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Killed in Action
Royal Norfolk Regiment
5th Battalion
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
Hell Ships
In October 1943, when the Thailand-Burma Railway was completed, the Japanese had to find a use for the PoWs, and it was decided that a workforce was needed in Japan. The PoWs were taken back to Singapore in 1944 and transported later that year, but by this time the Americans were patrolling the waters between Singapore and Japan. With with no markings that the transports carried PoWs. many convoys were attacked and the PoW death roll grew sharply.
Hofuku Maru (also named Toyofuku Maru)
The Hofuku Maru was sailing from Singapore to Miri, Borneo as part of convoy SHIMI-05. The convoy consisted of 10 ships, 5 of which carried, in total, 5,000 POWs, all in appalling conditions.
At Borneo, the Hofuku Maru left the convoy with engine problems, and sailed on to the Philippines, arriving on 19th July. She remained in Manila until mid-September while the engines were repaired. The POWs remained on board, suffering terribly from disease, hunger, and thirst.
On September 20, 1944, the Hofuku Maru and 10 other ships formed Convoy MATA-27, and sailed from Manila to Japan. The following morning, the convoy was attacked 80 miles north of Corregidor by more than 100 American carrier planes. All eleven ships in the convoy were sunk. Of those on the Hofuku Maru, 1,047 of the 1,289 British and Dutch POWs on board died.
Kachidoki Maru
The Kachidoki Maru was built by New York Shipping Company in Camden, New Jersey and originally named ‘President Harrison’. The ship was 524 feet overall length with a displacement of 10,500 tons and was painted battle grey, flying the merchant marine flag, which was a red ball in the centre of a white field. It had no red cross markings.
The Japan party consisted of 2,250 prisoners, 1,500 were British the remainder Australian, the number who actually sailed with the convoy was 2,217. The Kachidoki Maru held 900 PoWs (all British) and The Rakuyo Maru a further 1317 (Australian and British).
On 4th September 1944, the two ships joined convoy HI-72 and sailed from Singapore.
On the 12th of September the convoy was attacked by US submarines and both these ships were hit. The Kachidoki Maru was torpedoed by the US submarine Pampanito at 22:40 hours.
The Japanese rescued some of the POWs from these two ships and they continued their journey to Japan on the Kibitsu Maru.
All of those who survived the sinking of the Kachidoki Maru jumped within the first ten minutes of the ship being hit.
Rakuyo Maru
On 4th September 1944, convoy HI-72 sailed from Singapore. Two of these ships, Rakuyo Maru and the Kachidoki Maru carried PoWs. The Rakuyo Maru carried 1317 Pows and the Kachidoki Maru a further 900.
The Yakuto Maru is also known as Rokyo Maru or Rokyu Maru, (9,418 tons, built 1921).
The Rakuyo Maru was part of Japan Party 3, the ship sailed with 1318 POW’s, consisting of 600 British, 718 Australian and a few Americans, all coming from the Thailand-Burma Railway.
The holds of the Rakuyo Maru also contained bauxite and the ash of Japanese soldiers. The transport took place in convoy of 13 ships, among others the POW ships AsakaMaru, Kachidoka Maru, Shincho Maru.
1944/09/11 - Joined another convoy from Manila.
1944/09/12 - At 2:00 am the convoy was attacked near Haanan Island by the submarine US Growler and an escort ship was sunk.
The PoW’s were kept in their hold.
At 5:30 am the convoy was attacked again, by submarine US Sealion torpedoed a tanker, a freighter and the Rakuyo Maru. The tanker and freighter sank but Rakuyo Maru did not sink with one torpedo in the fore and one in the engine room (mid-ship). The PoW’s left their holds and some jumped over the side into the sea, but the Japanese, who had evacuated the ship took the life boats.
At 6:15 am the US Growler attacked the convoy again at Lat 18.0 N Lon 114.0E, a frigate was hit, depth-bombs were jumped in the water, nearby the drowning men of the Rakuyo Maru.
At 7:10 am the Rakuyo Maru was still afloat, some of the oil soaked PoWs who had jumped over the side returned to the ship.
At 5:30 pm the ship was near sinking and all the PoW’s left the ship. Two frigates and a freighter saved only the Japanese, the PoW’s were left behind with only two lifeboats between them, the Duncan-group (136 men) and the Varley-group.
1944/09/14 - The Duncan-group were rescued by a Japanese ship but the Varley-group had disappeared. The Duncan-group were taken to Hainan Island.
1944-09/15 - 5:00 pm the submarine US Pampanito arrived at the site of the sinking looking for more Japanese ships and found the survivors in the water clinging to wreckage, they save 63 PoWs. Relaying a message, the US Sealion saved another 44 POW’s, but there were many more left in the sea.
The 136 who were saved by the Japanese arrived at Hainan Island together with about 360 survivors of the Kachidoka Maru which was also sunk. They were transported to Japan in the Kibitsu Maru accompanied by the Asaka Maru and Sincho Maru.
1944/09/17 - At 5:30 pm the US submarines US Barb and US Queenfish saved another 32 men.
1944/09/18 - The weather was bad and no more PoWs were found.
1944/09/20 - US Sealion and US Pampanito arrived at Saipon with 127 survivors, 5 deaths had occurred.
1944/09/21 - US Barb and US Queenfish arrived in Saipan with 32 survivors, 2 deaths had occurred.
It is estimated that 1159 PoWs died with the sinking of the Rakuyo Maru
Death Roll
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