The Lima Maru was built in 1920 by the Mitsubishi Zosen Kaisha in Nagasaki for the Nippon Yusen shipping company.
IJA Transport LIMA MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
On February 8, 1944, The Lima Maru, considered a “Hell Ship” by the POWs, transporting around 2,900 men of the Japanese 19th Brigade from Moji to Takao, was torpedoed by the submarine USS Snook three times. This caused it to explode, flood, and sink quickly. The Lima Maru sunk some 30 miles southeast of the Goto Archipelago. The bodies of some victims washed ashore on Mageshima Island, more than 300 km to the east.
Fewer than 150 soldiers survived the sinking. The Lima Maru was part of convoy MOTA-02.
USS Snook
The USS Snook (SS-279) was lost in the South China Sea during World War II and all hands were presumed dead. It was last heard from on April 8, 1945, and presumed lost on May 16, 1945. The cause of her loss is still unknown. She has been credited with sinking 17 enemy vessels in her two and one-half years of active service.
More information on USS Snook:
Unfortunately, the USS Snook is marred with this history:
Greatest Maritime US Loss in Maritime History. On 24th October 1944 ARISAN MARU carrying 1782 US POW was hit by 3 torpedoes from American submarine USS SNOOK in the South China Sea, 200 miles N.W. of Luzon Island, Philippines. ARISAN MARU was carrying 1.782 US prisoners, 125 Japanese passengers and 204 crew from Manila to Japan. 1777 POW died. Only 9 POW survive. This makes her the greatest loss of American life in maritime history. Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?57991
From: Submarine Photo Index at 0827931.pdf
Also from the same cite above is:
A number of enemy submarine contacts were reported in the vicinity of Snook’s (SS-279) lifeguard station during the period in which her loss occurred. During April and May 1945, five Japanese submarines were sunk in the Nansei Shoto chain. The circumstances surrounding Snook’s loss suggest the possibility that one of these lost submarines may have torpedoed her while she was surfaced during her lifeguard duties and it was not reported. It is known that such tactics were suggested to Japanese submarine commanders by their supporters, according to Submarines Lost Through Enemy Action.
The last highlighted underlined cite reads:
Snook (SS-279) 9 Apr 45 84 killed Probably sunk by a combination of Japanese naval aircraft (256th, 453rd, and 951st Kokutais); escort vessel Okinawa, Coast Defense Vessel No. 8 , Coast Defense Vessel No. 32 , and Coast Defense Vessel No. 52; and/or submarine I-56 in the Nansei Soto.
John Franklin Walling, Commander (Commanding Officer)
of the Snook (SS-279) at the time of her loss.
Source: Submarine Photo Index
