The wreck of the infamous Japanese World War II “Hellship” *Hōfuku Maru* has been discovered off the coast of the Philippines, marking one of the largest previously unknown resting places of Allied prisoners of war lost during the conflict.
The wreck discovery, made by explorer Josh Gates and researchers from the Hellships Memorial Foundation, was made in more than 160 feet of water off Zambales province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. More than 1,000 Allied prisoners of war are believed to have died when the vessel was sunk in September 1944.
During the Second World War, Allied POWs referred to Japanese prison transport ships as “Hellships” because of the brutal and inhumane conditions endured onboard. Imperial Japan repurposed more than 130 cargo ships and passenger liners to transport prisoners between forced labour camps across South Asia.
Historians estimate that more than 125,000 Allied prisoners were transported aboard these vessels, with around 20,000 dying during the voyages. The ships were often concealed within Japanese military convoys, leading Allied forces — unaware that POWs were onboard — to attack them as legitimate military targets.
The *Hōfuku Maru* was sunk on 21 September 1944 after being struck by an Allied torpedo. According to historical accounts, the freighter broke in half and sank in less than three minutes, trapping hundreds of British and Dutch prisoners below deck.
For decades, the vessel’s exact location remained unknown.
The breakthrough came after the Hellships Memorial Foundation — founded by retired naval officer Randy Anderson and later joined by researchers Tim Beckensall and John Duresky — uncovered previously overlooked documents in both American and Japanese military archives.
“We were absolutely stunned that Japanese sources had information on where the convoy was attacked and what ships were hit — this was a smoking gun,” Anderson said.
Using the archival evidence, the team determined the ship had sunk more than 30 miles from its previously assumed location.
Gates teamed up with the foundation, underwater imaging specialist Evan Kovacs and maritime archaeologist Dr Calvin Mires of Marine Imaging Technologies, LLC, to search the newly discovered area.
The expedition used sonar technology to identify an uncharted wreck and went deep into the water for a series of deep dives. The wreck was catalogued using detailed photogrammetry and compared to the original blueprints of the *Hōfuku Maru* as dimensions and structures were compared.
Researchers said the evidence strongly supports the identification. The wreck’s size, cargo hold layout, mast positions, and the fact that it was split violently into two sections all correspond with both Japanese and American wartime accounts of the sinking.
“The pieces all fit,” Beckensall said. “The vessel is the right size, in the right place and from the correct period. I am convinced this is the *Hōfuku Maru*.”
Divers also discovered human remains among the wreckage, underscoring the site’s significance as a war grave.
“The story of the Hellships is a chapter in the history of WWII that demands to be brought to light,” Gates said. “The research and dives that led to this groundbreaking discovery can hopefully offer closure to the families of more than a thousand servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
The documentary will also examine the work of the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which continues efforts to recover remains from another Hellship, the *Ōryoku Maru*, sunk in Subic Bay in the Philippines.
The discovery of the *Hōfuku Maru* sheds new light on one of the lesser-known tragedies of the Second World War and honours the memory of the thousands of Allied prisoners who perished aboard the Japanese Hellships.
Sources : Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown
