Nankai Maru
Encyclopedia
The MV Nankai Maru was a 8416 ton freighter built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd, Nagasaki
, Japan
, in 1933 for Osaka Shosen Kaisha.
She was requisitoned by the Imperial Japanese Navy
as a transport in late 1941. She participated in the invasion fleets at Midway
, Milne Bay
(where she was damaged by a bomb), Guadacanal (where she was also damaged by a bomb). She was struck by a dud torpedo from USS Kingfish
on 8 December 1942 near Okinotorishima
. On 25 December 1943, she was damaged by a torpedo from USS Seadragon
near Cape St. George
, New Ireland
and later collided with the destroyer Uzuki
. She was sunk by a torpedo from USS Sealion
while travelling from Singapore
on 12 September 1944 in the South China Sea
east of Hainan Island at 18°42'N, 114°30'E.
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in 1933 for Osaka Shosen Kaisha.
She was requisitoned by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
as a transport in late 1941. She participated in the invasion fleets at Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
(where she was damaged by a bomb), Guadacanal (where she was also damaged by a bomb). She was struck by a dud torpedo from USS Kingfish
USS Kingfish (SS-234)
, a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the kingfish, a fish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States....
on 8 December 1942 near Okinotorishima
Okinotorishima
is an atoll, which in English has multiple designations . Its original name was Parece Vela Spanish for "looks like a sail"...
. On 25 December 1943, she was damaged by a torpedo from USS Seadragon
USS Seadragon (SS-194)
USS Seadragon , a Sargo-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seadragon.Her keel was laid on 18 April 1938 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was christened and launched on 21 April 1939, sponsored by Mrs. J.O...
near Cape St. George
Cape St. George
Cape St. George is the southernmost point on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, at . It was the namesake for the Battle of Cape St. George, fought on 26 November 1943, between New Ireland and Buka....
, New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
and later collided with the destroyer Uzuki
Japanese destroyer Uzuki (1925)
was one of twelve destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:...
. She was sunk by a torpedo from USS Sealion
USS Sealion (SS-315)
USS Sealion , a Balao-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sea lion, any of several large, eared seals native to the Pacific....
while travelling from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 12 September 1944 in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
east of Hainan Island at 18°42'N, 114°30'E.