Along with a number of other vessels, the Prinz Eugen was towed to Kwajalein for decontamination and was largely forgotten about until December 21, when she was observed to be listing with her stern low in the water.
Attempts were made to beach the Prinz Eugen on Enubuj Island in Kwajalein Lagoon, which ultimately failed when the ship grounded on a coral ledge just offshore.
The ship continued to take on water and capsized in the early hours of the following morning. Due to the radioactive contamination, not much could be done and the ship was left where it was. The ship was resurveyed again in the seventies and found to be radiation-free, although the report noted that all the ordnance still onboard and residual fuel would need to be removed before salvage operations could be carried out; so, once again, nothing was done. The report did state, however, that all the fuel should be removed within the next 30 years whether the ship was salvaged or not.
In the end, it took until 2018 when a US Navy-led salvage team from the Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) successfully removed 229,000 gallons of fuel from 173 tanks on the Prinz Eugen. Using a method called hot tapping, the fuel was pumped onto an oil tanker moored nearby for disposal and recycling. The tanks were then resealed to prevent leakage of any residual fuel left in the tanks.
Nowadays, two of the ship’s three propellers can be seen poking out of the water at low tide. The third was salvaged in 1979 and is now on display at the Laboe Naval Memorial in Kiel, Germany.
From the stern, the upturned hull stretches out and disappears into the crystal blue water of the lagoon. Divers can drop down to the seabed 12 m/39 ft below neat rows of portholes that allow them to peer into the aft compartments. Toward the bow, the seabed slopes away leaving the bow hanging in mid-water at around 36 m/117 ft.
As divers head toward the bow, two barrels of the aft 20 cm/8 in guns come into view as they lie on the seabed. Above the gun barrels is a hatchway into the wreck.
This offers divers the chance to explore the aft compartments inside the wreck. As the ship capsized, most of the ship’s upper superstructure was crushed underneath the ship as she rolled over.
Some parts of the superstructure broke away, however, masts and gun directors lie scattered in the sand around the vessel. On the vessel itself, divers can find anti-aircraft guns and torpedo launchers still armed with torpedoes.
An open hatch allows divers to view racks of spare torpedoes in their storage compartment.
Various openings allow exploration of the topsy-turvy world inside the vessel. Off the main corridors are cabins with upside-down beds and tables fixed to what is now the ceiling with chairs that have fallen to the now floor.
Some lines have been laid inside the vessel in the past, but these shouldn’t be relied upon for navigation.
Divers glancing out into the blue from inside the ship will often see reef sharks and eagle rays cruising by, and the crevices on the upturned hull are favorite hiding places for the many octopuses that can be found on the wreck.
Venturing deeper into the wreck, machine, and generator rooms can be found along with galleys, mess decks, heads (toilets), bathrooms, and storage rooms.
Even though the Prinz Eugen isn’t a particularly deep wreck, one’s time underwater soon comes to an end. With so much exploration to do, time passes quickly.
As we like to say at Dirty Dozen, “So many wrecks, so little time.”
About The Author
Without Martin, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions wouldn't exist. A few years back, Aron and Martin spent a full year diving together in Truk Lagoon. One evening, after a day of demanding dives, they sat, had a beer, and came up with their ideal CCR wreck dive itinerary.
The first-ever Dirty Dozen trip was the result of that beer and the rest is history. Martin has lived in Truk for eight years with his family and works as the skipper of our expedition vessel in Truk and Bikini.
Photography by Martin Cridge and Aron Arngrimsson
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. Here are some offers we have noticed during the week that might make your travel to our destinations easier and cheaper. Let’s get straight to it!
Aron is doing a presentation on Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll in Houston tonight should you be in Texas. The venue is called OTA Scuba & Swim and it starts at 6 pm. We hope to see you there!
Apple announced the release of their AirTag tracking device on Tuesday this week. The device is powered by a CR2032 disposable battery, which is expected to last one year and you can pair up to 16 airtags to a single Apple ID.
“Using Bluetooth and the over billion iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices in active use around the world, a user can find a missing device even if it can’t connect to Wi-Fi or a cellular network,” Apple explained.
