Tuesday 27 September SS President Coolidge

SS Coolidge before sinking down reef

dive site plan

The cruise ship SS President Coolidge which was converted into US troop carrier in 1941 sank in 1942 when she hit an American mine as the Captain entered the channel into Luganville. There are four entrances into the channel and the Americans had laid mines across three to protect the town from Japanese submarines. Unfortunately the Captain wasn't given this information and hit a mine on the way in. He headed for the beach to try and save the 5000 troops she was carrying but hit the reef first and sank. Fortunately only 2 people lost their lives.
The Coolidge is now the largest diveable WW2 wreck in the world and our prime reason for coming to Luganville. Eric on Oso Blanco is also very keen to do the diving. It's a deep wreck extending from the bow at 19m to the stern at 70m.
On recommendation from our friends on Delos we booked with Allan Power dive shop and weren't disappointed with the outfit. We were most chuffed to be considered 'experienced' divers and the two of us had a guide, Yvonne, to our selves. On the first dive which is an orientation dive and for the guide to assess our skills, we dropped down to the bow and through a diver access hole into a couple of the cargo holds which have a pile of jeeps in them. From there it was down the starboard side of the hull passing the bridge, a mounted gun, stocks of shells and then back the deck where there are tin buckets filled with artefacts found on the wreck; a gas mask, a boot, rifles, helmet. The deepest we went was 35 metres which is well within our range.

the bow is highest point at 19m

cargo hold

There was a three hour surface interval and then Yvonne took us further inside the wreck as far as the ballroom. We dropped down through the lines of lavatories in the bathrooms installed for the troops. Of course the wooden partition walls have disintegrated over the years. This second dive was deeper, 40m, and a more interesting dive because we were able to go in deeper to what had been a luxury cruise liner before the war.