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Taimei Maru straddled by bombs in March 1943
History
Japan
Name	Taimei Maru
Owner	Kinkai Yusen K.K. Nippon Yusen K.K.
Builder	Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K., Yokohama
Completed	July 1936
Fate	Sunk by aircraft on 3 March 1943 at 07°15'S, 148°30'E
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,883 GRT 1,450 NRT
Length	326.2 feet (99.4 m)
Beam	44.2 feet (13.5 m)
Draught	24 feet (7.3 m)
Installed power	284 NHP
Propulsion	Triple expansion engines

Taimei Maru was a 2,883 ton transport ship of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Built by Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K., Yokohama and launched in 1936 for Kinkai Yusen K.K. She was sold in 1939 to Nippon Yusen K.K..

She left Rabaul, New Britain on 1 March 1943, as part of Operation 81, carrying a cargo of troops, equipment, fuel, landing craft and ammunition for Lae, New Guinea. 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. Taimei Maru was bombed on 3 March and sank at 07°15'S., 148°30'E.
Of those aboard, some 200 were killed during the attack.

Notes

1. "Lloyd's Register 1942-43" (PDF). plimsollshipdata. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
2. McAulay 1991, p. 39
3. "Taimei Maru". Shipwrecks. 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.

v t e 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, Teiyo 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: Nailsea Court, Richard Bland, U-633 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
Other incidents	8 Mar: Ro-103 13 Mar: USS R-6 19 Mar: HMS Derwent Unknown date: USS Scorpion
1942 1943 1944 February 1943 April 1943

• 1936 ships
• Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
• Maritime incidents in March 1943
• Ships sunk by US aircraft
• Ships sunk by Australian aircraft
• Shipwrecks in the Bismarck Sea