Recounted with his usual level of meticulous historical research, Rod
weaves an easily readable account of the build-up to and implementation
of Operation Desecrate 1 the raid undertaken to destroy Japanese ships
and aircraft in the lagoons of Palau. He uses his intimate knowledge of
shipwrecks to reveal in glorious detail each of the 20 major Japanese
WWII shipwrecks lying at the bottom of the Palauan lagoons today. On
30th March, 1944 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters made an Initial fighter
sweep of the lagoon to destroy Japanese air cover. Simultaneously
Grumman Avenger torpedo-bombers dropped mines and successive group
strikes of torpedo bombers and dive-bombers sank the shipping and
destroyed the airfields. Palau was neutralised as a Japanese naval and
air base in a repeat of the same Task Force 58 raid, Operation
Hailstone, on Truk Lagoon 1,000 miles to the east just six weeks
earlier. A number of long-lost wrecks have recently been relocated
including a Japanese freighter filled with depth charges and Army
helmets. This was found in 1989 but remained unidentified until now
after painstaking research Rod reveals her identify for the first time
in the book. Each wreck is covered in detail and is supported by
underwater photography and by fabulous illustrations by renowned artist
Rob Ward. The shipwrecks of Palau are now revealed."
