Thread: Montevideo Maru

I just finished a book called Wewak Mission Coast Watchers at War in New Guinea,
Lionel Veale
Book is about a mission he and three comrades did going to Wewak to spy on Japanese in early 1943 they were over 400 miles behind enemy lines with little friends within the native population as they now saw white man as weak due to retreating from the Japanese.

The following was a intresting snippet in his book, maybe someone needs to dive on the Montavideo Maru and look for evidence of POWs. other wise they could check for a long chain with fet attached near Duke of York island.


The fortunes of war were not good for the ill-fated 1st Independent Company or the 22nd infantry four of the commando's were dead as a result of the bombing; three at the time of the attack and one before the ship reached Rabaul. On arrival there, Major Wilson and his officers were segregated from the other men who were marched off to a Prisoner-of-War camp near the wharf.
They were held there for a short time before being embarked on a cargo vessel, the Montevideo Maru for transport to Japan. It had unloaded its military cargo and the empty holds were seen by the Japanese as an ideal prison. Grates were placed over the hatches to provide ventilation for the Commandos, Soldiers & Civilian prisoners who were being sent to Japan. As the grates were the only way out of the holds, they needed only a token guard to keep them secure.
Mid-summer and over-crowding made life in the steel prison an unbearable hell as the Montevideo Maru made its way up the coast of Luzon. The Japanese had the supremacy of the seas in the area and there were no surface craft to deter them but an American submarine lay in wait, hoping for a 'kill'.
Unaware of the human cargo on board, the submarine watched as the Japanese vessel steamed into its target area. The Commandos, Soldiers & Civillians, had no chance. Their steel prison became their tomb as the submarine's torpedoes scored a direct hit on the Montevideo Maru, sending it and its human cargo into the depths of the Philippine Sea.
The 1st Independent Company (Commandos) had ceased to exist as a unit.
Subsequent information received from the Japanese after the war about the fate of the Montevideo Maru warrants scepticism. I have repeatedly heard stories that the prisoners of war on the Montevideo Maru were never sent to Japan. Bill Dolby, a member of the 1st Independent Company, who like myself escaped the fate of our Kavieng comrades and later became a Coast watcher, told me the same story that I have more recently heard from Ken McGowan who has been researching the history of this ship for some time.
Dolby returned to Rabaul after the war and worked there for several years. Before Bill died he told me that this was common knowledge amongst the Chinese who remained in Rabaul during the Japanese occupation of that town. McGowan has more details of what might have happened.
It is said that after the 1,200 prisoners of war, which included civilians as well as soldiers, were secured on board, the ship set sail, apparently heading for the Duke Of York Island, not far from Rabaul. It returned in a short while with no prisoners on board.
The log of the American submarine Sturgeon, captained by L.L. 'Bull’ Wright, records that at 0200 hours on July the 1st a unescorted Japanese vessel was sunk off the coast of Luzon in the Philippine Sea. It was the Montevideo Maru.
The Japanese reported that under the command of Quartermaster Katsuiski, eighteen of the eighty-eight crew only survived. They reached the shores of the Philippine Islands where they were harassed and attacked by the Filipinos. This was on the 25th of July.
The time factor given by the Japanese does not ring true. The ship was sunk on the 1 st July, this we know for sure. The survivors reached the Philippines on the 25th July. Again, the Japanese themselves reported this. Yet the Japanese in Rabaul are reported to have had knowledge of the sinking on the 1Oth of July. How would they have known? Furthermore, if there were 1,200 prisoners on board and 88 crew, why were there only 18 survivors, and not one of them a prisoner of war? This grim episode of possibly one more atrocity committed by the Japanese might never be proven.
All four of us in the Wewak party were learning, the hard way, the art of survival.

Hi Cobber

This is a newish website I need to read through but it seems a good job with reports from all sides including survivors.

Montevideo Maru

Unfortunately, I am badly read when it comes to the leaving of Rabaul etc. I have Lex McAulay's Those Of Us About To Die but have yet to read it. I think I'll start there.

The AWM's records:
Remembering 1942 - The sinking of the Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942 [Australian War Memorial]

EDIT: the Montevideo Maru website is bloody awesome. It would appear there were roughly 1,000 lost when she sank - assuming the records/deductions are accurate.

EDIT EDIT: haven't been able to work out how deep the wreck is or if the location can be narrowed down from the records. Would be worth a survey.

