SS Rakuyu Maru: Carrying Allied POWs When Sunk by USS Sealion

From Wikipedia.

On the Sealion's Second War Patrol, she sank this ship which, unfortunately was carrying British and Australian prisoners of war.

I was a passenger ship built in Japan in 1921 and was part of Convoy  HI-72 and transporting 1,317 prisoners from Singapore to Formosa.  Another ship in the convoy was the SS Kachidoki Maru with another 950 Allied POWs and 1,095 Japanese on board.

On the morning of 12 September 1844,te convoy was attacked in the Luzon Strait by an American submarine wolfpack consisting of the Growler, Pampanito and Sealion.  The Rakuyu Maru   was torpedoes by the Sealion and sank towards evening.

The Kachidoki was also sunk with 488 people killed, mostly POWs.  The Japanese survivors of the Rakuyu were rescued by  an escort vessel which left the POWs in the water with rafts and some abandoned boats.

A total of 1,159 POWs died in the attack.  A Japanese  navy vessel shot and killed 350of the survivors in the boats the next day as they were rowing to shore.

The three American submarines returned the next day and rescued 149 surviving POWs on the rafts.

A Sad Turn of Events.  --GreGen

Ten Important WW II Sites to See-- Part 2

6.  IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS   England  (Five museums throughout the country)

7.  MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE  Berlin, Germany

8.  NAGASAKI AND HIROSHIMA   Japan

9.  YAD VASHEM   Israel    Dedicated to the Holocaust

10.  KRANJI WAR MEMORIAL    Singapore

Go to the site to read more about each of these.

--GreGen

Singapore World War II Bomb Shelter Open Again

From the Jan. 27, 2012, Jakarta Globe "Singapore WW II Bomb Shelter Open for Tours" by Lim Yang Liang.

It is perhaps the last civilian air raid shelter in the city and on the ground-floor of Block 78 Guan Chuan Street, 1,500 square meters and used for up to 100 people.

It was used during the Japanese air raids in December 1941 and January 1942 until Singapore fell. Built in 1940 in public housing in response to mounting war pressure with Japan.

The National Heritage Board has opened it for the 70th anniversary. It is in good condition, though not original. Along with the tours, there are photos and oral accounts of the time. Japanese air attacks began December 8, 1941, and the city was not ready.

 --GreGen

Australia's MV Krait

From Wikipedia.

Named after a small, extremely  poisonous snake.

Originally a Japanese fishing boat that operated out of Singapore before the war called the Kofuku Maru.  Taken over  by the Allies and evacuated over 1,100 people from ships sunk along the East Coast of Sumatra.

In September 1943, it was used by  by the "Z" Special Unit to sink seven ships in Singapore Harbor.

After the war, the ship was sold and it operated off Borneo.  In 1964, it was purchased for use by the Australian Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol before being acquired by the Australian War Memorial in 1985 where it serves today as a museum ship.

Never Heard of the Ship Before.  --GreGen

Bid to Save Famous Australian Ship

From the February 23, 2013, News.com.au "Bid to save former World War II Japanese fishing boat MV Krait" by Ian McPhederan.

The Australian War  memorial is asking the New South Wales government and the corporate sector for help in saving the former Japanese fishing boat MV Krait.  In September 1943, the 21 meter vessel with 14 members of the top secret "Z" Special Unit entered Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbor.

The Australians then paddled into the harbor and sank 39,000 tons of enemy shipping and then returned to Australia.

As a result, Operation Jaywick sank more enemy shipping than any other Australian ship.  The Krait is now tied to the Australian  National Maritime Museum in Darling and in bad shape.

Save That Ship.  --GreGen