Key facts
- The wreck of the Japanese freighter Hofuku Maru, sunk in 1944, has been discovered off Luzon, Philippines.
- The ship carried 1,289 Allied prisoners of war, with 1,047 dying when it sank.
- A newly examined Japanese document provided critical information about the convoy's attack and the ship's location.
- The wreck was found approximately 50 meters deep, and human remains were discovered among the debris.
- The discovery provides a resting place for families of the deceased prisoners after 80 years.
The wreck of the Japanese freighter Hofuku Maru, which sank in 1944 carrying over 1,200 Allied prisoners of war, has been discovered off Luzon, Philippines. The discovery, made possible by a digitised Japanese document examined in 2025, provides closure for families who had no known resting place for their loved ones for 80 years.
The Hofuku Maru was part of a Japanese convoy attacked by US Navy aircraft on September 21, 1944. On board were 1,289 British and Dutch prisoners of war, many already weakened from forced labor on the Burma-Thailand "Death Railway." The ship, unmarked as a prisoner transport, was struck by a torpedo and sank in less than three minutes, trapping up to 1,000 prisoners in its holds. Of the 1,289 prisoners, 1,047 died.
For decades, the exact location of the wreck remained a mystery due to fragmentary records and conflicting survivor testimonies. The breakthrough came when researcher John Duresky found a Japanese document detailing the convoy's timeline and attack, specifying the Hofuku Maru's position. Cross-referencing this with US Navy reports, the Hellships Memorial Foundation, founded by Randy Anderson, pinpointed the wreck's location.
An expedition led by explorer Josh Gates, underwater imaging specialist Evan Kovacs, and maritime archaeologist Calvin Mires used sonar equipment off Zambales province. They located the wreck at a depth of approximately 50 meters. Several deep dives were conducted, and despite volcanic ash covering parts of the site, hundreds of photographs were taken to create a three-dimensional model. The wreck's dimensions and layout matched original plans, and it was found broken in sections, consistent with accounts of its sinking.
Human remains were discovered among the debris, confirming the site as a war grave protected under international law. The exact coordinates are being withheld to protect the site. The Netherlands has indicated plans to work with other nations to honor the victims, and the Hellships Memorial Foundation will begin contacting the families of those who died.