Wartime History
On April 6, 1943 at 4:30 convoy "Hansa No. 28" departs Palau bound for Hansa Bay. The convoy includes subchasers CH-26 and CH-34 destroyers Tanikaze and Amatsukaze plus transports Teiryu Maru, India Maru, Toho Maru, Sydney Maru, Taisei Maru and Taiyu Maru.
Sinking History
On April 12, 1943 the convoy arrives at Hansa Bay and is attacked by American B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers. The Sydney Maru is set on fire, beached and soon afterwards abandoned and sinks.
Shipwreck
The upper deck is only six meters of water. Two anti-aircraft guns point
towards the surface. Brass shell casting litter the forward deck and
hold. Two fire engines are in the hold, just before the bridge where
they were waiting to be unloaded.
Mark P. adds:
"I dived the site of the Shishi Maru in 1985. We have photographs of the fire engine taken because my husband worked with the fire brigade during in the Australian Army post World War 2. We have a picture of him sitting in the fire engine truck in the hold of the ship."
References
Some references to this ship incorrectly refer to it as the "Shishi
Maru".
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Last Updated
April 11, 2022
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