USS John Penn (Photo courtesy of NavSource)

The big American attack transport APA-23 (commissioned as AP-51) USS John Penn lies on its starboard side off Lungga Point, east of Honiara, at about 200 feet (60 m). It was built in 1931, was 475 feet long, 62 feet wide and displaced 9360 tons.  

The ship was sunk in 1943 by a torpedo from a torpedo bomber which hit near No. 5 Hold and set off a secondary explosion. The severe damage caused the stern to separate and it is 400 yards away from the main part of the ship.  At the time of sinking, the ship was armed with one 5 inch gun, four 3 inch guns and eight 20mm Oerlikon cannons.

The ship is in two parts with most dives being conducted on the bow section.  Because of the depth of this wreck, all dives are decompression dives which require the appropriate training and experience.  For safety reasons, twin tanks with a separate regulator and gauges on each tank, and a dive computer are recommended for diving on this wreck.

A dive to the bridge and forward guns involves a descent to the port side of the hull at about 120 feet (36 m).  You can expect to see large schools of pelagic fish near the wreck.  Drop down over the port side to the remnants of the bridge where there were 20mm anti-aircraft guns.  You can also look in the radio room and the officer’s mess. 

Heading towards the bow, there are the forward holds, derricks, masts and winches, then the forward 3-inch guns where live ammunition spills out of the ready-use lockers.  This dive would involve a maximum depth of about 150 feet (45 m). A slow ascent can be made by returning along the hull looking in all the portholes.  

Alternatively, experienced wreck divers may head aft to penetrate the exposed lower decks where the stern separated from the rest of the ship.

For more information on the USS John Penn and archival photos, see the NavSource Naval History website.  An extract from the entry in the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships can be found at the HyperWar Project website.

Many wreck sites near Guadalcanal are subject to custom ownership by local chiefs who may be seeking compensation for diving on the site.