The remains of an SB2C-1C Helldiver carrier-based dive-bomber rest on the seafloor off the Maui coast.
Download here. (Credit: With permission from University of Hawaii)
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Maritime Heritage Plan and the University of Hawaii's Marine Option Plan have completed a survey of sunken World War II-era aircraft and shipwrecks along Maui's southern coast. The two-week survey continues a longstanding collaboration between N.O.A.A. and the University of Hawaii in providing students with hands-on training in maritime archaeology surveying techniques.
The survey team produced scaled drawings and took photographs of 6 wreck sites, including a carrier-based dive bomber (SB2C-1C Helldiver); a carrier-based fighter plane (F6F Hellcat); and 3 amphibious assault vehicles (LVT-4 and LVTA-4s), 2 with mounted with 75mm howitzers. The documentation is used to evaluate wrecks for deterioration and helps identify when artifacts have been moved or go missing.
Divers inspect an LVT-4 (Landing Vehicle Tracked) amphibious vehicle introduced by the U.S. in World War II.
Download here. (Credit: NOAA)
During World War II, prior to major invasions in the Pacific, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army personnel trained in landing craft and assault vehicles along Maui's southern coast from Maalaea Harbor to Ahihi Bay. Overhead, aircraft from Maui's Puunene Naval Air Station conducted combat practice runs. Amphibious operations and naval aviation proved to be 2 critical innovations of World War II that ultimately helped the U.S. secure victory in the Pacific.
Developing these new tactics, however, proved hazardous, as numerous planes and landing craft, and occasionally the lives of young servicemen, were lost around the islands. Today, the legacy of that period can be found in near-shore waters, where sunken aircraft and shipwrecks provide recreational diving sites, as well as habitat for marine species.
Divers map an unidentified vessel found during the survey of the former military training site.
Download here. (Credit: With permission from University of Hawaii)
"The wrecks along the coast are like windows into the past and they remind us of the sacrifices made during World War II," said Hans Van Tilburg, N.O.A.A. maritime heritage coordinator. "The information collected during this plan will help us better understand this chapter in our history and its significance to the Pacific."
For now, details surrounding the sinking of the assault vehicles near Makena, Maui, and the specific identity of the F6F Hellcat, remain mysteries pending further historical research. A plan web location will be posted soon on the N.O.A.A. Maritime Heritage Plan webpage. Backing for the plan was provided by the University of Hawaii Manoa College of Natural Sciences.
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