Residents swim above the wreck of “Jake,” a Japanese aircraft downed during World War II and now part of the Maritime Heritage Trail.
AS part of Historic Preservation Month activities, the Historic Preservation Office began a series of tours to the Marine Heritage Trail in the Saipan Lagoon on Saturday, May 17.
The trail comprises shipwrecks, assault vehicles, and aircraft wrecks from the Battle of Saipan.
Lufo Babauta, HPO specialist, captained the boat and brought tour participants to three sites: the Japanese aircraft Aichi E13A or “Jake”; the Shoan Maru, a commercial freighter used in World War II; and a sunken American Landing Vehicle Tracked, or LVT.
“The most important part is to share, protect and to preserve our sites and to know the history of what happened in the war here in the Marianas,” Babauta said of the tour.
The Aichi E13A is a single-engine, twin-float, long-range reconnaissance seaplane. It lies upside down at the bottom of the lagoon in approximately 23 feet of water and is located within the Marine Conservation Area.
According to the trail’s official website, sites.ecu.edu/pmht/, the “Jake” may have been shot down in combat.
“Clues to the aircraft’s demise may be found near the tail where bullet holes and an odd crimpled area suggest battle damage or possible salvage or disposal attempts,” it states.
The Shoan Maru is located in approximately 35 feet of water, west of “Jake.” It took on torpedo damage during the war and was in the Saipan Lagoon for repair before aircraft fire rendered it useless. Although it is damaged, major components like engines, boilers, steering gear and more are still intact.
The LVT sits in about eight to ten feet of water and is north of the Port of Saipan. The vehicle is mostly intact and features several modifications its crew made prior to landing on Saipan, such as added boiler plates, an added shield to protect the .50 caliber machine gunner, and more.
HPO will conduct additional tours on May 24, weather permitting. Tours are from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Linda Torres at (670) 664-2124 or email lctorres.cnmihpo@gmail.com/.
Participants must be 18 years or older. Drinking water is provided, but participants must bring their own snorkeling gear, including fins, mask, and sunscreen, among other things.