Why is this important for us? If there is one thing that can put an abrupt stop for someone to an expedition of their life, it’s losing their dive gear during their multi-flight itinerary on the way to their destination.
What we can tell you is we are buying a 4 pack of these for 99$ when they come on sale today and putting them in all our bags moving forward. We are also planning to make a dedicated blog for you on how to minimize the risk of losing your luggage.
Order your AirTags here.
Android User? Not to worry - “Tile” is a very similar product that recently came out. Check it out here.
United Airlines, which is the only end destination airline to get to Truk/Bikini is doing another flash sale on miles, where you can get almost double for your monies worth in miles.
This means you can get for example 75.000miles for 1400USD which can easily get you on a roundtrip to Truk Lagoon from the USA for example.
A flight to Kwajalein from Europe is running at around 100.000 miles return, and with prices at around 2500USD in cash, there is room for some real savings here.
The offer is available until the end of this month, and you can claim the offer by signing up as a member with United Airlines.
There is still a chance to join Andy Torbet in Truk Lagoon in 2022 on our first recreational itinerary in Truk Lagoon. You can bring a single tank, side mount, back mount or rebreather but the dives will be conducted within no-stop limits.
This will give us a chance to explore some wrecks more in-depth that we do not have time for on our tec schedules, and we are really excited to be able to show all divers Truk Lagoon the Dirty Dozen way!
There is still a chance to join Andy Torbet in Truk Lagoon in 2022 on our first recreational itinerary in Truk Lagoon. You can bring a single tank, side mount, back mount or rebreather but the dives will be conducted within no-stop limits.
This will give us a chance to explore some wrecks more in-depth that we do not have time for on our tec schedules, and we are really excited to be able to show all divers Truk Lagoon the Dirty Dozen way!
You can ask for more information HERE.
That wraps it up for this week.
As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. We got some great feedback on our last trip, more vaccine updates, a chance to own a piece of Chernobyl, and a little teaser for a good read. Let’s get straight to it!
It is always very touching to receive testimonials from our guests, and we are very proud to have a huge selection from all our destinations on our website.
Jimmy Gadomski, a captain for a Historic Shipwreck Salvage operation was the first of our Egypt group to speak out about their 3 week expedition to the Red Sea in March. The team enjoyed some of the best land/boat-based diving Egypt has to offer, ranging from the Blue Hole in Dahab to some of the best wrecks in the Red Sea with our top-notch operations.
Although we have strong roots in Egypt, it’s not a destination we offer regularly so it was really fun to make a custom expedition for a great team.
You can read Jimmy´s testimonial and 35 more in-depth HERE
With our friends on the M/V Odessey doing a great job providing accommodation and logistical support for local medical personnel administering COVID vaccinations to residents living on remote islands in the atoll, things are looking great for Truk Lagoon.
Should the vaccination campaign keep going at the pace it is now, it is estimated Truk could have the vaccination needed for herd immunity in as little as 3 months. As always, we will keep you updated on all further developments towards the journey of our favorite wreck meccas reopening.
Get in touch to book your trip to Truk Lagoon!
Diving Magazine “Scuba Diving” wrote a story about some of the hardest to get to/best wreck dives on the planet. Needless to say, #teamdd was reached out to for a story.
The article will be coming out at the end of this month and you can subscribe to the magazine HERE.
Alex, our expedition leader in Chernobyl reached out to us this week and presented us with this incredible gift. It is a 1,3kg bolt designed especially for the construction of the New Safe Confinement of Chernobyl NPP.
This bolt is original but never used. Why these bolts are so special? There are more than 600,000 connections inside the NSC. The problem was, that traditional manual checking whether each bolt tied up properly or not would take an incredibly long time.
Therefore, these bolts made from pre-tensioned steel and equipped with an indicator "tail" (it is that polygonal tip on the end). Also, a special electric wrench head was designed. Once the connection tied properly, the inner tension will release making the indicator fall apart.
Alex has a couple more left that he is using to fund a new project he is working on. If you want to get your hand on one, let us know.
