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The bombing of the Oryoku Maru was one of the darkest events to come o...
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The bombing of the Oryoku Maru was one of the darkest events to come out of WWII. The Oryoku Maru was a "Hell Ship" used to transport prisoners in very inhumane conditions to Japan. Many books and articles have been written about the "Hell Ships" especially about this one. The Oryoku Maru Story describes the events that occurred to the 1619 POW's who were loaded aboard the Oryoku Maru in Manila, P.I. on December 13, 1944, through to the arrival of approximately 450 survivors, in Moji, Japan on January 29, 1945.
As a dive site and a war grave, the Oryoku Maru sits about 300 meters off shore. She sits in 15 to 25 meters of water. The wreck is a tangle of metal the results of war damage, clearing operations and time. Visibility is often poor as the wreck is very near a commercial pier. Coral and fish life is healthy, with large schools of jacks found near the bow.