IJN
Freighter

December 22-25, 1943

Mark Reichman 2004

Wartime History
Heavily camoflaged with palm fronds, it was sunk off Cape Merkus, Arawe by air attack. Sunk December 25, 1943. Incorrectly listed in Allied sinking registry as sunk at Rabaul.

Shipwreck
Identified by Rod Pearce, who found the ship's bell and confirmed the wreck. Aboard was arms cargo, including a carefully packed case with a site for a Japanese 80mm mortar.

Mark Reichman adds:
"After our initial dive, the second dive we did in Dec. 2002 and the 3rd dive was in April 2005. We brought one mortar up, but later threw it back in the ocean for fear of someone getting hurt."

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