That wraps it up for this week. We are at the airport so we have to keep this one short.
We look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. We bring you some big news about the latest developments in the Marshall Islands and our outlook on Bikini Atoll reopening. Let’s get straight to it!
The Marshall Islands has had one of the most successful COVID responses in the world, with only 4 confirmed cases to date. At the end of March 2021, they had already given vaccine doses to 71% of their population. They already received the single dose J and J vaccine and are heading out to the outer islands. 1000 people have been repatriated and their program is ramping up fast. The ministry of health and human services even requested a tender this week asking to make a traveler's health program for inbound visitors into the RMI.
With all these fantastic signals in place, it would seem like it would be more than likely we could operate in Bikini Atoll this summer. Although there is no guarantee the RMI is planning to open its borders this summer, the problem actually lies outside of RMI.
Once the borders open, it is more likely than not that all guests will have completed a vaccination program. The vast majority of our guests this season will not have access to a vaccination before their trip departs, or will maybe have received one dose.
Taken these factors into consideration, we decided for the best interest of our guests not to go ahead with our Bikini Atoll season in 2021. Despite the very disappointing news, we are striving to focus on solutions for the future. All our guests for this season have been contacted and rebooked onto charters leaving from 2022 so no one has been left at home.
We do have some uplifting news. We have secured 2 extra dates in 2022. How we got them we cannot reveal just yet. What we can say is in the next weeks we are able to offer availability for 2022, which is unheard of considering 2023 seats have been the nearest availability for a long time now.
The calendar above will give you some clues. Contact us now to reserve your seat and receive more information as soon as we have it available. While not being able to go this year saddens us, it is looking like next year will be one hell of a season.
We are proud to announce that our friend and team member Michael Biach had his piece “35 Years Of Silence” featured in National Geographic this month after our expedition to the exclusion zone in February.
In the reportage, Michael reflects on the history of Chernobyl and the exclusion zone, the state of it today and how the disaster is still very rooted in Ukranian culture. He discloses also our meeting with one of the few remaining settlers that live in the area, and the impression and stories that she told us.
All in all, a phenomenal experience and excellent article that we are glad to be a small part of. It is expected it should reach the digital edition of National Geographic this month.
You can visit Michael's Instagram HERE
The interactive 3D Map of Truk Lagoon we have been developing with one of the teachers of Xavier High School in Truk is coming along well, with more of the wrecks getting stencil graphics and photos being added in daily.
The Aikoku Maru as an example has an impressive library now. Expect lots of photos to be added to each wreck in the future. Click the photo above to go directly onto the webpage. You can also access it from DD webpage under Truk Lagoon and “3D Dive Guide
That wraps it up for this week. We look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well as many of you celebrate Easter this weekend. We bring you plenty of material to read and watch during the time off. Let’s get straight to it!
If there is one topic we at the Dirty Dozen Expeditions love to explain, it’s the big differences between our favorite wreck meccas Truk Lagoon and Bikini Atoll. So much so, it’s our go-to presentation when we do talks at dive clubs and tradeshows around the world.
Aron did this presentation online last weekend and it was all recorded for your viewing pleasure. Our cruise director Craig even joined in from Palau. So don’t wait, pop open a cold one and watch it on the link above.
Steve Jones is an underwater photographer and journalist, whose award-winning work has been published in over 30 countries during a career spanning 3 decades.
We had the pleasure of hosting Steve during his assignment in Truk Lagoon for Dive Magazine and the results have been published. A whopping 26-page special report where our skipper Martin Cridge takes the reader on a tour of five of his favorite ships, beautifully photographed by Steve.
This is really an excellent article that is not to be missed by Truk Lagoon enthusiasts. You can purchase DIVE Magazine for just 5USD HERE.
NEW SPECIAL GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT
It is our pleasure to announce one of the Original Dirty Dozen team members is going to be our Special Guest in Truk Lagoon in January 2023.
Matt Jevon, M.Sc. F.IoD, is the owner of South West Technical Diving in Ireland and holds instructor ratings for Trimix and Cave on open circuit and rebreather. His passion for exploration currently has him in several high-profile projects in the Philippines, Croatia, and Ireland.
