View source for Mayasan Maru

{{Short description|Japanese landing craft depot ship (1942–1944)}}
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| Ship country =[[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
| Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
| Ship name= ''Mayasan Maru''
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| Ship builder=[[Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding|Mitsui Shipbuilding]], [[Tamano, Okayama|Tamano]], Japan
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| Ship laid down=27 August 1941
| Ship launched=29 June 1942
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| Ship completed=14 December 1942
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| Ship commissioned=December 1942
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| Ship fate=Sunk, 17 November 1944
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| Header caption=<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/Hatsudotei_c.htm |title=IJA Landing Craft Depot Ships 
|first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Peter |last2=Cundall |work=combinedfleet.com |year=2012 |access-date=26 September 2012}}</ref>
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| Ship type=Landing Craft Depot Ship
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| Ship displacement= {{Convert|11,910|LT|t|0|lk=on|abbr=on}} standard
| Ship length= {{Convert|459|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}
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| Ship boats=20 × [[Daihatsu class landing craft]]
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* 20 × {{Convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} machine guns

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'''''Mayasan Maru''''' (摩耶山丸) was a Japanese [[landing craft depot ship]] used extensively to transport [[Imperial Japanese Army]] (IJA) troops during 1943 and 1944. After avoiding damage in seven separate submarine attacks in earlier convoys, she was sunk in the [[East China Sea]] by the submarine {{USS|Picuda|SS-382|6}} on 17 November 1944 while part of [[Convoy Hi-81]]. The sinking caused one of the highest maritime casualty counts of [[World War II]]. Some 3,536 people died.

==Service history==
The ship was laid down at the [[Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding|Mitsui shipyard]] in [[Tamano, Okayama|Tamano]] on 27 August 1941 as a Type M cargo ship for the [[Mitsui O.S.K. Lines|Mitsui Line]]. While still under construction the ship was requisitioned by the [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Imperial Navy]] and converted to a Landing Craft Depot Ship. She was fitted with a [[flight deck]] above the hull, but no hangar. Launched on 29 June 1942, the ship was completed and commissioned in December 1942.<ref name="Mayasan_t">{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/Mayasan_t.htm |title=IJA Landing Craft Depot Ship "Mayasan Maru" : Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Peter |last2=Cundall |work=combinedfleet.com |year=2012 |access-date=26 September 2012}}</ref>

===1943===
Her maiden voyage was from [[Hiroshima]] to [[Rabaul]] and return with [[convoy]] B-2 in January 1943. ''Mayasan Maru'' made a second voyage with convoy B-2 carrying IJA troops from [[Pusan]] to Rabaul in February. She then traveled to [[Palau]] in March, Rabaul in April, and [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] in May. She avoided damage while returning to Japan in convoy No. 4508 attacked by {{USS|Plunger|SS-179|6}} from May 9 through 11th, 1943; and completed a round trip from Japan to [[Singapore]] in June. She joined convoy 0-603 from Japan to Palau in late August and convoy N-404 from Palau to Rabaul in September. While returning to Palau, she avoided damage when convoy O-602A was attacked by {{USS|Scamp|SS-277|6}} on 18 September 1943. She completed two trips from Palau to Japan in October with convoys FU-202 and FU-302 before joining convoy SA-17 for a trip to Singapore in November. She traveled from Singapore to Pusan in December; and avoided damage when return [[Hi convoys|convoy Hi-27]] was attacked by {{USS|Flying Fish|SS-229|6}} in the [[South China Sea]] on 26 December 1943.<ref name="Mayasan_t"/>

