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VANUATU - Aug 2006
"Million Dollar Point"
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"Million Dollar Point is located less than a kilometre to the east of the Coolidge. At the end of the war, the Americans had insufficient space on their ships returning to the US to fit all the masses of equipment that had accumulated in Vanuatu. It was considered, quite reasonably, that the space was needed to take the hundreds of thousands of troops home rather than the equipment. Additionally, it was also thought that if all the equipment returned to the US, it could severely affect the US economy as no-one would want to buy new trucks, bulldozers or jeeps when they could pick up a very cheap ex-Army one. Apparently the US offered to sell all the surplus equipment to the local people and Government at a very low price. However, in a gamble that failed, the locals refused to pay in the knowledge that the Americans could only fit a small amount of the equipment onto their ships. The thought in the back of their minds was that the Americans would just go and leave, the equipment would then be theirs free of charge. This was a bad tactic as the Americans had other ideas. The American Army lined up all the surplus equipment on the shore with engines running. Hand throttles were slammed on and bricks placed on accelerators and the equipment rumbled into the water, disappearing into water 35 metres deep just a few metres off the shore. From that day on, the site received its name due to the (then) value of the equipment dumped into the water. " |
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Voilà l'histoire (controversée) de cette gigantesque décharge sous-marine ... Photos pour la plupart prises sans flash (eau très "laiteuse" ...) |
So, here is the (debated) story of this huge underwater dump ... Most of th epictures were shot without a strobe (water very "milky " ...) |