Ship History
Originally, she was a three deck passenger ship designed for luxury
service between Yokohama and Seattle.
Sinking History
On on February 16, 1944 carrier aircraft from USS
Yorktown planes hit the ship and started
fires aboard the vessel. It smoldered and was attacked all day until
it finally sank the on February 17, 1944 into Truk Lagoon.
Shipwreck
Large 18" Roman letters spelling out "Heian" are still visible on the forward hull
with the Japanese Kanji above it. Ammunition, guns, torpedo
and submarine parts are among lots of debris. Exploration of the ship is difficult form its sideways
orientation.
Dan E. Bailey adds:
"The most interesting artifact I have seen is
an optical signaling device. It is a rare find and its
presence on the ship belies the importance of the Heian Maru as
a sub-tender for the 6th Submarine Fleet."
Reference
Lagoon of Lost Ships includes dive footage of this wreck in 1969
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Last Updated
January 8, 2022
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