USAT Mauna Loa

The Mauna Loa was a World War II US Army Transport ship. The Mauna Loa was sunk during the first Japanese air raid on Darwin, Australia on 19 February 1942. This was the same Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor 10 weeks earlier. The Mauna Loa was reported to have sunk after being struck by two bombs that went through an open cargo hatch. Today the wreck is a protected historic shipwreck, although diving and fishing are permitted. The wreck is located in a north-south orientation at a depth of 19m.

A bathymetric survey of Darwin Harbour was undertaken during the period 24 June to 20 August 2011 by iXSurvey Australia Pty Ltd for the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport (NRETAS) in collaboration with Geoscience Australia (GA), the Darwin Port Corporation (DPC) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) using GA’s Kongsberg EM3002D multibeam sonar system and DPC’s vessel Matthew Flinders.

Siwabessy, J., Spinoccia, M., Buchanan, C. & Atkinson, I., 2012. Bathymetry Grid of Darwin Harbour From Survey Onboard the Matthew Flinders – 2011. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/53DB186B0584E