SS Bokuyo Maru

Bokuyo Maru (墨洋丸) was a cargo and ocean liner, built in 1924 at the Tsurumi Naval Yard^[1] and registered to Tokyo.^[2]

The ship traveled between Japan and the west coast of South America; she transported the ancestors of Alberto Fujimori.^[3]

Initially she was operated by Toyo Kisen Kaisha. In March 1926, that company merged into Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), and NYK acquired the ship.^[4]

On June 28, 1939, the ship experienced a fire from copper concentrate while in Los Angeles. The fire incident ended on July 2.^[4]

Sinking

On July 18, 1939,^[5] the ship was on a voyage from Valparaíso, Chile,^[6] through Central America^[7] and then the San Pedro area of Los Angeles to Yokohama, with a planned arrival on July 22.^[6] The ship left Los Angeles on July 2, with S. Amano being the ship's captain.^[8]

Nitrates had been put on the ship in Valparaiso. While the ship was 1,125 miles (1,811 km) east of her destination, the nitrates ignited. 212 persons were on board. The 113 passengers^[6] were Japanese and Indian.^[7] The records did not show any Americans nor Europeans on the Los Angeles to Yokohama segment when the accident occurred.^[8] The Oakland Tribune stated that "many of the passengers had steerage tickets".^[1]

She sent out an SOS, received by a wireless center in Chōshi. This center then asked area ships to assist the Bokuyo Maru after the center lost contact.^[9]

SS Associated was an oil tanker owned by the company Associated Oil Company.^[6] Captained by Leland C. Hawkins,^[1] the Associated was on a Manila to San Francisco voyage^[5] when it rescued all but three people from the Bokuyo Maru.^[6] Two of the missing were crew members, and one was a three-year old boy.^[5][6] It was reported that the chief officer and chief engineer of the Bokuyo Maru had to knock out Captain Amano because he refused to leave the ship. They put a life jacket on him and threw him overboard. They were the last three men on board.^[10]

The Azuma Maru (吾妻丸),^[11] the Florida Maru (ふろりだ丸), the Nippon Maru [ja], and the San Pedro Maru (さんぺどろ丸) had also set out to assist the Bokuyo Maru.^[7] The survivors were later placed on the Florida Maru,^[5] and taken to Japan.^[12]

Two explosions occurred as the fire hit the fuel tanks.^[5] The fire hit the ship's waterline, and the Bokuyo Maru went down into the sea.^[13]

References

1. "Bay Tanker Saves 209 From Burning Japanese Vessel; 3 Die as Ship Sinks". Oakland Tribune. Vol. 131, no. 18. Oakland, California. July 18, 1939. pp. 1, 2 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research, University of California Riverside. - Copy at Newspaperarchive.com
2. "Bokuyo Maru". Lloyd's Register Foundation. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
3. Yamada, Michio (June 1994). "The Appearance of the Anyo Maru, the First Ship Specially Built for Emigration" (PDF). Ships of the World [ja]. Translated by R. Douglas Welch – via The Academic Society for Cruise and Ferry, Japan. - Relevant cited page is the first one. Original article in Japanese - Relevant passage is on page 110 (PDF p. 1/7).
4. "209 Rescued from Flaming Ship: Tanker Effects Rescue". San Pedro News-Pilot. Vol. 12, no. 114. San Pedro, Los Angeles. Associated Press. 1939-07-18. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Jackson 'Marco Polo' Helps Save 209 Persons in Pacific Disaster". Jackson Citizen Patriot. Jackson, Michigan. 1939-08-12. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Ship Ablaze at Sea, 209 Are Saved - Fire Breaks Out In Nitrates on Japanese Ship". Springfield Evening Union. Vol. 76, no. 196. Springfield, Massachusetts. Associated Press. 1939-07-18. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Two Liner Disasters: Nineteen Lives Lost in Fire and Explosion at Sea". The Manchester Guardian. Manchester. 1939-07-19. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "TANKER TAKES 209 OFF FLAMING SHIP; JAPANESE SHIP THAT BURNED AND TANKER THAT RESCUED 209". The New York Times. Vol. 88, no. 29761. 1939-07-19. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
9. "Three Lost in Blazing Liner". Liverpool Daily Post. Liverpool. 1939-07-19. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Captain pushed off burning ship he refused to leave". Evening Star (Washington, D.C.). 30 July 1939. pp. 1, 3.
11. "Pacific Blazing Liner Drama: 209 Rescued - Three Lost". Western Mail. Cardiff. 1939-07-19. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Japanese Ship Explodes in Mid-Pacific; Passenger's Camera Shows Rescue". Life. Vol. 7, no. 8. 1939-08-21. p. 27. ISSN 0024-3019 – via Google Books.
13. "Jap [sic] Ship Afire, Sinks in Pacific". Daily News. Sydney. 1939-07-19. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

English

• "Interesting Events of the World Caught by Newspaper Cameramen". East Oregonian. Pendleton, Oregon. 1939-08-09. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
• "209 Saved in Thrilling Sea Rescue". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Vol. 65, no. 72. St. Louis, Missouri. 1939-07-30. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Vivid Views of Thrilling Rescue at Sea". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. 1939-07-30. p. 12A – via Newspapers.com.
• "Tanker Reaches Port With Photos of Sea Rescue". Springfield News-Sun. Springfield, Ohio. 1939-07-30. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
• "Japanese Ship on Fire". Kalgoorlie Miner. 1939-07-19. p. 5.
• "The Bokuyo Maru Complement Taken Off". The Townsville Daily Bulletin. 1939-07-20. p. 6.
• "Japanese Steamer Lost". The Times. No. 48361. London. 19 July 1939. col. G, p. 8.
• "Rescue at Sea". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVIII, no. 10. Wellington, New Zealand. July 20, 1939. p. 10.

Japanese

• Hikami, Katuyuki (July 1942). "墨洋丸沈没の俺原因に就て" [Survey on the Sinking of the N.Y.K. Liner, S/S "Bokuyo Maru."]. Journal of the Mining Institute of Japan (in Japanese). 458 (687): 458-459 (34-35). doi:10.11508/shigentosozai1885.58.458. - Profile