Pilotfish was found a complete loss with major failures
in pressure and tank plating, scantlings, closures, piping,
and
miscellaneous
fittings.
Damage
was
so thorough
throughout the boat that no one section or piece of damage
can
be
considered
the
most’
serious.
Pilotfish was
destroyed.
Apogon
was
in
considerable
better condition
than
Pilotfish, and if it had been salvaged immediately, probably
could
have
been put back in operable condition after
considerable time.
Main failures in Apogon occurred in the
forward torpedo room, where there is a hole 18 in. by 30
in., in the top at about frame No. 30, another hole between
main ballast tanks 68 and 6D, and a leak in the top of 6B.
Because of passage of air from aft to forward, it is
believed that bulkhead flappers, stuffing tubes or other
fittings, failed.
Vent risers to No. 1 main ballast tank
and No. 7 failed at the valves, and it is presumed that
others did also.
Time required for salvaging Apogon is
estimated at being between 3 and 4 weeks.
The
divers
who
inspected
evidence that the munitions
of the tests
the
ships
on-board the
(Reference C-4),
reported
that
no
"Saratoga" detonated as a result
thus
inferring that the on-board explosives
remain neither salvaged nor safed.
The divers reported (Reference C-3)
that fogs of mud and sand were easily stirred up while
ce eerie em ee eee ee nee ae
there was
ships
confirming
Additionally,
contaminated,
(Reference
that
it
they
was
located
reported
especially
C-4).
are
the
that
wood,
Finally,
both
in
the
manila
the
the
investigating the
proximity
“Saratoga"
line,
"Saratoga"
fire
of
is
GZ.
radioactively
hoses
and
BAKER
and
foamite
"Pilotfish"
were
reported as closest to the BAKER GZ (Reference C-3).
3.
POTENTIAL SALVAGE OF THE VESSELS AND EXPLOSIVES
In
1973,
S.
A.
Farle
investigated
Lagoon approximately Longitude
152°
the
sunken
Japanese
fleet at Truk
East and Latitude 7° North
(Reference
C-8).
Approximately 60 Japanese cargo and combat vessels were sunk in the
lagoon
during
World
battle
stores
and
2000089
War
fuel
II
by
oil.
American
aircraft.
Approximately
c-8
40
The
years
ships
sank with
following
their