Betty Bomber
Why dive here
With 195+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, eagle rays, grey reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks - Betty Bomber offers some of Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 29°C.
We love the Betty Bomber for its sheer completeness. It’s a Type 97, Mitsubishi G4M, and she sits upright on a sandy bottom, surprisingly shallow given the history. We usually find her at around 15 metres, depending on the tide, making her an easy, long dive. The cockpit is a highlight, clear to see with the instrument panel still somewhat intact, and the machine guns are still mounted in the tail section. It’s a tangible link to Operation Hailstone. Look closely, and you’ll see soft corals already starting to encrust the fuselage, with schools of glassfish shimmering around the wings. It’s a moving experience, perfect for wreck enthusiasts who appreciate history and the slow reclamation by the ocean.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Betty Bomber Wreck History
Year Sunk
1944
Vessel Type
aircraft
Cause
combat
One of the most iconic aircraft of the Pacific War, the Mitsubishi G4M was a fast, long-range bomber given the Allied codename 'Betty.' Japanese pilots nicknamed it 'Hamaki' (cigar) due to its cylindrical shape. This shape, combined with its lack of armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, also made it notoriously vulnerable to enemy fire, earning it the less flattering nickname 'the flying lighter' from Allied pilots.
Lying in the calm, clear waters of Chuuk Lagoon, this particular Betty Bomber is a casualty of the massive American air raid, Operation Hailstone, in February 1944. The aircraft is remarkably intact, resting upright on the seabed. Divers can clearly see its distinctive twin engines, long fuselage, and cockpit, now encrusted with corals and home to a variety of reef fish. It is a poignant and beautifully preserved piece of World War II history, offering an unforgettable glimpse into the past.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Betty Bomber
Betty Bomber Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Betty Bomber, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (7.35, 151.88) (0km away)
August Averages
Sea Temperature
28.91°C
84°F
Air Temperature
27.7°C
82°F
Wind Speed
5.93 m/s
11.5 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1010 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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