×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database


Arisan Maru

CountryJapan
Sunk24 Oct 1944
Displacement6,886 tons standard

Contributor:

ww2dbaseArisan Maru was a Japanese freighter. At 1700 hours on 24 Oct 1944, while carrying 1,782 Allied prisoners of war and 50 civilians from Allied nations, she was struck by a torpedo from either American submarine USS Shark or USS Snook in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippine Islands. She sank at about 1900 hours. Only nine of the captives survived the sinking, five of whom made their way to China while the other four were re-captured by the Japanese. Anton Cichy, one of the five lucky ones, recalled many friendly Chinese civilians who clothed them, fed them, and brought them all the way to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China at great risk to themselves; he estimated that the Chinese had helped him regain 40 pounds in weight, which he had lost while in Japanese captivity.

ww2dbaseSources:
Linda Kush, The Rice Paddy Navy
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Jul 2010

Arisan Maru Operational Timeline

24 Oct 1944 Japanese freighter Arisan Maru, carrying 1,782 Allied prisoners of war, was sunk by an American submarine. Only 9 POWs survived the sinking.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. BILL THOMAS says:
10 Feb 2018 06:43:10 PM

MY UNCLE PAUL W PINKHAM WAS ON THIS SHIP AND WAS KILLED
2. Anonymous says:
17 Feb 2018 05:45:08 AM

DOE'S ANYONE HAVE ANY PRINTABLE PICS OF THE ARISAN MARU I WAS BORN OCT 25 1944 AND JOINED THE US NAVY AFTER BOOT CAMP MY ORDERS PUT ME ON THE USS SAINT PAUL. VERY STRANGE.
3. BILL tTHOMAS says:
17 Feb 2018 05:54:16 AM

MY UNCLE WAS A POW IN WW2 AND WAS KILLED WHEN ON THE ARISAN MARU ,CAN I FLY A POW FLAG AT MY HOME THANKS ALSO IS IT OK TO GET A POW HAT OR IS THAT NOT OK.
4. Monica Valles says:
17 Mar 2019 09:56:37 PM

My uncle Ignacio Castillo was on this ship and died. This is what were told but the roster has his name wrong?
I need more info please.
5. Anonymous says:
22 Oct 2019 06:29:07 PM

I had an uncle killed as well.
6. Nephew of POW Benjamin F Foster says:
16 Feb 2020 06:20:36 PM

My Uncle was Medic/ POW lost in sinking. Thanks to this info 3 of his brothers learned the truth about his death before they passed.In memory PFC Benjamin Franklin Foster Roebuck, SC
7. C.A. "Chuck" Fink says:
21 Mar 2021 12:36:52 AM

Doing some family research I find a local young man who perished aboard THIS "Hell ships" as they were called. Pharmacist's Mate Leslie Frank Bloomingdale (b.1921) of Elma Washington. His family built a monument in the local cemetery that says "In memory of our son and his buddies who were lost in the North China Sea". He must have survived the sinking of this ship as they listed him as shot trying to escape afterwards. Over 1750 souls were lost in that incident with this being the largest loss of American lives in a single disaster at sea ever...RIP You have never been forgotten...
8. Pam Verner says:
28 Jul 2021 05:21:30 PM

Has the wreckage of the Arisan Maru ever been found? My mother's cousin, Guy Wittrup Iversen perished in this sinking.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!