The Ship

The Maros Maru was a Japanese cargo vessel used to transport Allied prisoners of war during World War II. In January 1945, it became part of a hellish journey that took hundreds of POWs from the Philippines to Japan under horrific conditions. Unlike many hellships, the Maros Maru was not sunk, but its voyage was no less deadly.

The Conditions

More than 1,000 Allied prisoners, many of whom had survived the Oryoku Maru and Enoura Maru disasters, were crammed into the ship’s filthy cargo holds with minimal food, no sanitation, and little air. By the time the ship reached Japan, hundreds had died from disease, exposure, and starvation. The journey is remembered as one of the slowest and most painful death marches at sea.

“The Maros Maru wasn’t bombed. We just rotted in it.” — Allied POW, anonymous testimony

The Arrival

The survivors of the voyage were sent to prison camps in Japan, many too weak to stand. Dozens more died within days of arrival. Though it never came under direct attack, the Maros Maru became a floating tomb for hundreds of men, a testament to the suffering endured by POWs during maritime transport.

Legacy

The Hellships Memorial recognizes the Maros Maru and its victims as part of the broader story of POW abuse in the Pacific War. The story serves as a powerful reminder of cruelty inflicted not only through violence, but through neglect and inhumanity.

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