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| IJA Type 1A Cargo Ship 6,494 Tons |
Ship History Built by Kawaminami Kogyo K.K. at Koyagishima. Laid down in 1940 as a standard type 1A cargo ship of 6,494 tons. Launched in 1941 as Oigawa Maru. Completed in May 1941 and operated as a cargo ship by Toyo Kaiun. K. K. (Oriental Marine Transport) of Tokyo. Wartime History On September 23, 1941 requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) for use as a transport and converted for military service. Assigned Army Number 480. In early December 1941 embarks the carries the Japanese Army 2nd Company, 18th Airfield Battalion, 16th Airfield Unit. On December 7, 1941 departs MakÅ as part of the invasion force bound for the Philippines with transports escorted by light cruiser Naka and destroyers, minesweepers and subchasers. On December 10, 1941 at 2:00am the invasion force arrives off Vigan on northern Luzon and the transports begins landing the Japanese Army "Kanno Detachment" at Pandan. In the morning, the invasion force is targeted by U.S. Army Air Force bombers and fighters including B-17s and P-35A and P-40B Warhawks that bomb and strafe. During the air raid, Oigawa Maru sustains enough damage and was beached. Afterwards, refloated and repaired and returned to duty. PARTIAL HISTORY Sinking History On March 3, 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea sunk by air attack roughly thirty miles southeast of Finschafen. Afterwards, the ship was dead in the water and still burning with a large fire in the forward cargo hold and a smaller fire at the aft. Around 11:00pm the flames were spotted by PT Boats that arrived to patrol tha area and independently attacked by three different groups of PT Boats. At 11:10pm the first pair PT-143 and PT-150 spotted a fire and found the ship dead in the water with a large fire burning in the forward cargo hold and a small fire aft, and seemed to be abandoned. From 800 yards, PT-143 fired a torpedo that hit the stern and caused it list to the port and settle into the sea. Five minutes later, PT-150 fired a second torpedo from 700 yards that hit midship and caused it to begin sinking stern first and burning brightly. The second group: PT-68, PT-149, PT-66 and PT-121 approached the fire of the sinking Oigawa Maru at slow speed which was on fire and appeared to be abandoned. PT-149 believed it observe a search light on the ship and fired one torpedo before it lost sight of the target and reported the ship sank. The third group: PT-67 and PT-128 spotted the ship on fire and approached. PT-128 fired two torpedoes from 1,500 yards that missed, but saw an explosion thought they hit the target. In fact, the explosion was from a torpedoes fired by PT-143 and PT-150 that caused the damaged ship to sink stern first while burning brightly. References Note, some sources spell the ship Oikawa Maru [sic]. Another ship Oigawa Maru (575 Tons) is not this vessel. At Close Quarters PT Boats in the United States Navy page 180-181 (Oigawa Maru) Contribute
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