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{{Short description|Japanese cargo liner and troopship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=ital}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Lisbon-maru.jpg
|Ship caption=''Lisbon Maru''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= Japan
|Ship flag= {{Shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|civil}}
|Ship name=SS ''Lisbon Maru''
|Ship namesake=[[Port of Lisbon]]
|Ship owner=[[File:NYK Line house flag.svg|border|20px]] [[Nippon Yusen Kaisha]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry= 
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=Yokohama Dock Company, [[Yokohama]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=15 October 1919
|Ship launched=31 May 1920
|Ship completed=8 July 1920
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Sunk by {{USS|Grouper|SS-214|6}}, 1 October 1942
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Cargo liner]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|7053}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{Convert|135.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{Convert|17.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship depth={{Convert|10.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=632 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|nhp]]
|Ship propulsion=2 × [[triple expansion steam engine]]s
|Ship speed={{Convert|12|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity=28 passengers
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''''Lisbon Maru''''' ({{lang|ja|りすぼん丸}}) was a [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] [[cargo liner]] built at [[Yokohama]] in 1920 for a Japanese [[shipping line]]. During [[World War II]], the ship was requisitioned by the Japanese Army and turned into an armed [[troopship]]. On her final voyage, ''Lisbon Maru'' was being used to transport [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] between [[Hong Kong]] and Japan when it was [[torpedo]]ed by the submarine USS Grouper on 1 October 1942.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lisbonmaru.com/ |title=The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru |website=lisbonmaru.com |accessdate=8 December 2018}}</ref> Over 800 [[British people|British]] POWs died in the sinking, either by drowning or being shot by Japanese soldiers as they attempted to escape from the sinking ship. Approximately 380 British [[Prisoner of war|POWs]] were rescued by nearby [[Chinese people|Chinese]] [[fisherman|fishermen]], but were soon recaptured by the Japanese.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/china-daily/pows-documentary-lisbon-maru-zhoushan-film-b2402133.html |title=Documentary tells story of POWs’ rescue |website=www.independent.co.uk |accessdate=18 September 2024}}</ref> The remaining 644 POWs were salvaged by nearby Japanese naval vessels from the water and taken back into captivity.<ref>「[https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&REFCODE=C08030179100&BID=F2008040314061308710&ID=&NO=6&TYPE=PDF&DL_TYPE=pdf 昭和１７年１０月１日～１０月３１日　戦時日誌（１）]」JACAR（アジア歴史資料センター）Ref.C08030179100、昭和１７年９月１日～昭和１７年１１月３０日　第１３砲艦隊戦時日誌（防衛省防衛研究所）</ref>{{Non-primary source needed|date=October 2024}} 

==Construction and commercial service==
''Lisbon Maru'' was completed on 8 July 1920 at the [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries|Yokohama Dock Company]] shipyard in Yokohama, Japan as Yard No. 70, entering service for a major Japanese shipping line, [[Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha]], and registered at the port of [[Tokyo]].<ref name="Miramar">{{cite web |title=Lisbon Maru |url=https://www.miramarshipindex.nz/ship/4027254 |website=Miramar Ship Index (subscription required) |publisher=R B Haworth |accessdate=14 July 2018 |location=Wellington, New Zealand}}</ref><ref name="LR1930">{{cite web |title=Lloyd's Register of Ships: Steam & Motor Ships |url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/30/30b0714.pdf |website=Plimsoll Ship Data |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |accessdate=14 July 2018 |date=1930}}</ref>

The ship was {{convert|445|ft|m|1|abbr=off}} long, with a beam of {{convert|58|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} and a depth of {{convert|34|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}. It measured {{GRT|7053}} and 4,308 [[net register tonnage|NRT]]. Twin propellers were powered by a pair of [[triple expansion steam engine]]s with a combined rating of 632 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|nhp]], giving a service speed of {{Convert|12|kn|lk=in}}. The engines and four [[boiler]]s were made by the shipbuilder.<ref name="Miramar" /><ref name="LR1930" />

