In service 1915-1944 Draught 12.5 m Length 145 m Draft 12 m | Out of service 2 December 1944 Beam 18.6 m Launched 1915 Tonnage 8.602 million kg | |
Fate Torpedoed and sunk 2 December 1944 | ||
Hawaii Maru was a 9,482-ton Japanese troop transport during World War II, which sank on 2 December 1944 with great loss of life.
Hawaii Maru was built in 1915 by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation in Kobe for the Osaka Shosen Kaisha shipping company. The ship served as an ocean liner and sailed to Vancouver, Seattle, New Orleans, Cape Town and Buenos Aires.
On 29 September 1941, Hawaii Maru was requisitioned by the Japanese Imperial Army as a troop transport-ship and was used as such during the invasion of the Philippines. In April 1943 the ship transported some 1000 Dutch prisoners from Singapore to Moji. Several Dutch soldiers died during the 3-week journey. On 26 November 1943 Hawaii Maru again transported 1,230 Dutch and 150 British POW's from Singapore to Moji and survived an attack of B-25 Mitchell bombers, which sank Hakone Maru '. On 27 April 1944, Hawaii Maru was hit by a torpedo fired by the American submarine USS Trigger, but stayed afloat.
On 30 November 1944, Hawaii Maru sailed as a troop transport from Moji for Miri, Borneo via Manila in convoy MI-29. On 2 December 1944 around 04h00, the convoy was attacked by USS Sea Devil in the East China Sea west of Yakushima Island (30°24′N 128°17′E). Hawaii Maru was hit and sank very fast; 1,843 troops of the IJA 23rd Infantry Division, 60 other troops, 83 Gunners and 148 crewmen were killed.