The Ship

The Arisan Maru was a Japanese freighter used during World War II to transport Allied prisoners of war under harrowing conditions. On October 24, 1944, it became the site of the greatest single loss of American lives at sea when it was torpedoed in the South China Sea by the USS Shark or USS Snook.

The POWs

Aboard were more than 1,780 American POWs, many of whom had been captured in the Philippines in 1942. Cramped in the dark holds without ventilation, food, or water, the men endured unbearable conditions. The ship was unmarked as carrying prisoners, making it vulnerable to attack.

"It was hell before the torpedoes hit. Afterward, it was a nightmare in black water." — Survivor of the Arisan Maru

The Sinking

When torpedoes struck the Arisan Maru, chaos erupted. The Japanese crew and guards abandoned ship, leaving the prisoners locked below. Some managed to break free, but rescue was limited. Only 9 of the 1,780 survived, rescued later by Chinese fishermen.

Legacy

The Arisan Maru represents the ultimate horror of the Hellships: death not from combat, but from inhuman treatment. It stands as a solemn chapter in the history of American POWs in the Pacific, and is memorialized here as part of the Hellships Memorial Project’s mission to honor the fallen and educate future generations.

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