Ship History
This ship is an unidentified Japanese vessel of approximately 220' long with a displacement of approximately 2,000 tons.

Wartime History
During the Pacific War requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJN) or Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as a cargo ship. Sometime during 1942-1944 sunk by a bomb hit on the starboard side and sank on the northern shore of Korere Bay near Vunaminave and Tavui Point off the north coast of the Gazelle Peninsula to the west of Rabaul.

Shipwreck
According to locals, the bow might have been above water at one time, but disappeared after an earthquake sometime in the postwar years.

During the late 1960s, discovered by diver George Tyres. Afterwards, the shipwreck was nicknamed "George's Wreck". The ship's bell has never been found to positively identify the ship.

The bow lies at a depth of approximately 40' and her hull follows the contours of the reef down to the stern at 200'. The wreck is intact, aside from a large hole in the starboard side. A forecastle deck gun remains with an ammunition locker nearby.

The forward hold reportedly contained jungle boots, lunch boxes and toothpaste tubes. The bridge contains the telegraph, compass and range finder built by Barr and Strouds of Scotland (this was removed), and two machine guns. Below the bridge was a cabin with a safe, salvaged by Tyres and Herscheid, and opened with explosives. Inside were papers. The galley contained crockery. The rear hold contained beer and sake bottles and sea mines.

References
The Last New Guinea Salvage Pirate pages 4-5, 18-19

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Last Updated
January 8, 2022