The Sinking of the MW Montevideo Maru
MV Montevideo Maru
The 1st July marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru in 1942. An incident that remains today, the largest loss of Australian life in a maritime disaster. And what makes it worse, it was a result of ‘friendly fire’.
Group photo: Australian 2/22nd Battalion
In 1941, with the increasing threat of Japanese invasion, Australia sent battalion strength forces with support units to Ambon (Gull Force, 2/21st Battalion), present day Indonesia, to Dutch West Timor (Sparrow Force, 2/40th Battalion) and to Rabaul (Lark Force, 2/22nd Battalion) in New Britian. The three battalions formed the 23rd Brigade of the ill-fated 8th Division with the 22nd and 27th Brigades being sent to Singapore.
The primary purpose of the ‘bird’ forces was to protect airfields and seaplane bases which were a vital link to Australia. Lark Force at Rabaul, was the biggest force with over 1,400 personnel. It was also supported by RAAF Hudson bombers and Wirraway aircraft.
A month after the Japanese had invaded Malaya, bombing commenced at Rabaul. Very quickly, the RAAF force was substantially weakened in number to the extent that the three airworthy aircraft that remained, were withdrawn back to Australia. Early on the morning of the 23rd January 1942, the Japanese began their attack with a strength of 5,000 men. Quickly, Lark Force was overwhelmed. With no escape plan in place, chaos ensued and the order was given “every man for himself”. Troops were forced into an uncoordinated withdrawal. Many surrendered and about 400 managed to evade the Japanese and make it back to Australia.
In a tragic turn of events, about 160 had managed to follow the coastline south and arrived at Tol Plantation. They were discovered by the Japanese. The Lark Force soldiers waved white flags of surrender and were taken prisoner. On the 4th February, these men were marched into the jungle and were either bayonetted or shot. Six men managed to survive and were able to recount the story of this massacre to war crime trials after the war.
About 900 soldiers became POWs.
In early June 1942, the Japanese made the decision to transport the POWs to work camps and on the 22nd June 1942, 849 members of Lark Force and about 200 civilians boarded the MV Montevideo Maru for Hainan Island in China.
The Montevideo Maru was a 6.590 tonne, twin screw vessel constructed in 1926 in Japan and prior to the war, was used for passengers and cargo services between Japan and South America. With the outbreak of war, the Montevideo Maru was seized by the Imperial Japanese Navy and used to transport troops and provisions around southeast Asia.
Group photo: 2/10th Field Ambulance - All were either killed at Tol Plantation or died in the sinking of the Montevideo Maru
The Montevideo Maru had sailed north from Rabaul, along the eastern coast of the Phillipines, close to the coast in shallower waters, to avoid submarines. On the 30th June, as it approached the northwest of the Island of Luzon (Phillipines), it was sighted by the American submarine USS Sturgeon. The ship was travelling unescorted but at a speed which did not allow the Sturgeon to fire its torpedoes. The Sturgeon followed and shortly after midnight, the Montevideo Maru slowed to rendezvous with two destroyer escorts which would provide protection as the Montevideo Maru crossed the South China Sea. Unaware that the ship was carrying POWs, the Sturgeon’s Ship Log recorded that at 2:29am on the 1st July, four torpedoes were fired at the Montevideo Maru.
Two torpedoes struck the rear of the vessel causing an explosion in an oil tank in the aft hold. The Montevideo Maru began to sink by the stern. The Japanese crew immediately started to abandon the ship and no assistance was given to the POWs. Eleven minutes later, the Montevideo Maru slipped below the waterline taking the POWs and civilians, with it. Of the 88 crew, only 17 survived. A crew member recorded that the POWs in the water, sang ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in the last moments of the ship.
The sixty or so, POWs who remained at Rabaul when the Montevideo Maru sailed, were later transferred to work camps in Japan, unaware of the fate of the other POWs.
Gull and Sparrow Forces fought bravely against the Japanese but overwhelming Japanese numbers and with little food, water and ammunition and mounting casualties, they were forced to surrender. As POWs, they were dispersed throughout the Japanese held territories to be used as forced labour. But none experienced the horrors like the sinking of the Montevideo Maru.
The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was a low point in Australia’s military history. Poor planning, the ruthlessness of the Japanese and the impact of the attack by an allied submarine, left Lark Force with little or no chance or survival.
Rest in Peace.
Source:
2/22nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Accessed 15th June 2025, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U56065
2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion, Accessed 27th June 2025, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U56077
Montevideo Maru, Accessed 15th June 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montevideo_Maru
Montevideo Maru - sinking of the Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942, Accessed 15th June 2025, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/montevideo_maru
The Loss of Lark Force, Accessed 19th June 2025, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-loss-of-lark-force
Lark Force Lost; Rabaul, 23 January 1942, Accessed 19th June 2025, https://www.anzacmemorial.nsw.gov.au/lark-force-lost-rabaul-23-january-1942
Lark Force 2/10 Field Ambulance, Accessed 19th June 2025, https://montevideo-maru.org/electronic-memorials/lark-force/soldiers-of-lark-force/lark-force-2-10-field-ambulance