He held accreditations as an inter-disciplinary sports scientist and sports psychologist in high-performance sport, was a British Olympic Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach, and invitee on their Psychology Advisory Group. He works in high-performance business as a board advisor and non-exec director. He also runs the popular Facebook page Psychological Skills for Diving
Matt’s experience in high performance, psychology, and exploration is bound to make this trip to Truk Lagoon one of a kind, and the highly sought-after trip is already 80% sold in pre-sale.
Who do you want to join in Truk Lagoon? Click on the calendar above to see our schedule in detail and get more information.
That wraps it up for this week. We look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. We bring you plenty of uplifting news this week from the world of #teamdd. Let’s get straight to it!
We have had a couple of fun collaborations with Xavier High School in Truk Lagoon the past few years. A memorable moment from our last trip there was when we organized for Jill Heinerth and our team to visit, where Jill gave a presentation about exploration. Check out this video below that we just uploaded, an unforgettable welcome by the kids of Xavier High School before the presentation.
That is where we first started communicating with James O Connor, a teacher at the school. He reached out to us recently to collaborate on an interactive 3D map photo database of Chuuk that he is creating. This is a fantastic idea, miles more immersive than looking at a dive map and you are able to create an account and upload your own photos of the wrecks too!
You can visit the page HERE and set up your own account on the site. We look forward to all the #teamdd members uploading their favorite pictures of the wrecks so we can make this map as fun and interactive as possible. We just started to upload photos in there so remember to check in often. Any feedback you have please forward it to us and we will make sure it gets to James.
Since Monday this week, Ecuador will allow tourists who are vaccinated to enter the country without requiring a negative PCR test result! You simply need to present a COVID-19 vaccination card showing that you have had all the necessary doses. Moreover, travelers who are not yet vaccinated will have the option of showing the negative result of an antigen test (taken no more than 72 hours before arrival), instead of a PCR test.
For now, these change of entry requirements accounts only for the mainland of Ecuador meaning that you will still need a negative PCR test taken no longer than 4 days (96h) before traveling to Galapagos. However, we believe the local government will follow the same or a similar approach in the upcoming weeks. Our OC TEC/CCR only itineraries are sold out for 2021 but we have started taking inquiries for 2022.
DAN released an update on post-COVID 19 procedures from a recovery and ready to dive standpoint. With the resources listed on their blog about how COVID-19 impacts diving, they advise divers about how to mitigate the risks associated with this pandemic. Read more here.
DAN is also conducting a large study to investigate diving after COVID-19, and they are currently seeking divers who have had COVID-19 and wish to share their experience. Learn more here.
That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. We bring you plenty of uplifting news this week from the world of #teamdd. Let’s get straight to it!
#teamdd member Jill Heinerth has launched a weekly newsletter where she welcomes you to a weekly deep dive into the exploration mindset, and shares unique viewpoints, expedition tales, and curated opportunities for learning and growth.
During the launch, Jill said:
“As an explorer, I am good at dealing with change and uncertainty. I can gracefully shift mental gears and keep myself busy. Sure there were days when I wanted to bury myself in the blankets and cry, but most of the time, I have been able to get out of bed and live a life of purpose. I have not lost my sense of curiosity, and when I think about life’s big picture, I feel pretty fortunate. With this newsletter, I’ll be sharing tidbits of personal wisdom, connections to great thinkers, and exploration stories that will open your mind to new subcultures, issues, and history. It will be an evolving, and eclectic selection of thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox each week. I promise to share my authentic self with bumps, bruises, mistakes, and lessons. You can think of it as lifting the veil a bit. I invite you to join me in my world – a world of exploration.”
You can sign up for the newsletter here.
You also have a chance to join Jill in Truk Lagoon in January 2022 where she joins us for the second time - Email us HERE for more information.
#teamdd members from the USA and Canada are in the air and arriving in Egypt, where we have made a custom deep-diving week along the canyons and blue holes of the coast of Dahab alongside a week on a liveaboard with the best wrecks the red sea has to offer.