===1944===
''Mayasan Maru'' returned to Japan with convoy Q to load the 3rd Battalion of the 119th Infantry Regiment with the 53rd Engineer Regiment, 53rd Signal Regiment, and headquarters of the IJA 53rd Division for transport to Manila with convoy Hi-37. She returned to Japan in February 1944 to load the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the IJA 151st Infantry Regiment with the 53rd Artillery Regiment and the 53rd Reconnaissance Regiment for transport to Singapore in April with convoy HI-57. While returning to Japan she avoided damage when convoy Hi-58 was attacked by {{USS|Robalo|SS-273|6}} on 24 April 1944. She traveled from Japan to Manila in May and returned to Japan in June to load the 378th, 379th and 380th Independent Infantry Battalions with other elements of the IJA 58th Independent Mixed Brigade. She avoided damage in the 12 July 1944 attack by {{USS|Apogon|SS-308|6}} and {{USS|Piranha|SS-389|2}} while transporting these troops to the Philippines with convoy MOMA-01. She similarly avoided damage when return convoy Hi-68 was attacked by {{USS|Crevalle|SS-291|6}}, {{USS|Flasher|SS-249|2}} and {{USS|Angler|SS-240|2}} on July 25 and 26.<ref name="Mayasan_t"/>

''Mayasan Maru'' was attached to [[convoy Hi-71]] carrying Operation ''Shō'' reinforcements to the Philippines. The convoy sailed into the [[South China Sea]] from [[Mako Guard District|Mako]] naval base in the [[Pescadores]] on 17 August,<ref name="Mayasan_t"/> and was discovered that evening by {{USS|Redfish|SS-395|6}}. ''Redfish'' assembled {{USS|Rasher|SS-269|6}}, {{USS|Bluefish|SS-222|2}} and {{USS|Spadefish|SS-411|2}} for a [[radar]]-assisted [[wolfpack (naval tactic)|wolfpack]] attack in [[typhoon]] conditions on the night of 18/19 August.<ref>{{cite book |last=Blair |first=Clay |author-link =Clay Blair |title =Silent Victory |url=https://archive.org/details/silentvictoryus00blai |url-access=registration |publisher =J.B. Lippincott Company |year =1975 |location =New York |pages =[https://archive.org/details/silentvictoryus00blai/page/676 676–680] |isbn=9780397007530 }}</ref> Although nearly half of the ships in convoy Hi-71 were torpedoed, ''Mayasan Maru'' again avoided damage and returned to Japan with convoy MAMO-02. She then made six trips transporting troops from Pusan to Japan in September and October.<ref name="Mayasan_t"/>

===Sinking===
''Mayasan Maru'', as part of Convoy Hi-81, set sail from [[Imari, Saga|Imari Bay]] on 14 November 1944. On board were 4,387 soldiers of the [[23rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|23rd Division]], including the divisional headquarters, [[artillery]] and [[combat engineer|engineer]] companies. Also aboard was the 24th Sea Raiding Battalion with ''[[Shinyo (suicide motorboat)|Maru-Ni]]'' explosive motorboats, 740 replacements for the [[Southern Expeditionary Army Group|Southern Army]], 88 Army communications school graduates, various specialists in artillery, communications, engineering, ordnance and transport, and 204 horses.<ref name="Mayasan_t"/>

At 18:15 on 17 November 1944 at position {{Coord|33|17|N|124|41|E|display=inline, title}}, the ''Mayasan Maru'' was torpedoed by the {{USS|Picuda|SS-382|6}} in rising seas, and sank in two and a half minutes taking with her 3,536 men. The escorts rescued about 1,300 men.<ref name="Mayasan_t"/>

== See also ==
*[[List by death toll of ships sunk by submarines]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links ==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?143486 |title=MAYASAN MARU CARGO SHIP 1941-1944 |work=wrecksite.eu }}

{{November 1944 shipwrecks}}

{{WWII Japanese ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayasan Maru}}
[[Category:Escort carriers of the Imperial Japanese Army]]
[[Category:World War II escort carriers of Japan]]
[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessels of Japan]]
[[Category:1942 ships]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by American submarines]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the East China Sea]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in November 1944]]
[[Category:Ships built by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding]]