The was a Japanese
ocean liner owned by
Nippon Yusen Kaisha. The ship was built in 1941–1943 by
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...
, Japan. The vessel was designed for passenger service, but the onset of war by the time work was completed changed requirements, and she was requisitioned by the Japanese Navy. While sailing as a relief ship
under Red Cross auspices in 1945, she was torpedoed by , resulting in the death of all but one of the 2,004 people aboard.
The ship's name came in part from the ancient province of
Awa
Awa (or variants) may refer to:
People
* Awa (given name), notable people named Awa or Hawa
* Awá (Brazil), an indigenous people of Brazil
* Awa-Kwaiker, an indigenous people of Colombia and Ecuador
Languages
* Awa language (China) or Wa (Va) ...
on the island of eastern
Shikoku
is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
in the modern prefecture of
Tokushima
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...
. This mid-century ''Awa Maru'' was the second NYK vessel to bear this name. A 6,309-ton
''Awa Maru'' was completed in 1899 and taken out of service in 1930.
[Haworth, R.B. Miramar Ship Index]
ID #4004181
/ref>
History
The ship was built by Mitsubishi at Nagasaki on the southern island of Kyushu. The keel was laid down in the summer of 1941 (July 10, 1941). The ''Awa Maru'' was launched on August 24, 1942; and she was completed on March 5, 1943.[Haworth, R.B]
Miramar Ship Index
ID #4049894
Pacific War
The ''Awa Maru'' was requisitioned and refitted for auxiliary use by the Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrend ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. On 26 March 1943, ''Awa Maru'' left Japan carrying 3,000 tons of ammunition for Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. ''Awa Maru'' traveled to Singapore with convoy Hi-3 in July 1943, and returned to Japan with convoy Hi-14 in November. She again traveled to Singapore with convoy Hi-41 in February 1944, and returned to Japan with convoy Hi-48 in March. She then transported troops to Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
with convoy Hi-63 in May, and returned to Japan with convoy Hi-66 in June.[
''Awa Maru'' was attached to convoy Hi-71 carrying Operation ''Shō'' reinforcements to the Philippines. The convoy sailed into the ]South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
from Mako
, better known by the mononym name Mako (sometimes stylised MAKO), is a Japanese voice actress, singer and a member of the band Bon-Bon Blanco, in which her prominent role is as the maraca player. She has also performed in a Japanese television ...
naval base in the Pescadores
The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately west from the main island of Taiwan, covering an area ...
on 17 August,[ and was discovered that evening by . ''Redfish'' assembled , and for a ]radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
-assisted wolfpack attack in typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
conditions on the night of 18/19 August. ''Awa Maru'' was one of several ships torpedoed that night, but beached at Port Currimao
Currimao, officially the Municipality of Currimao ( ilo, Ili ti Currimao; fil, Bayan ng Currimao), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,215 people.
It i ...
to avoid sinking, and was towed to Manila on 21 August. ''Awa Maru'' was repaired in Singapore, and returned to Japan with convoy Hi-84 in January 1945.[
]
Sinking
In 1945 the ''Awa Maru'' was employed as a Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...
relief ship, purportedly carrying vital supplies to American and Allied prisoners of war (POWs) in Japanese custody. Under the ''Relief for POWs'' agreement, she was supposed to be given safe passage by Allied forces, and Allied commanders issued orders to that effect.[
Having delivered her supplies, ''Awa Maru'' took on several hundred stranded merchant marine officers, military personnel, diplomats and civilians at Singapore.][Sasgen, Peter T. (2005)]
''Red Scorpion: The War Patrols of the USS Rasher,'' p. 438.
/ref> In addition, there were stories that the ship carried treasure worth approximately US$5 billion: 40 metric tons of gold, 12 (or 2[East West: The Chinese-American News Magazine, Vol. 10, 1976, p. 66.]) metric tons of platinum (valued at about $58 million), and of diamonds and other strategic materials. Less dramatic and more credible sources identify the likely cargo as nickel and rubber. The ship was observed in Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
being loaded with a cargo of rice in sacks; however, that evening the docks were reportedly cleared and troops were brought in to first unload the rice and then re-load her with contraband.
Her voyage also corresponded with the last possible location of the fossil remains of Peking Man
Peking Man (''Homo erectus pekinensis'') is a subspecies of '' H. erectus'' which inhabited the Zhoukoudian Cave of northern China during the Middle Pleistocene. The first fossil, a tooth, was discovered in 1921, and the Zhoukoudian Cave has s ...
, which were in Singapore at the time and were, on their own, priceless in value. There are various theories regarding the disappearance of a number of Peking Man fossils during World War II; one such theory is that the bones sank with the ''Awa Maru'' in 1945.
The ship departed Singapore on March 28, but on April 1 was intercepted late at night in the Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide.
