Kōtoku Maru (1937)

The Kōtoku Maru was a 6,702 gross ton freighter that was built by Mitsubishi Jūkōgyō Kabushiki-kaisha, Nagasaki for Hiroumi Syozi Kabushiki Kaisha launched in 1937. She was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and fitted out as an auxiliary ammunition ship.

She was part of the fleet that landed troops during the Hainan Island Operation on 9 February 1939. She was anchored at Cam Ranh Bay with Imperial Japanese Navy in preparation for the invasion of Malaysia in 1942. On 9 July, she landed 250 members of the Hara Construction Force and security troops on Guadalcanal to help build Lunga Airfield, and then transported fifty more to Gavutu to build installations.

Kōtoku Maru left Rabaul in a convoy to resupply Buna and Gona. Disembarkation began near the village of Basabua in the afternoon of 29 July. The ships of the convoy came under bombardment from eight A-24s of 3d Bombardment Group from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby escorted by P-39s of the 41st Fighter Squadron and 80th Fighter Squadron at 1445. She was hit by a bomb in its No.5 hatch and began taking on water. The troops consisting of 15th Independent Engineers were able to be offloaded, however none of the equipment was offloaded.

After heading back under her own power to Lae, she was quickly patch to return the following day to offload the much needed equipment. On 30 July, under the protection of Tatsuta and Yūzuki, she headed back to Buna at 1330. On route she was attacked by Allied aircraft at around 1515. Later she came under attack by eight B-17s of the 19th Bombardment Group and was hit by at least three 500 lbs bombs at 1640 and was disabled. Having been abandoned by her crew, Tatsuta and Yūzuki rescued the survivors and steamed to Rabaul.

She remained afloat and ran aground near Salamaua at 7.01 N, 147.07 E. The Japanese undertook salvage on the shipwreck, removing some of the cargo. After the Allies occupied Salamaua, the winches and other gear from the shipwreck was salvaged on 15 July 1944. The ship remained upright until sometime after 1945, when she rolled over onto her side.