Setting up their equipment at TBIs facility right now, the team is really in for a great week of technical diving in the capable hands of our friends Andy and Kerstin at Team Blue Immersion.
The community spirit is really shining through in Chuuk these days, where our friend Michael Gerken from the liveaboard Odyssey transported the COVID task force to the island of Uman and vaccinated the entire island.
Michael said on facebook:
“The first vaccine delivery trip was completed yesterday and, by all accounts, it was a huge success. Odyssey and my crew brought 10 members from the Covid task force and Chuuk Public Health to the island of Uman. Uman is an island within the lagoon with a small population. They managed to vaccinate for Covid 680 citizens in 5 days.
The population of Uman is unknown but it is not much more than the number of those vaccinated. The team not only vaccinated for Corona Virus but they administered child vaccines such as Measles. The team was headed by Dr. Bala of India and it was impressive to watch him work. His enthusiasm is contagious.
I didn't take many photos but included a few here. Oddly enough a camera in my hands on dry land is too "heavy". I feel intrusive on people’s lives. I'll try to do better next time.
The next departure date will be in a few day’s time. A new team will visit the villages of Tonoas, otherwise known as Dublon. During the war, Tonoas was the primary base for Japanese operations. Many of the famed wrecks surround this island. The population there is larger thus the trip will likely take longer.
Once we complete the lagoon islands we must do it all over again for dose #2. I'm dug in and ready.”
We can expect the inoculation numbers for Chuuk to drastically increase over the coming weeks. All great signs towards a re-opening on the cards for Chuuk in the future.
That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Best,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Dear Team Member,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well. In our last newsletter, we detailed how the US Government is planning to ramp up vaccine distribution to the FSM - notably by handing out the newly approved single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine which should increase inoculations dramatically.
Local boat operations in Chuuk have already started transporting vaccines to the outer islands so the overall sentiment is very positive. We received a lot of emails asking to cover RMI on the same topic so without any further adieu, here we go.
The US Government has from the very beginning allotted big amounts of vaccines towards the Marshall Islands, which in turn with enthusiastic local governments has ramped up their vaccination rates to be some of the highest in the world. The chart below displays Majuro and Ebeye, 2 densely populated areas in RMI that have had great success.
Now the overall should be slowly turning towards the outer islands, where the newly approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine will be very effective. It is still too early to say what that means for the second half of the Bikini Atoll season this year but with the Biden administration vowing for availability for all adults in USA and its territories by 1st of May, there is a reason to be hopeful.
A good friend and legend of the diving industry that coined the term “technical diving” Micheal Menduno or “M2” launched his highly successful online magazine on behalf of GUE in 2019.
Over the last 2 years we have seen a huge amount of content published in monthly issues which are published free of charge, aimed at novice recreational divers and highly skilled explorers alike. The Dirty Dozen Expeditions is proud to annouce we have become one of their exclusive supporters, joining a club og highly regarded brands that were carefully curated.
Eagle-eyed readers will have spotted that we just recently launched an “A Wreck In Depth” series. Maybe you might be finding it in other places than our blog shortly?
With all the good news coming in from the UK, US about exiting restrictions completely by the summer, we have been getting a strong increase in bookings as people plan to get their long-awaited holidays setup. 2021 has been sold out for quite some time now, but there are still a few spots left on our first sailings in Truk Lagoon for 2022!
Our Recreational itinerary with 007 stunt double Andy Torbet kicks off from the 16th of January with our OC Tec/CCR itinerary and photo workshop with Jill Heinerth kicks off starting the 26th of January.
Email us HERE to get more info.
Our online shop with our #teamdd merchandise be it hoodies, t-shirts, duffel bags and more is once again fully stocked. Visit it by clicking THIS link and get your #teamdd swag back on!
That wraps it up for this week. As always we look forward to some great adventures with you in the years to come and as always, don’t forget, if you are feeling lonely, then we are here to chat Dirty.
Love,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet had been awake since 2 a.m. on his flagship the IJN Nagato, anxiously waiting news on the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly, the now infamous code word was excitedly shouted down the voice pipe from the radio room. ”Tora Tora Tora!” meaning that surprise had been achieved and the attack was a success.
