The infamous Truk Lagoon is located off the coast of Micronesia. Beneath its crystal clear waters is one of the largest military equipment cemeteries in the world.
In the midst of World War II, the Truk Lagoon was selected by Japan as one of its communications headquarters, from where radio commands were given for all Japanese naval forces in Micronesia.
A small airfield was built here, and submarines and warships of the imperial fleet were waiting in the wings. Soon, the lagoon became Japan's largest stronghold in the Pacific Ocean and acquired great strategic importance. Enemy scouts could not help but notice.
On February 17, 1944, US forces launched Operation Hilston. As a result of a massive air raid, more than 40 Japanese ships (including 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers and 6 tankers) and about 270 aircraft were sunk.
Thanks to a carefully planned attack, losses on the American side were negligible. Despite the fact that the attackers believed in the success of their operation, they did not expect such an easy victory.
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Laguna Truk will be the underwater echo of the fierce battle of the last century for many decades to come. In the 70s, the scientific expedition of Jacques Yves Cousteau visited here and after that the cemetery of military equipment became very popular among divers who fear sharks and horror stories about the revenge of the dead.
Not everyone had a chance to die from bullets or explosions. In some cases, equipment with unharmed people went to the bottom and the soldiers could only watch with horror in their eyes how the dark depths of the sea flooded the compartments, displacing the last breaths of air. The atmosphere of pain and despair that pervades this place can only be erased by centuries.
Tropical waters hide hundreds of sunken ships, dozens of aircraft and tanks. The lagoon is surrounded by a ridge of corals, which protects it from the strong currents of the open ocean, so the underwater picture of past years is well preserved.
Surviving bombs, crates of army equipment, boxes of food and human skeletons can still be found scattered across the dark holds and slippery decks of many ships, which grow into coral reefs more and more every year. Every year, for one reason or another, divers die here and the bodies of some of them are never found.
Fans of extreme sensations are not recommended to dive alone and disappear from the sight of other divers. As practice shows, this place perceives this as a daring challenge without forcing a long wait for response actions, which are usually followed by sad consequences.