Montevideo Maru
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''Montevideo Maru'' ( ja, もんてびでお丸) was a merchant ship of the
Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
. Launched in 1926, it was pressed into service as a military transport 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 opposin ...
. It was sunk by the American
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
on 1 July 1942, drowning 1,054 people, mostly Australian prisoners of war and civilians who were being transported from
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
, the former Australian territory of New Guinea, to
Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
. The sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. The wreck of the ''Montevideo Maru'' was discovered on 18 April 2023.


Pre-war history

''Montevideo Maru'' was one of three ships (along with ''Santos Maru'' and ''La Plata Maru'') of the
Osaka Shosen Kaisha Mitsui O.S.K. Lines ( ja, 株式会社商船三井, Kabushiki-gaisha Shōsen Mitsui; abbreviated MOL) is a Japanese transport company headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the largest shipping companies in the world. MO ...
(OSK) shipping line built for their trans-Pacific service to South America. The ship was constructed at the Mitsubishi Zosen Kakoki Kaisha shipyard at
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, and launched in 1926. At in length, and in the beam, it was powered by two Mitsubishi- Sulzer 6ST60 six-cylinder
diesel engines The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-calle ...
delivering a total of and giving it a speed of . Before the war, the ship operated as a passenger and cargo vessel, travelling mainly between Japan and Brazil carrying Japanese emigrants.


World War II service

''Montevideo Maru'' participated in the invasion of
Makassar Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
,
Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
(then Celebes) from 6 to 16 February, 1942. It completed several transport missions before being sunk.


Sinking

On 22 June 1942, approximately four months after the
fall of Rabaul The Battle of Rabaul, also known by the Japanese as Operation R, an instigating action of the New Guinea campaign, was fought on the island of New Britain in the Australian Territory of New Guinea, from 23 January into February 1942. It was a str ...
to the Japanese during January/February 1942, 1,054 prisoners (mostly Australians and possibly some New Zealanders) were embarked from Rabaul's port onto ''Montevideo Maru''. It was proceeding without escort to the Chinese island of
Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
, when it was sighted by the American
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
near the northern Philippine coast on 30 June 1942. ''Sturgeon'' pursued but could not fire, as the target was travelling at . ''Montevideo Maru'' slowed to about at midnight, to facilitate an expected rendezvous with an escort of two
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s. Unaware that the ship was carrying Allied prisoners of war and civilians, ''Sturgeon'' fired four
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
es at ''Montevideo Maru'' before dawn on 1 July 1942. At least one torpedo hit, causing the vessel to take on water and sink 11 minutes later. Australians in the water sang "
Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...
" to their trapped comrades as the ship sank beneath the waves. The sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. A nominal list made available by the Japanese government in 2012 revealed that a total of 1,054 prisoners (178 non-commissioned officers, 667 soldiers and 209 civilians) died on the ''Montevideo Maru''. Among the dead were 35 sailors from the Norwegian merchant ship ''Herstein''. Based on a report made to OSK, of ''Montevideo Maru''s complement of 88, some 17 crew and 3 guards are believed to have survived, though a total of 17 has also been claimed. Among the missing prisoners were: *
Harold Page Major Harold Hillis Page, (8 August 1888 – 1 July 1942) was an Australian Army officer and public servant. He rose from private to major during the First World War, and was temporary commander of the 25th Battalion on several occasions. He sub ...
, deputy administrator of New Guinea and brother of Australian prime minister
Earle Page Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page (8 August 188020 December 1961) was an Australian surgeon and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Australia, holding office for 19 days after the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939. He was the leade ...
*Reverend Syd Beazley of the Methodist Mission, the uncle of future Australian Labor Party leader
Kim Beazley Kim Christian Beazley (born 14 December 1948) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006, having previously been a cabinet ...
* Tom Vernon Garrett, the grandfather of
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
lead singer and government minister
Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...
*Neill Ross Callaghan, the great uncle of a shadow minister for defence,
Andrew Hastie Andrew William Hastie (born 30 September 1982) is an Australian politician and former military officer currently serving as the Shadow Minister, shadow minister for defence. He previously served as the Minister for Defence (Australia), Assistan ...
* 22
Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
bandsmen, the majority being members of the Brunswick Citadel band. The bandsmen had enlisted together and comprised the majority of the band of the 2/22nd Battalion. * John Laurie Ramsay, brother of future Governor of Queensland James Ramsay


Discovery of the wreck

In late January 2010, Federal
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
,
Stuart Robert Stuart Rowland Robert (born 11 December 1970) is an Australian Liberal Party politician who served as Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business from 2021 to 2022, following his appointment as Minister for Governmen ...
, called upon the then
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
,
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
, to back the search for ''Montevideo Maru'', in the same way that he had supported the search for AHS ''Centaur''. On 18 April 2023, the wreck of the ''Montevideo Maru'' was discovered at a depth of over in 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 Phil ...
, off the northwest coast of
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, using technology from Dutch underwater search specialist
Fugro Fugro is a Dutch multinational public company headquartered in Leidschendam, Netherlands, that specializes in collecting and analysing geological data, both on land and at sea. Employing approximately 9,000 people in 65 countries, Fugro serv ...
. Australian prime minister
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parlia ...
said he hoped the news would bring a "measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil". Silentworld Foundation director John Mullens said in a statement that the site would not be disturbed because it is a war grave.


