Shinyo Maru
Encyclopedia
Shinyo Maru was a Japanese Cargo steamer
during the Second World War
. She was one of the hell ship
s, used to transport prisoners of war. She had served under a number of other names under a long career.
for the Clan Line
. She sailed with them until being sold in 1913 to the Adelaide Steamship Company
, which renamed her Ceduna. She was again sold in 1924 to a company in Shanghai
which renamed her Tung Tuck. She was renamed Chang Teh in 1937, and was sold to Greece
later that year. She sailed for her new owners under the name Pananis, until being seized at Shanghai in 1941 and renamed Shinyo Maru.
intercepted a message about the Shinyo Maru and, thinking it was carrying enemy soldiers, the USS Paddle
attacked
it on September 7, 1944 off the coast of Mindanao
. There were 750 American prisoners of war aboard. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds or were in the water.
688 died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors.
47 of 52 Japanese guards died.
A December 1944 annotation in US military records indicates that an intelligence
failure helped contribute to the mis-targeting of the Japanese transport ship filled with US POWs by the US submarine. "[A] note was added to the message of September 6 that Fleet Radio Unit Pacific
(FRUPAC) interpreted as ""SHINYOO MARU (750 troops for Manila via Cebu." In pencil was written: "FRUEF (31 Dec '44) gets 750 Ps/W"! FRUPAC misinterpreted this crucial part of the message with fatal consequences."
On September 7, 2000, 14 survivors gathered at Jacksonville Naval Air Station for the eighth, and final, formal survivors reunion.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was one of the hell ship
Hell Ship
A hell ship is a ship with extremely unpleasant living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty among the crew. It now generally refers to the ships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to transport Allied prisoners of war out of the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore during World War II. The...
s, used to transport prisoners of war. She had served under a number of other names under a long career.
Career
She originally started life as the SS Clan Mackay, built on the ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
for the Clan Line
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
. She sailed with them until being sold in 1913 to the Adelaide Steamship Company
Adelaide Steamship Company
The Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service...
, which renamed her Ceduna. She was again sold in 1924 to a company in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
which renamed her Tung Tuck. She was renamed Chang Teh in 1937, and was sold to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
later that year. She sailed for her new owners under the name Pananis, until being seized at Shanghai in 1941 and renamed Shinyo Maru.
Sinking
The AlliesAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
intercepted a message about the Shinyo Maru and, thinking it was carrying enemy soldiers, the USS Paddle
USS Paddle (SS-263)
USS Paddle , a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the paddle, a large ganoid fish of the Mississippi and its larger tributaries....
attacked
Shinyo Maru Incident
The Shinyo Maru Incident occurred in the Philippines on September 7, 1944 during the Pacific theater of World War II. In an attack on a Japanese convoy by the American submarine USS Paddle, 687 Allied prisoners of war were massacred by the Japanese or killed when their ship, the SS Shinyo Maru was...
it on September 7, 1944 off the coast of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. There were 750 American prisoners of war aboard. Some Japanese guards shot prisoners as they struggled from the holds or were in the water.
688 died when the ship sank, leaving only 82 survivors.
47 of 52 Japanese guards died.
A December 1944 annotation in US military records indicates that an intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
failure helped contribute to the mis-targeting of the Japanese transport ship filled with US POWs by the US submarine. "[A] note was added to the message of September 6 that Fleet Radio Unit Pacific
Fleet Radio Unit
Fleet Radio Units were the major centers for Allied cryptological and signals intelligence during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Initially two FRUs were established in the Pacific, one at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, called Station HYPO or FRUPAC , and the other, called Station CAST or Belconnen,...
(FRUPAC) interpreted as ""SHINYOO MARU (750 troops for Manila via Cebu." In pencil was written: "FRUEF (31 Dec '44) gets 750 Ps/W"! FRUPAC misinterpreted this crucial part of the message with fatal consequences."
On September 7, 2000, 14 survivors gathered at Jacksonville Naval Air Station for the eighth, and final, formal survivors reunion.
Survivors' accounts
- John J. Morrett, Soldier-Priest (1993). Also see http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090700/met_3997987.html
- Victor Mapes, The Butchers, the Baker: The World War II Memoir of a United States Army Air Corps Soldier Captured by the Japanese in the Philippines (2000)
- Charles Vance Claybourn, The Claybourn Genealogical Society http://www.claybourn.org/harry_d_carl_claybourn.html