Japanese transport ship Oigawa Maru

Oigawa Maru (大井川丸) was a 6,494 GRT transport ship of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

History
Japan
Name	Oigawa Maru
Owner	Toyo Kaiun K.K.
Builder	Kawaminami Kogyo K.K., Nagasaki
Laid down	c. 1940[1]
Launched	30 January 1941
Completed	8 May 1941
In service	1941
Fate	Requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army as an auxiliary transport ship, 23 September 1941
History
Imperial Japanese Army
Name	Oigawa Maru
Operator	Imperial Japanese Army
Acquired	23 September 1941
In service	1941-1943
Identification	No. 408[1]
Fate	Sunk by PT boats off Finschhafen, 3 March 1943
General characteristics [1][2]
Tonnage	6,494 GRT 9,501 DWT
Length	445 ft 10 in (135.89 m)
Beam	58 ft 5 in (17.81 m)
Height	32 ft 2 in (9.80 m)
Propulsion	3500 shp steam turbine
Speed	15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) max
Armament	Anti-aircraft guns

On 10 December 1941, while unloading troops at Pandan, Philippines, she was bombed and damaged and beached to prevent sinking.

She left Rabaul, New Britain on 1 March 1943, as part of Operation 81, carrying a cargo of troops, equipment, fuel, landing craft and ammunition for Lae, New Guinea.^[3] The convoy was attacked by aircraft of the United States Army Air Forces and Royal Australian Air Force from 2 March 1943, known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Oigawa Maru was bombed and damaged on 3 March, and was later sunk by motor torpedo boats PT-143 and PT-150 and sank at (06°58′S 148°16′E)

There were 78 crewmen and 1,151 troops of the 51st Division who were killed in action.^[4]