==Sinking and Rescuing==
On her final voyage, the ''Lisbon Maru'' was carrying 700 [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese Army]] personnel and 1,816 British prisoners of war captured after the [[Battle of Hong Kong]] in December 1941. The POWs were held in "appalling conditions ... [those] at the bottom of the hold ... showered by the diarrhoea of sick soldiers above".<ref name="BBC14072018">{{cite news |last1=Unia |first1=Emily |last2=Mulvey |first2=Stephen |title=British POWs sank with the Lisbon Maru – should it be raised? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-44814053 |accessdate=14 July 2018 |work=BBC News |date=14 July 2018}}</ref>

On 1 October 1942, the ship was torpedoed by the submarine {{USS|Grouper|SS-214|6}} while travelling through the East China Sea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Lisbon_Maru/|title=Lisbon Maru|website=www.roll-of-honour.org.uk|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> The Japanese troops were evacuated from the ship but the POWs were not; instead the [[Hold (compartment)#Cargo hatch|hatches were battened down]] above them and they were left on the listing ship. After 24 hours, as it became apparent that the ship was sinking, the POWs were able to break through the hatch covers. Some were able to escape from the ship before it sank. The ladder from one of the holds to the deck failed, and the Royal Artillery POWs in the hold could not escape; they were last heard singing "[[It's a Long Way to Tipperary]]". Survivors reported that Japanese guards first fired on the POWs who reached the deck; and that other Japanese ships used machine guns to fire at POWs who were in the water. Later, however, after some Chinese fishermen started rescuing survivors, the Japanese ships also rescued survivors.<ref name="BBC14072018" />

The sinking occurred near the [[Zhoushan|Zhoushan Archipelago]], close to the islands of Qingbang and Miaozihu. Upon noticing the black smoke and debris from the wreck, fishermen from these islands spontaneously sailed out to rescue survivors, saving a total of 384 POWs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/11/WS66e0d10ea310b6be0c655eae.html|title=Film Salvages Wartime Story of Tragic Sinking, Heroic Rescues |website=epaper.chinadaily.com.cn |accessdate=18 September 2024}}</ref> As more fishing boats approached the wreck site, Japanese ships, which had been shooting at the British POWs in the water, began to pick up survivors. The 384 British POWs rescued by Chinese fishermen were taken into their homes and temples on the islands, where they were provided with food and clothing. Three days later, Japanese gunboats landed on these islands and recaptured 381 of them, while three were hidden and protected by the local residents. These three, J. C. Fallace, W. C.Johnstone, and A. J. W. Evans, eventually made their way back to the UK via [[Chongqing]], the wartime capital of China, in early 1943.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Faithful Record of the Lisbon Maru Incident. |author=Brian Finch |date=2017 |language=en}}</ref>

Over 800 of these men died either directly as a result of the sinking, or from being shot or otherwise killed by the Japanese guards while swimming away from the wreck.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9575914/The-last-survivor-of-the-Lisbon-Maru.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930093038/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9575914/The-last-survivor-of-the-Lisbon-Maru.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-30|title=The last survivor of the Lisbon Maru|last=Moore|first=Malcolm|journal=Daily Telegraph|date=2012-09-30|access-date=2019-04-22|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> The ship was not marked to alert Allied forces to the nature of its passengers.<ref name=":0" />

==Aftermath==
{{unreferenced|section|date=October 2023}}

A Lisbon Maru memorial is located in the chapel of [[St Stephen's College (Hong Kong)|St Stephen's College]]<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Stephen's College Heritage Trail: Explore The Trail |url=https://www.ssc.edu.hk/links/ssctrail/eng/trail.html#point5 |website=www.ssc.edu.hk |access-date=17 September 2024 |language=EN}}</ref> in Hong Kong. The memorial was originally placed in  [[Stanley Fort]], but was moved to St Stephen's College with Hong Kong's change in sovereignty.{{Citation needed|reason=souorces not found|date=September 2024}}

A reunion of ''Lisbon Maru'' survivors was held on board {{HMS|Belfast|C35|6}} on 2 October 2007 to mark the 65th anniversary of their escape. Six former prisoners attended, alongside many families of the escapees.

In 2021, a memorial for the ''Lisbon Maru'' was placed at the [[National Memorial Arboretum]] in [[Staffordshire]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Lisbon Maru – War Imperial War Museums |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/107149 |website=www.iwm.org.uk|access-date=17 September 2024}}</ref> and the unveiling was attended by over 600{{Cn|date=September 2024}} family members and military personnel to remember those who died.

