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  Sydney Maru
IJN
Cargo

6,000 Tons
60m length


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".

Contribute Information
Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned?
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
April 11, 2022

 

SCUBA
6m

Map
03°18'S
143°38'E

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