The sinking of the Rakuyo Maru, by US submarine Sealion.

JOHNB84 · 21-01-2008, 01:49 PM

Do any members know or have read/seen the account of the sinking of a Japanese ship Rakuyo Maru, I believe it was transporting POW and was torpedoed and sunk on 12/09/1944 by US submarine Sealion. I have a strong suspicion that one of my local lads lost his life on the Rakuyo Maru this day. Any help gratefully received.

Thanks
John.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2530370

Peter Clare · 21-01-2008, 01:53 PM

RAKUYO MARU and KACHIDOKI MARU (September 12\13, 1944)
On September 4th, 2,218 Australian and British prisoners of war, who had survived the building of the Death Railway, were marched the three miles from the Valley Road camp in Singapore to the docks to board the two twenty-three year old passenger/cargo ships Rakuyo Maru (9,500 tons) and the Kachidoki Maru (10,500 tons). The Kachidoki Maru was the ex US ship President Harrison which had ran aground at Sha Wai Shan in China and was captured and salvaged by the Japanese. Both vessels were bound for Formosa. In the South China Sea, the twelve ship convoy, including three transports, two tankers and four escorting destroyers, was attacked by three American submarines, the Growler, Sealion and the Pampanito. The Rakuyo and Kachidoki were both sunk by torpedoes 300 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon. A total of 1,144 British and Australian POW's lost their lives. Among those lost were thirty-three men from HMAS Perth. All told there were 1,074 survivors, 141 were picked up by the three submarines. The USS Queenfish and USS Barb arrived later and in heavy seas rescued another thirty-two before heading for Saipan. The Japanese destroyers rescued 520 British prisoners from the Kachidoki (488 POW's and crew had died) and 277 British and Australians from the Rakuyo, to again become Prisoners of War.

JOHNB84 · 21-01-2008, 01:57 PM

Peter that was quick, thanks a bunch, this is just what I was after.

John

spidge · 21-01-2008, 09:41 PM

You will find the crew list here!

Rakuyo Maru

JOHNB84 · 22-01-2008, 08:31 AM

Spidge

Thanks mate, this is a great help, and has confirmed my suspicions, although Thomas Atkinson was not lost on the Rakuyo Maru, but on the Kachidoki Maru that was also sunk on the 12/09/1944. Once again many thanks.

John.

A Died Database

21-01-2008, 01:49 PM	#1 (permalink)
JOHNB84 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 51	The sinking of the Rakuyo Maru, by US submarine Sealion. Do any members know or have read/seen the account of the sinking of a Japanese ship Rakuyo Maru, I believe it was transporting POW and was torpedoed and sunk on 12/09/1944 by US submarine Sealion. I have a strong suspicion that one of my local lads lost his life on the Rakuyo Maru this day. Any help gratefully received. Thanks John. http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2530370

21-01-2008, 01:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Peter Clare Legendary Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Windsor UK Posts: 5,269	RAKUYO MARU and KACHIDOKI MARU (September 12\13, 1944) On September 4th, 2,218 Australian and British prisoners of war, who had survived the building of the Death Railway, were marched the three miles from the Valley Road camp in Singapore to the docks to board the two twenty-three year old passenger/cargo ships Rakuyo Maru (9,500 tons) and the Kachidoki Maru (10,500 tons). The Kachidoki Maru was the ex US ship President Harrison which had ran aground at Sha Wai Shan in China and was captured and salvaged by the Japanese. Both vessels were bound for Formosa. In the South China Sea, the twelve ship convoy, including three transports, two tankers and four escorting destroyers, was attacked by three American submarines, the Growler, Sealion and the Pampanito. The Rakuyo and Kachidoki were both sunk by torpedoes 300 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon. A total of 1,144 British and Australian POW's lost their lives. Among those lost were thirty-three men from HMAS Perth. All told there were 1,074 survivors, 141 were picked up by the three submarines. The USS Queenfish and USS Barb arrived later and in heavy seas rescued another thirty-two before heading for Saipan. The Japanese destroyers rescued 520 British prisoners from the Kachidoki (488 POW's and crew had died) and 277 British and Australians from the Rakuyo, to again become Prisoners of War. __________________ On weald of Kent I watched once more Again I heard that grumbling roar Of fighter planes; yet none were near And all around the sky was clear Borne on the wind a whisper came 'Though men grow old, they stay the same' And then I knew, unseen to eye The ageless Few were sweeping by

21-01-2008, 09:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,070	You will find the crew list here! Rakuyo Maru __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

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21-01-2008, 01:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
JOHNB84 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 51	Peter that was quick, thanks a bunch, this is just what I was after. John

22-01-2008, 08:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
JOHNB84 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 51	Spidge Thanks mate, this is a great help, and has confirmed my suspicions, although Thomas Atkinson was not lost on the Rakuyo Maru, but on the Kachidoki Maru that was also sunk on the 12/09/1944. Once again many thanks. John. A Died Database

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