Japanese transport Kembu Maru

Transport ship of the Imperial Japanese Army

History
Kenbu Maru under attack by Allied aircraft during the battle of the Bismarck Sea
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.

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1943

Shipwrecks

2 Mar: Kyokusei Maru, Meriwether Lewis
3 Mar: Aiyo Maru, Arashio, Doggerbank, Kembu Maru, Oigawa Maru, Shirayuki, Sin-ai Maru, Stag Hound, Taimei Maru
4 Mar: Asashio, City of Pretoria, Marietta E, Tokitsukaze, U-87
5 Mar: Empire Tower, USS Grampus, Minegumo, Murasame
8 Mar: ′s Jacob, James B. Stephens, U-156
9 Mar: Fort Battle River
10 Mar: U-633, Richard Bland, Nailsea Court
11 Mar: HMS Harvester, U-432, U-444
12 Mar: HMS Lightning, HMS Turbulent, U-130
13 Mar: Clan Alpine, Empress of Canada, U-163
14 Mar: HMS Thunderbolt
15 Mar: USS Triton
16 Mar: Benjamin Harrison
19 Mar: Lulworth Hill, U-5, U-384
21 Mar: K-3, U-163
22 Mar: U-524, U-665
23 Mar: Delfino, Windsor Castle
24 Mar: Bungsberg
25 Mar: U-469
27 Mar: HMS Dasher, U-169
28 Mar: Caterina Costa, Ceuta, Masaya, Suwa Maru
29 Mar: U-77
30 Mar: SS Empire Bowman, U-416
Unknown date: Sirène