Memorials

A memorial to those who died was erected at the Repatriation Hospital, Bell Street,
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
,
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. A ''Montevideo Maru'' memorial has been erected near the centre of the
Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was dedicated on Friday, 6 February 2004. It is located on the southern approaches to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, on Wendouree Parade and adjacent to Lake Wendouree. Purpose Now recognised nationa ...
in
Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...
, Victoria. A commemoration service was held at the memorial unveiling in February 2004. The song "In the Valley" from the album ''
Earth and Sun and Moon ''Earth and Sun and Moon'' is the eighth studio album by Australian rock group, Midnight Oil, that was released in April 1993 under the Columbia Records label. It peaked at No.2 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Background Midnight Oil's ''Earth and Sun ...
'' by Australian pop-rock band Midnight Oil opens with the autobiographical line, "My grandfather went down with the ''Montevideo''/The Rising Sun sent him floating to his rest", sung by Peter Garrett.


Debated issues


Causes of deaths

Australian veteran Albert Speer (no relation to the wartime German official,
Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, he ...
) argued in an interview that some of the Australians survived, only for them to die later. Speer, who served in New Guinea, claimed that survivors were transported to
Sado Island is a city located on in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Since 2004, the city has comprised the entire island, although not all of its total area is urbanized. Sado is the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four main islands and Ok ...
, only to die days before the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, in August 1945. Professor
Hank Nelson Hyland Neil "Hank" Nelson (21 October 1937 – 17 February 2012) was one of Australia's foremost historians of the Pacific, particularly Papua New Guinea. His interest in the region began in 1966 when he took a teaching position at the Adminis ...
considers it unlikely that any Japanese ship would have stopped to rescue prisoners with a hostile submarine nearby. Of the known Japanese survivors, the only one ever questioned was former merchant seaman Yoshiaki Yamaji. In a 2003 interview with ''
The 7.30 Report ''The 7.30 Report'' is an Australian week-nightly television current affairs program, which was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at from 1986 to 2011. In 2011, it evolved into ''7.30'', a revamped current affairs program. History ''The 7.30 Report ...
'', he stated that he was told that some of the POWs had been picked up and taken to
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
. The Rabaul garrison has been described as a "
sacrificial lamb A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession. In politics In politics, a sacrificial ...
" by David Day.
Lark Force Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...
was left without reinforcements, and instructed not to withdraw, in accordance with official War Cabinet policy at the time regarding small garrisons.
Harold Page Major Harold Hillis Page, (8 August 1888 – 1 July 1942) was an Australian Army officer and public servant. He rose from private to major during the First World War, and was temporary commander of the 25th Battalion on several occasions. He sub ...
, the senior government official in the territory, was instructed to evacuate only "unnecessary" civilians and was refused permission to evacuate any administrative staff. He was listed among those lost on the ''Montevideo Maru''.


Number of casualties

It has been difficult to determine a definitive number of the dead. As late as 2010, Australia's
Minister for Defence Personnel In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Personnel is a position which is currently held by Matt Keogh, after the Albanese ministry was sworn in on 1 June 2022, following the 2022 Australian federal election. The ministerial p ...
, Alan Griffin, stated that "there is no absolutely confirmed roll". Australian Army officer Major
Harold S. Williams Harold Stannett Williams (1898–1987), OBE, was an Australian who spent most of his adult life in Japan. Born in Hawthorn, Victoria, he studied medicine at the University of Melbourne. At his father's urging he also received Japanese language ...
' 1945 list of the Australian dead was lost, along with the original Japanese list in
katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
it had been compiled from; these challenges have been exacerbated by the forensic difficulties of recovering remains lost at sea. In 2012, the Japanese government handed over thousands of POW documents to the Australian government. The ''Montevideo Maru''s
manifest Manifest may refer to: Computing * Manifest file, a metadata file that enumerates files in a program or package * Manifest (CLI), a metadata text file for CLI assemblies Events * Manifest (convention), a defunct anime festival in Melbourne, Aus ...
, which contained the names of all the Australians on board, was among them. The translation of the manifest was released in June 2012, confirming a total of 1,054 Australians, of which 845 were from Lark Force. The new translation corrected a longstanding historical error in the number of civilians who went down with the ship. There were 209, not 208 as previously thought. This is not an additional casualty. Rather, the previous number was simply inaccurate.


See also

*
List of ships sunk by submarines by death toll While submarines were invented centuries ago, development of self-propelled torpedoes in the latter half of the 19th century dramatically increased the effectiveness of military submarines. Initial submarine scouting patrols against surface wa ...
*
List of Japanese hell ships 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 ...


References


External links


People of the Plaque
a tribute to civilians from New Ireland who died in the war
A Story of the Salvos, Compass, ABC television, 20 April 2008
part of the Australian Army garrison on Rabaul
"Montevideo Maru remembered 70 years on"
– Australian Broadcasting Corporation {{DEFAULTSORT:Montevideo Maru 1926 ships 2023 archaeological discoveries World War II merchant ships of Japan Ships sunk by American submarines World War II shipwrecks in the South China Sea Maritime incidents in July 1942 Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Japanese hell ships