HIJMS Hatsutaka

discovered 3rd April 2008

Introduction

Throughout the Second World War, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysian peninsular was the scene for much naval conflict, with the loss of many military and cargo vessels.

The relatively shallow depth throughout this region means through the application of deep technical diving techniques, we can explore the seabed, revisiting these lost ships and investigating history.

During March 2008, a team of divers from Davy Jones Locker [Koh Tao, Thailand], organised an expedition to locate and identify a military vessel with a lot of history in this region – the Imperial Japanese Navy Minelayer Hatsutaka.

Here are our findings.

Image: Mast on the forward section of the HIJMS Hatsutaka