Fish Eye Project - Film Expeditions

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		General Information
		Introduction
		Introduction
		How it works?
		How it works?
		The Anatomy
		The Anatomy
		Meet the Team
		Meet the Team
		The Gears
		The Gears
		Expedition Log
		Expedition Log
		Expeditions Schedule
		Expeditions Schedule
		Forms
		Forms

		Episode Overview
		Episode Overview
		The Empress of Asia
		The Empress of Asia
		The Quest for Truth
		The Quest for Truth
		Prisoners & Warriors of the Sea
		Prisoners & Warriors of the Sea
		The Ultimate Disaster
		The Ultimate Disaster
		Sinking the Unsinkable
		Sinking the Unsinkable
		Yellow Coals from the Deep
		Yellow Coals from the Deep

		Assistance & Sponsership
		Assistance & Sponsership
		Governmental Endorsement
		Information, Literature, etc
		Manpower
		Safety and Security
		Sponsorship

		Press & Media
		Media Coverage
		Media Coverage

| Information | Reports | Media Coverage |

Prisoners & Warriors of the Sea

A documentary on The Haguro & Totsutori Maru

History of The Haguro

Haguro, a 10,980-ton (standard displacement) Myoko class heavy cruiser, was built at Nagasaki, Japan. She was commissioned in April 1929 and served until 1933 with the Fourth Squadron (Sentai) and after that with the Fifth Sentai. During the years prior to the Pacific War the cruiser operated in Japanese home waters and off China, taking part in peacetime maneuvers. She carried troops to China in 1932 and in 1937.

During the latter year, as Japan and China began open warfare, Haguro participated in blockade, patrol and landing operations along the Chinese coast.

In 1935-1936 and again in 1939 Haguro was in shipyard hands for modifications. Among other things, this work significantly enhanced her torpedo armament, improved her antiaircraft gun batteries and altered her aircraft handling arrangements.

Though her combat power was thus improved, her beam and displacement were also increased, resulting in a modest decrease in maximum speed. In 1940 and 1941 Haguro actively took part in the Japanese fleet's preparations for war against the United States and other Western powers. She was sent to the Palau Islands in November 1941 and, after the Pacific War began in December, participated in landings in the Philippines. During the first few months of 1942 she took part in the conquest of the Netherlands East Indies and played an important role in the Battle of the Java Sea.

Haguro was also present, with the Japanese main aircraft carrier force, during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May. In the next month's Battle of the Midway, she was part of the Midway Occupation Force.

In late August she took part in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, first of the Guadalcanal Campaign's two aircraft carrier actions.

In January-February 1943, as that long struggle neared its end, Haguro provided distant cover for Japan's successful effort to evacuate its troops from Guadalcanal.

She was in the Northern Pacific in May and June 1943, returned south as the Allies moved into the Central Solomons and fought in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay at the beginning of November.

As part of the First Mobile Fleet, Haguro took part in the June 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea. On 24-25 October she was in action in the Sibuyan Sea and off Samar, two of the components of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In 1945 Haguro was stationed at Singapore, from which she carried out supply and transport missions. In the early hours of 16 May 1945 she was intercepted by five British destroyers while conducting such an operation to evacuate the Andaman Islands, in the eastern Bay of Bengal.

Haguro was hit by three torpedoes and sunk, with the loss of about three-quarters of her crew of some 1200 officers and men.

Diving expert Michael Lim rediscovered the wreck in 2000.

Objective of the documentary

The documentary will tell the story of The Forgotten Warriors of the Haguro Heavy Battle Cruiser before it was buried forever beneath the waves off Penang, Malaysia.

We trace her glorious days fighting in the war to her tragic but dramatic end, through her journeys to the South East and other adventures.

Possible Stories

The Ship
The Sailors
The Ship’s Crew
The Missions
The War Survivors
The Expedition
The Artefacts

Project Schedule

Research
Singapore	August 2004 – February 2005
Penang, Malaysia	December 2004 – February 2005

Production
Shoot (Expedition)	12 December 2004 – 26 December 2004
Shoot (Japan)	10 February 2005 – 18 February 2005
Shoot (Singapore)	25 February 2005 – 8 March 2005

Expedition
Preliminary Survey	1 December 2004 – 6 December 2004
Expedition (Phase I)	12 December 2004 – 26 December 2004

Post Production
Off-line Editing	March 2005 – April 2005
On-line & Audio	April 2005
Delivery	1 June 2005

Project Budget

The entire project cost inclusive of expedition and production cost for 1 X 60 minute documentaries is: US$150,000