Betty Bomber (Mitsubishi G4M)
A badly shot-up Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' twin-engine bomber that apparently crashed into the lagoon trying to land at Eten's fighter strip during the 16 Feb 1944 raids. It lies upright on a sandy bottom at about 15–21 m, still with 7.7 mm and 20 mm guns and radios inside; the engines tore off and lie ahead of the fuselage. It is possible to swim through the fuselage from tail to cockpit.
Facts
- Region: Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon – Micronesia
- Area: Aircraft wrecks
- Depth: 15–21 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 7.35075, 151.878861
- Highlights: Betty bomber, engines, guns, cockpit
- Permit: A Chuuk State dive permit is required for every dive on the wartime wrecks (Chuuk Lagoon State Monument): US$50, valid one year, as listed by Odyssey Adventures, SS Thorfinn and the Blue Lagoon Dive Shop rate sheet (the older state-code text says US$30, so confirm when booking). Under the state code the permit is sold by the licensed dive shops/operators, who collect the fee for the state, and divers must go with a certified guide from a licensed shop. All Japanese ships and aircraft sunk before 31 Dec 1945 are protected monuments and war graves: taking or damaging anything is illegal (fine up to US$1,000 and/or six months in prison under the state code).
- Issuer / contact: Chuuk Visitors Bureau (CVB)
- Phone: +691 330-4133
- Email: executivedirector@visitchuuk.com
- Website: https://visitchuuk.com/contact-information
- CVB is the Chuuk State tourism office and is listed here as the official contact for visitor information; the permit itself is sold by the licensed dive operators (Chuuk State code Title 25 ch. 8, text at https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/mic79052.pdf). Operators (Thorfinn, Odyssey, Blue Lagoon) list US$50.
- Tips: Easy, shallow wreck – good for first Truk dives. Incendiary bombs were removed years ago, but don't remove anything. Wrecks are war graves – look, photograph, take nothing. Some cargo (shells, mines, bombs) is unstable: do not touch it.