Tokai Maru and SMS Cormoran Dive

Dive chartered through MDA Guam. The TOKAI MARU was a Japanese passenger-cargo freighter put in service in August, 1930. She was a "state-of-the-art" vessel, and was used by the Osaka Shosen Company as one of their modern fast luxury freighters on the Tokyo to New York City run. The US submarine SNAPPER, patrolling west of Guam, spotted two ships in the harbor. Not knowing at the time that these were the Tokai Maru and another damaged ship (Nichiyo Maru), the submarine patiently waited for one week, and then made a submerged attack. On August 27th, the SNAPPER fired a spread of four torpedoes, three at the nearest ship (Tokai) and the fourth at the other. The SNAPPER immediately headed west for safer waters. Over the next few hours numerous explosions were heard, and the Tokai was observed with the bow at an extreme "up angle", indicating that the stern was on the bottom. A few minutes later the Tokai slipped beneath the surface.

The German merchant raider, SMS CORMORAN, was originally built by German in 1909 for the RussianVolunteer Fleet and named the Rjasan She was used by the Russians as a combination mail, freight, passenger, and cargo hauler throughout the North Pacific.She was captured by the Germans in 1914 as their first prize of the war with Russia and Japan.

On December 14, 1914 the Cormoran pulled into Apra Harbor, Guam with only 50 tons of coal, its fuel source. Due to both the very unstable relationships between Germany and the U.S., and that Guam also had a very limited amount of coal, the Guam Military Governor refused to supply the Cormoran with more than a token amount of coal, hence, she was forced to remain in Guam. Over the next two years the crew became guests of the Guamanian's and relations were very good. Eventually, the crew moved off the ship and settled into a "normal" routine ashore.

At the outbreak of war with Germany (April 7, 1917), the captain of the Cormoran, Adalbert Zuckschwerdt, scuttled the ship instead of turning her over to the Americans. 13 crew members went down with the ship and they were buried with full military honors in the Naval cemetery in Agana.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Diving
• Guam
• WWI
• WWII
• wreck
• diving

[ScubaDubaDive]

Looks like fun!