Earlier, that same radio room on the Nagato had transmitted coded message number 676, "Niitakayama nobore (Climb Mount Niitaka) 1208" to the Japanese Strike Force (Kido Butai), which was then around 1513 km/940 miles north of Midway and steaming towards Hawaii. Mount Niitaka, located in Taiwan, was the then-highest point in the Japanese Empire, and the message meant that hostilities would commence against the U.S.
The Nagato was laid down at the Kure Naval Arsenal on August 28, 1917, launched just over two years later on November 9, 1919, and commissioned just over a year later on November 25, 1920. The ship incorporated a number of technological advances for the time, which were developed by the Japanese, and when she entered service she was the world’s largest and fastest battleship.
The Nagato was the first Capital ship in the world to be fitted with 16-inch guns. The eight guns were arranged in four twin-barreled turrets, two forward and two aft. The ship was extensively modified and refitted in the 1930s. The most striking modification was the fitting of a Pagoda mast. Pagoda masts were common on Japanese ships of the time; they had a number of platforms, lookouts, and shelters built upon each other and included watchpoints, searchlights, rangefinders, gun directors, and spotting points. The end result often resembled a pagoda temple, hence the name. Her displacement also increased at the same time to 39,130 tons and her length to 224 m/734 ft.
The Nagato was the only Japanese battleship to survive the Pacific War. Lack of fuel and materials to repair her meant she saw out the last months of the war as a floating anti-aircraft battery at the Yokosuka Naval Base. The Nagato was purposely taken over by US Navy personnel on August 30, 1945, before the official Japanese surrender was signed on board USS Missouri a few days later. The US Navy said this symbolized the unconditional and complete surrender of the Japanese Navy. After being selected for Operation Crossroads—the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll— preparations were made to get her ready for her final voyage. While no one at that time knew what the outcome of the atomic tests would be, it was always going to be a one-way journey for the once-mighty Nagato.
She was in a very bad state of repair, having been seriously damaged before the Japanese Surrender. Patched up, she left Japan on March 18, 1946, along with the Japanese cruiser Sakawa, which would also be one of Crossroads’ victims. With only two of her four propellers operational, the Nagato could barely manage ten knots. During the voyage, due to previous battle damage and a lack of maintenance, the Nagato started shipping water into her forward compartments. Her pumps couldn’t cope, and stern compartments had to be purposely flooded to maintain the ship’s stability. Ten days into the voyage the Sakawa broke down and the Nagato attempted to take her in tow, but then the Nagato lost one of her own boilers and, low on fuel, both ships ended up drifting helplessly in the mid-Pacific. To help, two Navy tugboats were dispatched from Eniwetok, and the Nagato was taken in tow by USS Clamp.
The Nagato continued to ship water, developing a seven-degree list, meaning she could be towed at only 1 knot. The Nagato finally arrived in Eniwetok on April 4th, where emergency repairs were carried out and the flooded compartments pumped dry. The repairs enabled Nagato to steam the last 322 km/200 miles to Bikini under her own power and on to her date with destiny. For the Able test of Operation Crossroads, the USS Nevada was the target ship and the Nagato was moored less than 400 m/1312 ft away on her starboard side, well within the expected fatal zone. The Able bomb, however, missed the Nevada, and the Nagato escaped relatively unscathed, suffering only minor damage. For the Baker test, the Nagato was once again placed well within the expected fatal zone.
The Nagato, however, rode out the tsunami of water that hit her following the explosion and although she was displaced almost 400 m/1312 ft from her original position, apart from a list to starboard again she appeared relatively unscathed. However, like the other survivors of the Baker blast, the Nagato was now seriously contaminated with radiation. Some minor attempts were made to wash the radiation off her decks, but she wasn't re-boarded and she gradually settled in the water over the next few days. As the sun set on Bikini on July 29th, the Nagato was still afloat. Her list was now ten degrees and her stern so low in the water that waves were washing over parts of the main deck, although she didn't appear to be in imminent danger of sinking. Whatever the future held for the Nagato, she wasn't leaving Bikini. She had survived the two atomic tests but was now seriously radioactive. Having seen the media fanfare as the USS Saratoga slipped under the waves a few days before, the Nagato decided she would go silently, without fuss, without attention. During the night her stern dipped deeper in the water, she rolled over and settled down on the seabed 52 m/171 ft below.
