Operator	Osaka Shosen
Classification	Passenger-Cargo ship (Auxiliary Transport requisitioned by the IJN)
Gross tonnage	7,266 tons
Speed	18 knots
Departure point	Rabaul, New Britain Is.
Departure date	22 June 1942
Destination	Sanah, Hainan Is.
No. of POWs	1,053 (Aus Military 845, Civilian 172, Others 36)
Location of disaster	60 NM WNW of Cape Bojeador, Luzon Is.
Date of disaster	1 July 1942
POW casualties	1,053
POW survivors	Nil
Painting	Courtesy of Mr. Kihachiro Ueda

Since Montevideo Maru was a high-speed ship, she was not escorted. She passed through the dangerous waters west of New Ireland, and was steaming toward northwest through the Philippine Sea to her destination Samah, Hainan Island. At 02:29, on the early morning of 1 July 1942, she was attacked by the USS Sturgeon, approx. 60 NM west-north-west of Cape Bojeador (18-40N, 119-31E), and two torpedoes hit her No. 4 and No. 5 holds on the starboard side. As she listed to starboard side and began going down from her stern, the Captain ordered, "Abandon ship." At 02:40, she disappeared completely from the surface of the sea. During this time, no one looked after the POWs in the holds. Except for some Japanese sailors, all aboard Montevideo Maru went down with her. Those sailors who managed to land on Luzon Island were harassed or attacked by the guerillas, and 18 of them finally reached the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) outpost on 25 July. This incident is said to be one of the most tragic wartime sea disaster in Australia.