Wreck of HIJMS Fusō (扶桑)

Philippines / Caraga / Albor /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, navy, shipwreck, battleship
During the Battle of Surigao Strait in World War II, which was one of the four separate engagements of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the IJN Fuso broke in half due to a secondary explosion caused by a fire triggered by a torpedo hit. The bow and stern sections sank about 2000 yds apart around this area. To this day it remains a mystery how the 2 sections became separated by so much distance. Speculations were that after the ship broke in half, the stern was able to continue moving despite the damage. By dawn, all the wreckage had sunk and the remaining few survivors that witnessed the carnage eventually perished.
10-09N
125-24E

www.combinedfleet.com/Fuso.htm
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Fusō
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   10°8'58"N   125°24'2"E

Comments

  • The sister ships Fuso and Yamashiro were part of the Southern Force that was supposed to approach the beaches of Leyte and join up with Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force to destroy the vulnerable transports loaded with supplies for the American 6th Army. These ships were just some of the severe losses suffered by the Japanese Navy to prevent the Americans from setting up a foothold in the Philippines from which they could begin the liberation of our country.
  • Would love to see someone explore these wrecks.
  • I will... soon...
  • lol
  • I want someone to find the FUSO soon its my favorite battleship/ship of all time
This article was last modified 12 years ago