 Kenbu Maru under attack by Allied aircraft during the
battle of the Bismarck Sea
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Japan | |
| Name | Kembu Maru |
| Builder | Nakata Zosen |
| Fate | Sunk by aircraft on 3 March 1943 at 07°15'S, 148°30'E |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 953 tons |
Kembu Maru was a 953-ton transport ship of Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
She left Rabaul, New Britain on 1 March 1943, as part of Operation 81, carrying a cargo of 1,000 drums of avgas and 650 drums of other fuel for Lae, New Guinea. [1]
The convoy was attacked by aircraft of the United States Army Air Forces and Royal Australian Air Force from 2 March 1943, known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Kembu Maru was bombed on 3 March; she exploded in a giant fireball and sank at 07°15'S., 148°30'E. 20 troops were killed in action. [2]
Notes
- ^ McAulay 1991, p. 39
- ^ "Kembu Maru (+1943)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
References
- McAulay, Lex (1991). Battle of the Bismarck Sea. New York: St Martins Press. ISBN 0-312-05820-9. OCLC 23082610.
