Divers locate the wreck of the Japanese freighter Hōfuku Maru off Luzon in the Philippines, more than 80 years after it sank in 1944 while carrying Allied prisoners of war. Multiple outlets report that the ship is associated with the largest single-day loss of Allied POWs discovered to date. Accounts consistently describe the vessel as a “hell ship” carrying more than 1,000 Allied servicemen; figures vary slightly across coverage, with reports citing over 1,000 and also numbers above 1,200 POWs. The discovery is linked to recently surfaced archival and digitized records. Sources say buried documents in both U.S. and Japanese archives helped resolve the ship’s location, enabling researchers and divers to find the wreck. The announcement is credited by some outlets to the Hellships Memorial Foundation, and one report notes the finding was also featured on Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown. All sources present the same core story: the torpedoed freighter sinks in 1944, and its remains are found off Luzon decades later using information from long-unexamined records.
Wreck of WWII Japanese hellship Hōfuku Maru found off Philippines after 80 years
Divers locate the wreck of the Japanese freighter Hōfuku Maru off Luzon in the Philippines, more than 80 years after it sank in 1944 while carrying Allied prisoners of war. Multiple outlets report tha...
- Divers find the wreck of the Japanese freighter Hōfuku Maru off Luzon in the Philippines.
- The ship sinks in 1944 while carrying Allied POWs, with reports citing over 1,000 to more than 1,200 POWs.
- The discovery comes more than 80 years after the sinking.
- Archival research and digitized records in U.S. and Japanese sources help identify the wreck’s location.
- The finding is attributed in some coverage to the Hellships Memorial Foundation and is reported alongside related media coverage.
The discovery, announced by the Hellships Memorial Foundation, was also aired in early June on the Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown program.
1 month agoDivers have found the wreck of the Hofuku Maru off Luzon in the Philippines. The Japanese freighter sank in 1944 with over 1,200 Allied POWs; a digitised military file finally solved the mystery.
2 months agoDivers have found the wreck of the Hofuku Maru off Luzon in the Philippines. The Japanese freighter sank in 1944 with over 1,200 Allied POWs; a digitised military record finally solved the mystery.
2 months agoHōfuku Maru found after 80 years: The WWII hellship where more than 1,000 POWs died in minutes
2 months agoMore than 80 years after its sinking, buried documents in both the American and Japanese archives held the key to locating the "hell ship” Hōfuku Maru.
2 months agoMore than 80 years after its sinking, buried documents in both the American and Japanese archives held the key to locating the "hell ship” Hōfuku Maru.
2 months ago
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