EDIT cubed: http://ww2chat.com/forums/war-sea/23...found-sea.html

Great links, Thanks mate!

Hi

The Montevideo Maru lies in very deep water. I believe it is about 3Km down. No easy task to dive on. Although the coordinates of the sinking are known it would still be very difficult to find. The area where it was sunk was known as "The Slot" a narrow passage where the allied submarines sat waiting for unsuspecting Japanese ships. Many were sunk in this area.

I personally believe the true story of the Montevideo Maru is one of politics gone wrong. Thus the incomplete closure by the Australian Government post war.
The Australian prisoners in Rabaul proper were very well treated by the Japanese in 1942. It was not a Japanese atrocity for the loss of these men, especially the civilians, was a disaster for the Japanese at that time.

When dealing with what happened in Rabaul between 23 January and 1 July 1942 keep in mind that anything classified secret during the war, was placed under the 30 year non disclosure rule post war. The official histories about what happened in Rabaul were written in 1951 and 1970. Now present day historians will tell you that the official historians had access to the secret files when they were writing but In the first official history, a volume of the army series of the Australian official war history, Australia in The War of 1939-1945 volume 4 The Japanese Thrust by Lionel Wigmore, of the twenty two pages of Appendix 4, titled “Ordeal On New Britain”, only the last page touches on what happened to the civilians, and the Montevideo Maru only gets a mention in the last paragraph.

We have views of the past that aren't supported by the evidence.

Regards

R

Welcome Rod and many thanks for your detailed post.

Tying men who had surrendered in good faith to trees and then use them for Bayonet Practise, isn't honourable and is a atrocity. As this happened in Rabaul and around New Britain often in 1942
, However sinking this boat is not a atrocity as Ships are fair game.Even if this boat was sunk with all the POW"S and Crew then of course their is not a offical atrocity just a nation that mournes, as Ships are fair game.
The only atrocity that can be proven is the pointlessness of war


I actually only posted those above writings to tell some of the story's of some who perished and that it says the sentence about Duke of York Island, body's would of washed ashore and stories get out, they were slaves in the eyes of the IJA and life mattered not they could of shot and buried them or chained them and thrown them over board till the last dissapeared

They may have drown from a torpedo strike.

Regards
Cobber

Tying men who had surrendered in good faith to trees and then use them for Bayonet Practise, isn't honourable and is a atrocity. As this happened in Rabaul and around New Britain often in 1942

I agree, but I know of no evidence of this actually happening in Rabaul. The story of Cpt Grey's execution was covered in Bishop Scharmachs book This Crowd Beats Us All but there are conflicting official reports about what actually occurred. What there is evidence of is the Japanese doing operations on POWs in Namanula Hospital to save their lives. These operations were overseen by the Australian civilian doctors who had been captured. They also medically screened all the captured men as they were brought into Vunapope mission. The fit ones went to the camp in Rabaul the sick to the mission hospital. There was a terrible massacre of 150 men at Tol Plantation but there is even an explanation of why this occurred when you have all the facts and not just the propaganda of that time.

However sinking this boat is not a atrocity as Ships are fair game.Even if this boat was sunk with all the POW"S and Crew then of course their is not a offical atrocity just a nation that mournes, as Ships are fair game.
The only atrocity that can be proven is the pointlessness of war

I actually only posted those above writings to tell some of the story's of some who perished and that it says the sentence about Duke of York Island, body's would of washed ashore and stories get out, they were slaves in the eyes of the IJA and life mattered not they could of shot and buried them or chained them and thrown them over board till the last disappeared.

But at that time in Rabaul they weren't slaves in the Japanese eyes. They were a valuable asset. They shouldn't be confused with other prisoners in other theaters later in the war such as the Thai Burma Railway men.

They may have drown from a torpedo strike.

It is the most logical explanation when you understand the politics behind what occurred.
Keep up the good work.

R

Technically you are possibly correct and no "Atrocities" were happening in Rabaul Town ship and immediate area's during first few months of IJA occupation. (Even though i do find it hard to believe) That they held their POWs in any regard other than slave, a few individuals maybe had a heart however most did not.

Twice you have mentioned ".... logical explanation when you understand the politics behind what accured.

I with humble regards ask you to please go in deeper and and explain the politics that you know about and are involved with the sinking of the Montevideo Maru.


Please don't bombard me with links, please explain what you actually know of these politics with the sinking of the Montevideo Maru,.

I thank you in advance

Regards Cobber