As the sun crept up behind Bikini Island the following morning, the Americans on Bikini gazed out at the empty spot in the lagoon which the Nagato had occupied the day before. She had gone.
As the sun crept up behind Bikini Island the following morning the Americans on Bikini gazed out at the empty spot in the lagoon which the Nagato had occupied the day before. She had gone.
Diving the Nagato today, it soon becomes evident that everything about this vessel is big, and even after multiple dives, divers can barely scratch the surface of what the Nagato has to offer. Most dives start on the stern as the main mooring on the wreck is attached to one of the four propeller shafts. The first thing that comes into view are the four massive propellers that once drove the Nagato to 25 knots or more. These are now facing towards the surface, and behind them sit two large rudders.
Being over 4 m/13 ft in diameter, these are certainly impressive, but most divers quickly bypass these, leaving them for exploration towards the end of the dive. Like most battleships, due to her heavy topside weight, she turned turtle before sinking to the seabed 52 m/171 ft below.
It appears the stern hit the seabed first, and the stern section of the ship has now broken away behind the rudders and lies collapsed down on the seabed.
The once-mighty 16-inch guns haven't fallen away from their mounts and are still in their turrets in the stowed fore and aft position. The bow guns still have their end caps in place on the muzzle, but the stern guns don't enable divers to peer down the inside of the barrel. Sitting as they do in 50 m/164 ft, just exploring the aft guns and propellers can take up almost an entire dive.
Heading towards the bow from the stern, you eventually come to the huge Pagoda mast. The end of the mast broke away as it hit the seabed and now lies out to the right-hand side of the vessel and divers can still see the various upper levels, which included spotting points, rangefinders, and gun directors. Look more closely you can see voice tubes and remains of the lift that ran up inside the mast.
Forward of the Pagoda mast, you come to the bow guns. Depending on your dive plan, you might not have much time to explore the bow area, as it’s a 200 m/656 ft swim back to the mooring line. One option is to be dropped on the mid-ships mooring by skiff or do a free descent on the bow—that said, most divers still choose to swim from the stern as there are lots to see on the way and lots of nooks and crannies to explore.
Another option is to take a scooter; needless to say, scootering around the Nagato is a fantastic way to experience the wreck. If decompression starts to build up, one can come onto the top of the upturned hull, which stretches for as far as the eye can see, becoming an artificial seabed.
Turtles are often seen on the Nagato as well, and will often swim alongside divers. Due to the lack of human interaction in Bikini, they are far less skittish than turtles found elsewhere. For those who desire it, there are options for penetration both at the stern and bow as well as in the mid-ship sections of the ship.
Care needs to be taken, however, if one does decide to enter the wreck, as there are many old and discarded lines—some of which lead into areas that have since collapsed. Any serious penetrations should be planned properly and with the appropriate temporary lines laid. For most divers, there is enough to see on the outside of the wreck and the Nagato is an often requested repeat dive in Bikini.
On the way back, observant divers will notice sharks and other sea life coming into the cleaning station halfway back to the mooring. In fact, the Nagato is a good place to see sharks in general. Normally, there are many grey reef and blacktip sharks, and occasionally silver tips—and don’t be surprised to be sharing your deco time with a tiger shark or two swimming around you.
About The Author
Without Martin, The Dirty Dozen Expeditions wouldn't exist. A few years back, Aron and Martin spent a full year diving together in Truk Lagoon. One evening, after a day of demanding dives, they sat, had a beer, and came up with their ideal CCR wreck dive itinerary.
The first-ever Dirty Dozen trip was the result of that beer and the rest is history. Martin has lived in Truk for eight years with his family and works as the skipper of our expedition vessel in Truk and Bikini.
Photography by Martin Cridge, Aron Arngrimsson and Jesper Kjøller
