| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Japan | |
| Builder | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Laid down | 4 November 1942 |
| Launched | 18 August 1943 |
| Completed | 20 January 1944 |
| Fate | Sunk, 19 August 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Landing craft carrier |
| Tonnage | 11,910 tons |
| Length | 459.1 ft (139.9 m) |
| Beam | 62.4 ft (19.0 m) |
| Draft | 23.1 ft (7.0 m) |
| Installed power | Diesel engines, 10,800 hp (8,100 kW) |
| Speed | 20.8 knots (38.5 km/h; 23.9 mph) |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | [1] |
Tamatsu Maru was a World War II Japanese landing craft depot ship[2] completed in January 1944[3] and remembered for the heavy loss of life when sunk by USS Spadefish[2] on 19 August 1944. Between 4,406 and 4,755 Japanese soldiers and seamen drowned.[4]
Tamatsu Maru was laid down at Mitsui Shipbuilding on 4 November 1942, launched on 18 August 1943, and completed on 20 January 1944. Its first military loading was from MojitoManila with convoy Hi-45 in February 1944. It returned to Japan in March to transport elements of the 30th Infantry Division of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) from Pusan to the Philippines with convoy Hi-63 in May. It returned to Japan with convoy Hi-62 in early June to transport the IJA 5th Field Heavy Artillery and 58th Independent Mixed Brigade to the Philippines with convoy MOMA-01 in July. It returned to Japan in early August with convoy Hi-68.[3]
Tamatsu Maru departed Pusan on 8 August 1944 carrying the Japanese 2nd Battalion and regimental headquarters of the 13th Independent Infantry Regiment from Korea for defense of the Philippines. It joined convoy Hi-71 departing Moji on 10 August, and stopping at the Mako naval base in the Pescadores on 15 August. Convoy Hi-71 departed Mako on 17 August[3] and was discovered by USS Redfish that evening. Redfish assembled other submarines for a radar-guided wolfpack attack on the evening of 18 August in heavy rain.[5]
As the convoy was scattered by heavy seas and evasive maneuvers, Tamatsu Maru apparently became separated from convoy escorts. On 19 August, around 03:30, Spadefish found Tamatsu Maru on a northerly course[5] and fired a salvo of six torpedoes. Spadefish heard two torpedoes hit. Convoy escorts were unaware of the ship's location (17°34′N 119°24′E / 17.567°N 119.400°E / 17.567; 119.400) until one of them discovered thousands of floating bodies that afternoon.[3] The sinking of Tamatsu Maru was the fourth worst loss of life on any Japanese vessel during the war taking down 4,755 troops and 135 merchant seamen.[6]
18°49′N 119°47′E / 18.817°N 119.783°E / 18.817; 119.783
