The Jaluit Atoll TBD-1 Devastators: Archaeological Analysis and Preservation Assessment of a WWII Site.
Dublin Core
Title
The Jaluit Atoll TBD-1 Devastators: Archaeological Analysis and Preservation Assessment of a WWII Site.
Description
The topic of the paper, entitled “The Jaluit Atoll TBD-1 Devastators: Archaeological Analysis, and Preservation
Assessment of a WWII Site,” best fits within the session, Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II in the
Asia-Pacific Region: Discoveries, Opportunities & Challenges due to its context and subject matter. Before
sunrise on 1 February 1942, aircraft from the USS Yorktown (CV-5), sortied as part of Task Force-17’s attack
on the Japanese Mandated Islands of Jaluit and Milli, in present day Republic of the Marshall Islands, and
Makin, the northernmost island in the Gilbert Islands chain. During the raid, two TBD-1 Devastator torpedo
bombers [BuNo. 0298 (5-T-7), and BuNo. 1515 (5-T-6)] were forced to ditch in Jaluit Lagoon as each aircraft
was low on fuel. The aircrews of both planes survived the water landing, were captured by Imperial Japanese
Naval forces, and survived captivity in POW camps in Japan. Since 2004, a group of scientists, engineers and
researchers have undertaken seven expeditions to the resting place of these aircraft in a remote section of the
lagoon to document and conduct analysis on aspects of the artifacts’ preservation. As part of the monitoring and
assessment, plans have been generated to potentially recover one of the aircraft to archaeological and materials
conservation standards.
Assessment of a WWII Site,” best fits within the session, Underwater Cultural Heritage of World War II in the
Asia-Pacific Region: Discoveries, Opportunities & Challenges due to its context and subject matter. Before
sunrise on 1 February 1942, aircraft from the USS Yorktown (CV-5), sortied as part of Task Force-17’s attack
on the Japanese Mandated Islands of Jaluit and Milli, in present day Republic of the Marshall Islands, and
Makin, the northernmost island in the Gilbert Islands chain. During the raid, two TBD-1 Devastator torpedo
bombers [BuNo. 0298 (5-T-7), and BuNo. 1515 (5-T-6)] were forced to ditch in Jaluit Lagoon as each aircraft
was low on fuel. The aircrews of both planes survived the water landing, were captured by Imperial Japanese
Naval forces, and survived captivity in POW camps in Japan. Since 2004, a group of scientists, engineers and
researchers have undertaken seven expeditions to the resting place of these aircraft in a remote section of the
lagoon to document and conduct analysis on aspects of the artifacts’ preservation. As part of the monitoring and
assessment, plans have been generated to potentially recover one of the aircraft to archaeological and materials
conservation standards.
Creator
Peter D. Fix
Russell E. Matthews
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Fix, Peter D., Russell E. Matthews. 2023. “The Jaluit Atoll TBD-1 Devastators: Archaeological Analysis and Preservation Assessment of a WWII Site.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Alexis Catsambis. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology.URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1897
Files
Citation
Peter D. Fix and Russell E. Matthews, “The Jaluit Atoll TBD-1 Devastators: Archaeological Analysis and Preservation Assessment of a WWII Site.,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed February 10, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1897.