The fate of the POWs near war's end

MacArthur vowed to return to the Philippines. He was finally able to keep his word. Toward the end of 1944, a possible reentry into the Philippines was becoming a reality. The battle of Leyte Gulf in October was one of the initial steps taken toward an American victory over Japan. The POWs in the Philippines could see the American planes and hoped liberation would be coming soon. The Japanese realized the same thing and decided to move the POWs. The result of their actions would cause thousands more POWs to die, this time, by the hands of America. The POWs were put on hell-ships. The tragic fate of three of them demonstrates the extent the Japanese were willing to go to kill their captives.

The POW death rate had finally stabilized. Thousands were not dying anymore. But when American submarines and torpedoes sunk three Japanese ships with no Red Cross or POW markings, thousands more, mostly officers, would die.

The Shinyo Maru with 750 POWs was sunk on September 7, 1944. Only eighty-two would be rescued by Filipino guerillas. This was followed by the sinking of the Arisan Maru on October 24, the first day of the battle of Leyte Gulf. The ship went down 200 miles off the coast of China. Of the 1,790 POWs eight were found, five survived. Nearby Japanese destroyers saw the POWs in the water and pushed them away when they came near. Finally, the Oryoku Maru went down on December 13. The 1,619 POWs were on the ship for forty-nine days. Amazingly, 1,300 survived. (56)

"Gen. Douglas MacArthur returns to the Philippines, October 20, 1944."
Wide World Photos, From: Buchanan, between pp. 412-413, photo # 18

MacArthur invaded Luzon on January 9, 1945. As the Americans advanced they liberated those left in the POW camps.

"Airdropping Food - the view from the B-29."
U.S. National Archives, From: Daws, p. 238

"Liberation - prisoners wearing airdropped clothes, with some flesh back on their bones."
U.S. National Archives, From: Daws, p. 238

Endnotes

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