Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atol, Marshall Islands, Mavis
by Dan Farnham
(click photos to enlarge)
These pictures are of a H6K 'Mavis' wreck that lies just off Ebeye island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Ebeye lies just under three miles north of Kwajalein island, on the east reef, and was the site of a Japanese seaplane base during World War II.
 
This 'Mavis' is one of two that were strafed at their mooring buoys and set on fire. There is a combat photograph, taken by a U.S. plane, that shows Ebeye from directly overhead, and the 'Mavis' here can be seen burning. The wreck came to rest upside down and on it's right side, just off the seaplane ramp in about 70 feet of water. The fuselage aft of the remaining wing is missing, as is the left wing. Despite repeated searches of the area by several divers over the years, the aft fuselage and left wing have not been found yet. The interior shows signs of extensive fire damage, and the hull of the wreck is speckled with bullet holes.
 
The diver in two of these pictures is Ken, who I work with here at the fire station on Kwajalein, and these pictures are a good representation of the size of the 'Mavis' and one of its engines.

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