The A6M Bomber in WWII
The Zero Bomber in many ways epitomizes the war effort for Japan.
The initial impact was hugely successful as the Zeros were too maneuverable for the enemy in 'dogfights' and were seen to dominate the sky. Eventually though their weakness was exposed and their effectiveness diminished.
This coincided with Japan struggling with production of new planes so the Zero and it's variants were kept operational even when they were largely outdated. It finally became the pioneer plane for the kamikaze operation.
The Zeros in this project were recorded from one of the holds of the Fujikawa Maru in Truk Lagoon
Dive Details
Location:
Truk Lagoon
Depth:
~25m
Summary:
Conditions can vary for visibility - these photos are from exceltionally good conditions. Amazing piece of history to visit - tragic that one of the most picturesque elements has been damaged.
Photos & Renders
The Broken Zero
We know that wrecks deteriorate over time naturally and it is always sad when part of an iconic dive collapses. The classic photo of the bomber tail with the exit from the hold behind it is one of these - the tail of the wreck is now folded over.
Unfortunately, the rumour is that this didn't just collapse by itself - apparently some divers thought it was a good idea to dit on the tail, let gas out of the BCD for stability and pose for a photo. I'm assuming that they didn't intend to do any harm to the wreck but it is still infuriating.
Ultimately, we are keen to do a more extensive project on the Zero Bombers as they represent an amazing part of history.
