Tsushima Maru

"Tsushima Maru" (対馬丸) was a Japanese unmarked passenger/cargo ship that was sunk during World War II while carrying hundreds of schoolchildren by the submarine USS "Bowfin". The ship was on her way from Okinawa to Kagoshima. On August 22, 1944, at between 10:00 pm. and 10:30 p.m. local time, the Bowfin attacked the convoy she was in and sank her. [ [http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin/bowfin_history/patrols/p_6/patrol_6.htm Sighted Bus, Sunk Same] , [http://www.bowfin.org USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park] , Retrieved 30 May 2007] 1,484 civilians including 767 schoolchildren were killed. 59 children survived the sinking.

The ship was part of Convoy Namo 103, which consisted of the following ships: [http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin/bowfin_history/maru_sinking/maru_sinking.htm Tsushima Maru Sinking] , [http://www.bowfin.org USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park] , Retrieved 30 May 2007]
*Tsushima Maru (passenger / cargo vessel)
*Kazuura Maru (listed as Waura Maru in some sources, assumed to be a cargo vessel)
*Gyoukuu (source is unsure of transliteration) Maru (assumed to be a cargo vessel)
*IJNS Hasu (destroyer, Momi class)
*IJNS Uji (gunboat)

The crew of the "USS Bowfin" would not discover until over twenty years later that the unmarked, unlighted passenger-cargo vessel was transporting children.

Its wreck was located and identified in December 1997.

External links

* [http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin/bowfin_history/maru_sinking/maru_sinking.htm USS Bowfin Museum's account]
* [http://www.tsushimamaru.or.jp/e_index.html The Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum]
* [http://ww6.enjoy.ne.jp/~iwashige/tsushimamaru.htm Photo and model]

References