==In popular culture==
The album ''[[Tarot Sport]]'' by the British [[Electronic music|electronic]] band [[Fuck Buttons]] features a track named "The Lisbon Maru". Band member [[Blanck Mass|Benjamin John Power]]'s grandfather survived the torpedoing of the ship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfifH096LZ8&t=221s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/EfifH096LZ8| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=In Session 2 – Ben Power of Blanck Mass (Part 2)|website=www.youtube.com|access-date=2020-05-16}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The album ''War, Peace and Diplomacy'' by [[Tom Hickox]] features a track named "The Lisbon Maru",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://propermusic.com/products/tomhickox-warpeaceanddiplomacy |title=War, Peace And Diplomacy |website=propermusic.com |accessdate=October 6, 2023}}</ref> in which a survivor of the sinking relays his tale to a barman.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Hickox – The Lisbon Maru |url=https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Tom-Hickox/The-Lisbon-Maru |website=www.musixmatch.com|access-date=17 September 2024}}</ref>

The documentary film ''The Sinking Of The Lisbon Maru'', produced and directed by Fang Li, was released in September 2024, covering the stories of the families affected by the tragedy and shedding light on the rescue of British POWs by Chinese fishermen. <ref>{{cite news |last1=Xing |first1=Yi |title=Film Salvages Wartime Story of Tragic Sinking, Heroic Rescues  |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/11/WS66e1043da3103711928a7596.html |access-date=17 September 2024 |work=www.chinadaily.com.cn |date=2024-09-11}}</ref> That same month the film won Best Documentary at the 11th Silk Road Film Festival in Xian, and was put forward by the Chinese government as the nation’s entry in the International Film category of the 2025 Oscars, but it was rejected on October 28 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lisbonmaru.com/ |title=The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru |website=lisbonmaru.com |accessdate=1 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feinberg |first=Scott |date=2024-10-28 |title=China’s Oscar Entry Deemed Ineligible by Film Academy, Too Late for a Replacement (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/china-oscars-entry-sinking-lisbon-maru-not-eligible-1236046834/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List by death toll of ships sunk by submarines]]
* [[MV Awa Maru]]
* [[SS Cap Arcona]]
* [[Laconia incident]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Major (Ret'd) Brian Finch, MCIL, "A Faithful Record of the 'Lisbon Maru' Incident" (translation from Chinese with additional material) published by Proverse Hong Kong, in the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Studies Series, 2017. {{ISBN|978-9888228874|978-9888491018}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AUJDqAqkRBsC&q=The+sinking+of+the+lisbon+Maru|title=The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru: Britain's Forgotten Wartime Tragedy|author=Tony Banham|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|year=2006|isbn=978-9622097711}}

==External links==
* [http://www.britain-at-war.org.uk/WW2/Hong_Kong/ The fall of Hong Kong which led to transportation of prisoners on the ''Lisbon Maru'']
* [http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Lisbon_Maru/ The full roll of those who perished on the ''Lisbon Maru'']
* [http://www.lisbonmaru.com/ Sinking of ''Lisbon Maru'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929030812/http://www.zhoushan.cn/lsbw/english/ Time to Unseal the ''Lison Maru'' Incident, an incomplete documentation of the rescue effort made by local Chinese fishermen]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80005167 IWM Interview with survivor George Bainborough]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80025920 IWM Interview with survivor Jack Hughieson]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80023820 IWM Interview with survivor Charles Jordan]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80005159 IMW Interview with survivor Andrew Salmon]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80005932 IWM Interview with survivor Montague Truscott]
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80029037 IWM Interview with survivor Alf Shepherd]

{{coord|30.23|N|122.77|E|source:kolossus-zhwiki|display=title}}
{{October 1942 shipwrecks}}

[[Category:1920 ships]]
[[Category:Cargo ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in October 1942]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by American submarines]]
[[Category:Troop ships]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the East China Sea]]
[[Category:Japanese hell ships]]
[[Category:British World War II prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Military history of Canada during World War II]]
[[Category:History of Zhoushan]]
[[Category:World War II prisoner of war massacres by Imperial Japan]]