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| IJN Cargo 155' x 28' 5" x 13' 8" 526 Tons |
Ship History Built by Hamane Kisen K. K. at Kobe. Completed 1935 with oil engines 2S.C.SA 4 cylinder 112 nautical horsepower. Commissioned as Yorihime Maru owned and operated by Hamane Kisen K. K used as cargo vessel. Some sources list this ship's name as "Yorishime Maru" [sic]. To the missionaries aboard between February 5, 1944 to February 8, 1944 they did not understand the pronunciation of the ship's Japanese name and phonetically called in "Dorish Maru". Wartime History During the Pacific War, this vessel was commandered by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) for use as a passenger and cargo vessel and armed with anti-aircraft guns. PARTIAL HISTORY On December 30, 1942 departs Saeki (Saiki) as part of "Q Convoy" (No. 8 Military Movement) with Taisei Maru, Kofuku Maru, Yorihime Muar and Ikuta Maru escorted by CH-39. PARTIAL HISTORY On April 26, 1943 departs Shortland Harbor escorted by minesweeper W-22 and two days later arrives Rabaul. PARTIAL HISTORY On January 29, 1944 over a hundred missionaries including Bishop Wolf SVD, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters and Divine Word Missionaries plus civilians including women and children detained in the Hansa Bay area were ordered to march eight miles to coast an embarked aboard this vessel. On February 5, 1944 in the afternoon, the civilian prisoners were loaded aboard the Dorish Maru anchored in Hansa Bay. Also embarked were roughly 100 Japanese Army soldiers joined them on the deck as passengers. No marking or flags indicated that any civilian prisoners were aboard the ship. On February 6, 1944 at roughly midnight the ship departed bound for Kairiru Island off Wewak. Overnight, the ship was spotted by American planes and aboard anti-aircraft gunners fired at them, but the vessel was not attacked. At dawn, the ship was roughly off the mouth of the Sepik River when attacked by twin engined U.S. aircraft that dropped a bomb that scored a near miss while the ship and soldiers aboard returned fire. Ten minutes later, another aircraft returned and dropped another bomb nearby, and ten minutes later there was a third attack. The gunners claimed to shoot down one of the attacking bombers that was observed to crash into the sea. By 8:00am off Turubu as the ship neared Kairiru Island with another ship burning offshore. This vessel was overflown by twelve different bombers, the first failed to make an attack. Others attacked for a half hour bombing and strafing that disabled the ship's anti-aircraft guns and killed crew and passengers on the deck. Aboard, Bishop Wolf plus 27 of the 48 sisters aboard were been killed in the attack, plus many others wounded. Of the Catholic group of 138, 7 priest, 14 brothers and 28 nuns and 7 others were killed with all but six others wounded. Damaged, this ship managed to reach Wewak Harbor at reduced speed. Reaching the shore, the wounded and dead were off loaded, and dead lined up on a hillside. Japanese doctors gave some assistance to the wounded. Known passengers aboard: Bishop Wolf SVD, killed Dr. Braun & Mrs. Braun Sister Klotzbuecher, killed Reverend Ander, killed Mr. Krebs, killed Mr. & Mrs. Kuehn, wounded Reverend Mager Mr Barber Nagi Bertelsmeier, wounded broken leg Mr. Johnson, wounded in back Mr. Siemers, wounded Pater Josef Schebesta, killed ? Leong, civilian, killed Mr. Kuehn, wounded, dead reaching shore Pater Josef Schebesta, killed Father John Tschauder, SVD. survived In the evening, the survivors reboarded the ship and departed westward bound for Humbolt Bay off Hollandia and arrived February 8, 1944. PARTIAL HISTORY On May 3, 1944 departs Oshima as part of Rin Oki Convoy with Army transports Hakka Maru, Yorihime Maru, Shoto Maru, Banshu Maru No. 16 plus six other merchant vessels escorted by torpedo boat Manazuru, subchaser CH-49, auxiliary subchaser Chikuto Maru and auxiliary minesweeper Shonan Maru No. 16. Afterwards, the fate of this ship is unknown. Memorials SVD Box Hill Formation House was renamed Dorish Maru College in honor of this ship. References Some sources list this ship as name as "Yorishime Maru" [sic]. To the missionaries aboard in early 1944 did not understand the pronunciation of the ship's Japanese name and phonetically called in "Dorish Maru". Lloyd's of London Llloyd's Register of Ships - Yorihime Maru 1935-1936 [PDF] Lloyd's of London Llloyd's Register of Ships - Yorihime Maru 1945-1946 [PDF] PNG Attitude "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: Part Two, 1944" July 31, 2015 "The name Dorish Maru was a pidginized version of the Yorishime Maru because the missionaries didn’t understand the Japanese pronunciation and ‘maru’ meaning merchant ship." Death on the Dorish Maru [PDF] Diary of John Tschauder, SVD [PDF] via Wayback Machine April 9, 2013 The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea (1994) page 141-142 (does not name ship, Catholic experience) Pater Josef Schebesta page removed "Pater Josef Schebesta geb. 18.01.1885 ges. 06.02.1944" Thanks to Edward Rogers for additional information Contribute
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