Japanese Vessels Sunk in or near Hong Kong 1942-1945
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I've updated this list based on further research. It should be more complete than the previous version of the list, but it is still not definitive. That said, a brief newspaper report (perhaps from the SCMP) circa 1945 reports that a preliminary survey of wrecks in the harbor found 53 wrecks total, including 19 large ships. (This clipping is posted elsewhere on Gwulo.) My list below totals 19 large ships, which suggests the list must be getting reasonably accurate. I have not listed smaller vessels, which would account for the other wrecks.
--Steve Bailey
Japanese Vessels Sunk in or near Hong Kong 1942-1945
No.2 Anri Go—cargo vessel
Bunzan Maru—cargo vessel (in drydock at Kowloon)
SS Chepbetpon—Soviet freighter of 850 tons
Dosei Maru--cargo vessel
Haruta Maru—salvage and rescue vessel (formerly the Norwegian ship SS Halldor)
Heikei Maru—cargo vessel
Hida Maru—cargo ship
IJNS Kamoi—oiler
No.1 Konan Maru—cargo vessel (sunk off Hong Kong)
Matsushima Maru—tanker
Lingnan Maru—passenger steamer (sunk enroute to Macau)
Reinan Maru—some reports confuse this ship with the Lingnan Maru; it is possible they are the same vessel
IJNS Saga—river gunboat
No.8 Sagami Maru—guard boat (sunk off Hong Kong); a guard boat is presumably a small auxiliary patrol vessel, though sources are unclear on this point
Sanko Maru—tanker
Shozan Maru—cargo vessel
No.3 Taisei Maru—small cargo vessel (sunk off Hong Kong)
Teiren Maru—cargo vessel (ex-Vichy French Gouverneur General A. Varenne)
Tenei Maru—tanker
Yokai Maru—cargo ship
A substantial number of ships were sunk or scuttled during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941, including HMS Tamar and various merchant ships. Many were salvaged by the Japanese, usually for scrap, though a few were repaired and put back into service.
R E Jones' diary notes the
R E Jones' diary notes the sinking of the Reinan Maru: http://gwulo.com/node/22720
Regards, David
Japanese losses
There are a number of omissions from this list. Ignoring wooden hulled ships and harbour craft add the below (build year, grt in brackets, ST= sub torpedo, AB = aerial bombardment)
Moji Maru 36, 380 3/1/42 mined SW of Hong Kong while lightering damaged tanker Toen Maru
Wuhu Maru 42, 3222 29/10/43 sunk by ST 22.45N 116.10E
Seikyo Maru 21 2565 5/2/44 AB 110 nm SE of Hong Kong
Rozan (Lushan) Maru 20 2531 5/2/44 AB as above (same convoy)
Kozan (Suzan, Sungshan) Maru 20, 2539 5/2/44 AB as above (same convoy)
Toei Maru 41 433 20/2/44 AB Hong Kong but salved and sunk 6/3/45
Hoshin Maru 34 1000 (ex Chinese Customs cruiser Ho Hsing) 25/7/44 AB 22.00N 115.50E
Asahi Maru No.2 19, 1322 13/8/44 AB 22.03N 114.44E
Zuisho Maru 39, 535 26/2/45 AB near Hong Kong
Toei Maru 41, 433 6/3/45 AB near Sanmen Island
Ishima Maru 44, 839 8/3/45 AB 22.34N 114.53E
Sekko Maru 14, 2172 16/1/45 AB Hong Kong salvaged and renamed Shozan Maru (ex Chekiang)
Sanko Maru is also known as Yamako Maru, Reinan and Lingnan are indeed the same. The Soviet ship name is wrong- the 4 ships sunk in HK were Krechet, Sergei Lazo, Simferopol and Svirstroi.
I've followed western convention and rendered the number of numbered ships after the name even though your version replicates the Japanese method of naming ships.
Japanese ships lost in/around Hong Kong
Thanks very much for the additonal listings. My own list was meant to be for ships lost within Hong Kong waters or close to them, which accounts for some, but not all, of the ommissions.
I was particularly intrigued by the four Soviet ships that were sunk, as I was only aware of one. The name "SS Chepbetpon" was the name of the Soviet ship reported sunk on Christmas Eve 1944 by the Hongkong News--admittedly, a rather unreliable source, so I am not surprised to hear that the name is incorrect!
When were those four ships sunk?
--Steve
Technically the 4 ships were
Technically the 4 ships were not all sunk. In Insurance jargon all became Compromised Total Losses (as distinct from Constructive Total loss which has a different meaning although is also apt here). Details as follows:
Kretchet 99 2017 was undergoing a major overhaul at Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co and was damaged by shore based gunfire 15/12/41 (or 14/12/41) and eventually sank in roadstead opposite Taikoo Dockyard.
Svirstroi 19, 4376 Was hit by bomb (or shell- see below) at an unknown date during the siege. After the war found ashore at Tsu(e)n Wan Bay sitting on bottom. All holds except No.1 were flooded as well as engine and boiler rooms. The direct bomb hit was noted as having blown a hole in the port side near the deep tank and superstructure was damaged by fire. "Possibly salvable"
Simferopol 12, 2750 ashore Tsu(e)n Wan Bay close to Svirstroi. The hull was in a badly deteriorated state and the ship was deemed not salvable.
Sergei Lazo 09 2975. Found ashore on Taiwan Beach close to Kowloon Dock with starboard side on beach. The ship was noted as in a badly deteriorated state and had suffered bomb damage. It was further noted the engine had been removed.
It is likely Svirstroi and Sergei Lazo were shelled and sunk by British artillery on 18 December and that this rather than bombing accounted for the damage.
After the fall of Hong Kong the Japanese surveyed the ships. Svirstroi and Sergei Lazo were towed to Tsu(e) Wan Bay on 20 July 1942 and laid up. The two ships were offered to the Soviet representative in Hong Kong who reefused to accept them. The Soviets asked these two ships be towed to Vladivostok but the Japanese refused.
All 4 were in Hong Kong for maintenance and repairs when sunk.
Soviet ships lost in HK 1941-45
This is proving to be a fascinating exchange. Thanks very much for sharing your expertise. I knew that quite a few merchant ships were scuttled or sunk during the invasion of Hong Kong, but I wasn't aware of these four Russian ships.
It appears we have a fifth ship, however.
According to the Hongkong News (http://gwulo.com/node/18985), the SS Chepbetpon was hit by two-dozen P-51s from the 14th AF at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 1944. Whether it was just shot up and set afire or actually sunk is unclear. The same fighter sweep caught the Reinan (Lingnan) Maru as well. The Hongkong News claimed two P-51s were shot down. The Hongkong News was not exactly a paragon of journalistic objectivity, but this particular story was correct about the Reinan Maru, so it stands to reason it was giving a reasonably accurate account of the Soviet ship's fate as well.
Firstly there is no doubt
Firstly there is no doubt that the Chepbetpon as a name is an error. I have a fairly good list of all USSR ships in the Pacific and there is no ship with a name close to this. Further the Soviets had no reason to be in Hong Kong at this stage of the war. The four ships I listed were all there for machinery repairs, since the overworked Soviet Pacific yards couldn't cope but that was before war was declared. The Soviets remained neutral to Japan until August 1945 but were in no position to trade, ignoring the fact that normal commercial trade in Hong Kong came to an end in December 1941.
The likeliest scenario is that the name is an error for a Japanese vessel (Chinko Maru, Chefoo Maru?) or quite possibly a Chinese or Portugese vessel. But there are no names that I can find that are close. I have checked a long list of small craft seized by the Japanese and noted in prize court proceedings but can find nothing close either.