 Montevideo Maru, c. 1941
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Japan | |
| Name | Montevideo Maru |
| Namesake | Montevideo |
| Owner |  Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK) |
| Port of registry | Osaka |
| Builder | Mitsubishi Zosen Kakoki Kaisha, Nagasaki |
| Yard number | 412 |
| Laid down | 9 September 1925 |
| Launched | 15 April 1926 |
| Completed | 14 August 1926 |
| Out of service | 1 July 1942 |
| Fate | Sunk by USS Sturgeon, 1 July 1942 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type | Santos Maru |
| Type | Refrigerated passenger/cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 7,267 GRT |
| Length | 130 m (430 ft) |
| Beam | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Draught | 7.6 m (25 ft) loaded |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) |
Montevideo Maru (Japanese: もんてびでお丸) was a merchant ship of the Empire of Japan. Launched in 1926, it was pressed into service as a military transport during World War II. It was sunk by the American submarine USS Sturgeon on 1 July 1942, drowning 1,054 people, mostly Australian prisoners of war and civilians who were being transported from Rabaul, the former Australian territory of New Guinea, to Hainan.[2] The sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. The wreck of the Montevideo Maru was discovered on 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Montevideo Maru 1926–1942 OSK Lines". Derby Sulzers. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ Australia, National Archives of. "Homepage". montevideomaru.naa.gov.au. Retrieved 27 April 2023.