The Taiwan Strait is itself a ...
by the American submarine , which mistook her for a destroyer. The ''Awa Maru'' had been guaranteed safe passage as a relief ship carrying Red Cross supplies to prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
camps. Under the agreed rules, she disclosed to the Allies the route she would take back to Japan. Her original route was promulgated through a minefield, an apparent ruse to draw attackers into the mined area. The area was known to be mined, and would have been avoided at any rate. Her final route avoided the mines.
The torpedoes of the ''Queenfish'' sank the ship. Only one of the 2,004 passengers and crew, Kantora Shimoda, survived. He was the captain's personal steward, and it was the third time in which he was the sole survivor of a torpedoed ship. The commanding officer of the , Commander Charles Elliott Loughlin was ordered by Admiral Ernest King
Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was an American naval officer who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH-CNO, he directed the U ...
to an immediate general court-martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
. As the ''Awa Maru'' sank "she was carrying a cargo of rubber, lead, tin, and sugar. Seventeen hundred merchant seamen and 80 first-class passengers, all survivors of ship sinkings, were being transported from Singapore to Japan.… hesurvivor said no Red Cross supplies were aboard, they having been previously unloaded."
Aftermath
Commander Loughlin was found guilty of negligence, and the U.S. Government offered, via neutral Switzerland, to replace the ''Awa Maru'' with a similar ship. Japan demanded full indemnification. On the very day of Japan's surrender, 14 August 1945, Foreign Minister Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
forwarded a message to the United States through Bern, Switzerland, demanding payment of 196,115,000 yen ($45 million) for the loss of 2,003 lives; 30,370,000 yen ($7.25 million) for the goods aboard the Awa Maru; and various other claims, for a total demand of 227,286,600 yen or approximately $52.5 million.…No gold bullion is mentioned in the message.
The Japanese bill was never paid, and in 1949 the matter was closed.
In 1980, the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
launched one of the biggest salvage efforts on a single ship in history. They had successfully located and identified the wreck site in 1977 and were convinced that the vessel was carrying billions in gold and jewels. After approximately 5 years and $100 million spent on the effort, the search was finally called off. No treasure was found. However, several personal artifacts were returned to Japan.
In the aftermath of the salvage attempt, the NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
scoured thousands of intercepted communications to determine what exactly happened to the treasure. From the communications, they determined that the treasure was not to be taken back to Japan. It was to be sent from Japan to Singapore where it would then be delivered to Thailand. The gold was successfully delivered and the ''Awa Maru'' was reloaded with a cargo of tin and rubber for the return trip to Japan.
See also
* Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 resp ...
* List by death toll of ships sunk by submarines
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* List of battles and other violent events by death toll
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
* MV ''Wilhelm Gustloff''
Notes
References
* Dingman, Roger. (1997)
''Ghost of War: The Sinking of the Awa Maru and Japanese-American Relations, 1945-1995.''
Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.
OCLC 37315278
* Gibney, Frank and Beth Cary. (2006)
''Sensō: the Japanese remember the Pacific War : letters to the editor of Asahi Shimbun.''
Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. ;
* Harper, Dale P. (2001)
''Too Close for Comfort''
Trafford Publishing.
*
*
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1935)
''The Nomenclature of the N.Y.K. Fleet.''
Tokyo: Nippon Yusen Kaisha
OCLC 27933596
* Seagrave, Sterling and Peggy Seagrave. (2003).
''Gold warriors: America's secret recovery of Yamashita's gold.''
London: Verso.
OCLC 54612143
* Sasgen, Peter T. (2005)
''Red Scorpion: The War Patrols of the USS Rasher.''
New York: Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
.
* Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986)
''Transpacific steam: the story of steam navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941.''
New York: Cornwall Books. ;
* U.S. Bureau of Manufactures, Bureau of Foreign Commerce. (1905)
''Monthly consular and trade reports'' (1854-1903).
Washington, D.C.: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
* U.S. Department of State. (1968)
''Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America 1776-1949.''
Washington: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
External links
*US Department of State
"Agreement and agreed terms of understanding signed at Tokyo April 14, 1949."
* http://www.combinedfleet.com/Awa_t.htm Tabular record of movement
** says
* USS Queenfish (SS-393) (position apparently from http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/queenfish.html)
** says
* NSA chart
** says
* https://web.archive.org/web/20050716083513/http://www.subnet.com/fleet/ss393.htm
* http://issuu.com/hnsa/docs/ss-393_queenfish
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awa Maru
1942 ships
Hospital ships in World War II
Ships of the NYK Line
Steamships of Japan
Ocean liners
Shipwrecks in the Taiwan Strait
World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
World War II merchant ships of Japan
Ships sunk by American submarines
Maritime incidents in April 1945
Japanese hell ships
War crimes by the United States during World War II
ja:阿波丸事件