Eiko Maru #2
Also Known as: "First Ship"
Built in 1940Sunk at Kwajalein Lagoon Jan. 29 1944
by the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina
Length: 340 ft.
Photos by Bob Hampton
The Eiko Maru #2 sank in Kwajalein Lagoon near Roi-Namur Island, which is about 50 miles from Kwajalein Island at the northern end of the atoll. The wreck was called "First Ship" because it was the closest shipwreck to the marina at Roi-Namur Island.
The ship's radio room was littered with the crumbling remains of electronic equipment. A large hole was blown through the bulkhead here, either by a bomb hit or by guns on the USS North Carolina.
Part of the Eiko's engine room was relatively intact, as shown here. Other areas were a dark, mangled mess of twisted steel.
The relatively shallow diving on this ship, which sank in only 100 ft. of water, allowed longer dives than were possible on the wrecks in the southern part of the lagoon. How strange it seemed to be able to stay down for a full hour at a time on such a shipwreck!
Text and Photos © 1999 by Bob Hampton All Rights Reserved