MF- San Francisco Maru

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The San Francisco Maru was a massive passenger-cargo ship measuring 385ft/117m and weighing in at 5,831 tons, constructed in 1919 by Yamashita Kisen Kabushiki Kaisha for its global trade operations involving crucial minerals like coal, bauxite, and phosphate. The term 'Maru' specifically identifies a merchant vessel. After being requisitioned by the Japanese Navy, this ship was tasked with transporting vital cargoes belonging to the Japanese Navy Branch between Japan's homeland and the Inner South Seas region. On May 4th, 1943, Allied intelligence intercepted a report from the San Francisco Maru's commander stating that the ship had sustained minor damage from an attack by aircraft at Wewak in New Guinea. Following repairs, prisoner interrogations later revealed that the ship arrived at Truk Lagoon on February 5th, 1944. Aerial photographs clearly show the ship lying at the 4th Fleet anchorage southeast of Dublon.