SS Montevideo Maru 1942
Marker: recorded wreck position (Second World War).
Key facts
| Name | SS Montevideo Maru | Wikidata label |
|---|---|---|
| Year lost | 1942 | Wikidata P793 significant event, point-in-time qualifier |
| Era | Second World War | derived from year |
| Ship type | ship | Wikidata P31 instance of |
| Cause of loss | War action | Keyword match in English Wikipedia lead sentence |
| Nationality / flag | Japan | Wikidata P8047 country of registry |
| Operator | United States Navy | Wikidata P137 operator |
| Sea / ocean | South China Sea | Natural Earth marine areas (public domain), point-in-polygon |
| Nearest coast | Philippines | Natural Earth (public domain); approx. 119 km from land |
| Position | 18.6167, 119.4833 | Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0) |
About the wreck
Montevideo Maru (Japanese: もんてびでお丸) was a merchant ship of the Empire of Japan. Launched in 1926, it was pressed into service as a military transport during World War II. It was sunk by the American submarine USS Sturgeon on 1 July 1942, drowning 1,054 people, mostly Australian prisoners of war and civilians who were being transported from Rabaul, the former Australian territory of New Guinea, to Hainan. The sinking is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history. The wreck of Montevideo Maru was discovered on 18 April 2023.
Diving & visiting
In late January 2010, Federal Member of Parliament, Stuart Robert, called upon the then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, to back the search for Montevideo Maru, in the same way that he had supported the search for AHS Centaur.
On 18 April 2023, the wreck of Montevideo Maru was discovered at a depth of over 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in the South China Sea, off the northwest coast of Luzon, using technology from Dutch underwater search specialist Fugro. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he hoped the news would bring a "measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil".
A memorial to those who died was erected at the Repatriation Hospital, Bell Street, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria. A Montevideo Maru memorial has been erected near the centre of the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat, Victoria. A commemoration service was held at the memorial unveiling in February 2004.
Location
- Recorded position: 18.6167, 119.4833 (Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0); may be approximate)
- Sea / ocean: South China Sea
- Nearest coast: Philippines
Wreck positions on this site are for interest only and are not for navigation. Many wrecks are war graves or legally protected: never disturb human remains or remove artefacts, and check local law before diving.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Montevideo Maru (revision 1369153727), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section and section(s) “Discovery of the wreck”, “Memorials”; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations and formatting removed. No text added. This excerpt is available under the same licence.
Wreck facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby wrecks
- Taiyō 1944 · 106 km
- SS Hagerstown Victory 1970 · 129 km
Browse more: Asia wrecks · wrecks off Philippines · South China Sea · Second World War