World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAwa Maru of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) was laid down in 1941 as a passenger ship, but by the time she was completed in 1943, Japan was involved in war, and Awa Maru was immediately placed into Japanese Army service as a troop transport. In 1945, she began to serve as a Red Cross relief ship, carrying supplies for Allied prisoners of war in Japanese captivity. On 28 Mar 1945, after disembarking supplies for POWs in Singapore, she embarked passengers both civilian and military, took on loads of nickel and rubber, and set sail for Japan. On 1 Apr, while sailing in the Taiwan Strait, she was detected and attacked by USS Queenfish which mis-identified her as a destroyer. Of the 2,003 passengers and crew aboard, only one survived. Civilian Captain Matsutaro Hamada was killed during the sinking.

Awa Maru Operational Timeline