Ayatosan Maru (1939)
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ayatosan Maru |
| Owner: |
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| Builder: | Tama Shipbuilding Co. |
| Acquired: | 1939 |
| Fate: | Sunk by Allied aircraft |
| Status: | Shipwreck |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 9,788 gross ton (10,930DWT) |
| Length: | 476 feet (145 m) |
| Beam: | 64 feet (20 m) |
| Draught: | 40 feet (12 m) |
The Ayatosan Maru (綾戸山丸 貨物船) was a 9,788 gross ton (10,930DWT) freighter that was built by Tama Shipbuilding Co., Tamano for Mitsui & Co. Ltd. launched in 1939. She had been intended to run the New York passenger and freight run, however she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and fitted out as a high-speed transport, which was completed in May 1941.
During the invasion of Malaya she was damaged by Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed Hudson light bombers and a blaze broke out which was later extinguished. She was also damaged by a torpedo from the Dutch submarine HNLMS O-16.
After unloading troops and supplies at Gona on 21 July 1942, she was bombed by United States Army Air Forces and Royal Australian Air Force bombers and was sunk at 8°50′S 148°50′E / 8.833°S 148.833°E, with the loss of three lives. She became known as "The Gona Wreck". The wreck was later used to range artillery and as a bombing target by Allied forces.
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