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Dark blue open water seen from an aircraft wing, with the low hills of the Florida Islands lining the horizon under cumulus clouds — Iron Bottom Sound

Iron Bottom Sound · Solomon Islands · Wreck

USS John Penn

A US attack transport in 35 to 60 m, open to penetration

Area photo: Jenny Scott from Adelaide, Australia · CC BY 2.0

The USS John Penn was a US Navy attack transport, torpedoed by Japanese aircraft off Lunga Point in August 1943 and now lying on her starboard side in 35 to 60 m of water. She is the serious wreck of the Honiara coast: deep, often swept by current, mostly intact towards the bow, and open to penetration for divers with the training to do it.

Also known as John Penn.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of USS John Penn: typical dive 35–60 m (115–197 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit35 m60 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 70 m (230 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

9.4170° S, 160.0330° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

This is a boat dive out from Honiara and a deep one from the moment you leave the surface. The ship lies over on her starboard side, the port hull at about 36 m and the sand beneath the starboard side at about 56 m, so even the shallowest structure is below normal recreational depth. Currents here are often strong enough to make the diving difficult, which shapes everything: plan the descent onto the wreck, and work with what the water is doing rather than against it.

Most of the dive is spent on the bow half, which is where the ship is most intact. Masts and winches lie across the wreck, the 3-inch guns are still in place, and ammunition has spilled from the lockers onto what is now the floor. Around the bridge and the anti-aircraft guns, Spanish mackerel and barracuda hold in the current, and the ammunition and gun mounts are what there is to look at on this half of the ship.

Penetration is possible at several points for experienced wreck divers: the officers' mess, the radio room, the forward holds, the crew quarters and even the exposed lower decks all open up. At these depths that is a decompression dive with a genuine overhead, so it belongs to divers carrying the training, the gas and the lights for it. Everyone else stays outside on the hull, takes the intact bow, and leaves plenty in reserve for the ascent.

The wreck

Vessel
USS John Penn (APA-23)
Type
US Navy attack transport
Length
144.88 m (475 ft)
Built
1931
Sunk
1943
Cause
Torpedoed by Japanese aircraft off Lunga Point
Lies
On her starboard side, port hull at about 36 m, sand beneath the starboard side at about 56 m

USS John Penn was launched on 28 May 1931 and served as a US Navy troop and cargo vessel in the Solomons. On 13 August 1943, off Lunga Point, Japanese aircraft attacked: one aircraft crashed into the mainmast while a torpedo from another plane hit the ship's starboard quarter, a direct hit on the stern. She went down stern first at 2150 and settled onto that starboard side, where she remains mostly intact towards the bow. Around 35 survivors were picked up by the coastal transport USS APc-25.

Marine life and season

  • Barracuda
Month-by-month season rating for USS John Penn
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimeGood

Season follows Iron Bottom Sound: Apr–Jun and Oct–Dec are calmest; the Jan–Mar wet season brings runoff that cuts visibility on the shore wrecks.

Know before you go

  • Strong currents often make this dive difficult; check the conditions before you splash and be ready to call the dive from the surface.
  • The wreck runs from about 36 m down to about 56 m, so the entire dive is deep — plan gas and decompression before the boat leaves the wharf.
  • The mess, radio room, holds and lower decks are an overhead environment at depth: wreck training, redundant lights and a line, or stay outside.

Dive videos

Wreck Dive USS John Penn Stern Section 08/11/2011 · Craig70mtr on YouTube

Wreck Dive USS John Penn Bow 08/11/11 · Craig70mtr on YouTube

Questions divers ask

How deep is the USS John Penn wreck?+

She rests between about 35 and 60 m on her starboard side: the port hull sits at roughly 36 m and the sand under the starboard side is around 56 m.

Do you need wreck training to dive the John Penn?+

Not for the outside, but it is a deep dive in often strong current, so advanced deep experience is the minimum. Penetrating the officers' mess, radio room, holds and lower decks is for trained wreck divers only.

Sources

  1. USS John Penn (APA-23) — Wikipedia
  2. Diving Sites in Solomon Islands — Dive The World
  3. Lunga Point — Wikipedia

In The Logbook

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