What US sub sank a Jap Troop Ship on Dec. 2, 1944?

[jerseygary]

I'm writing a small article on Eiji Sawamura, Japan's first great baseball pitcher. He struck out 4 major league hall of fame's including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in succession during an exhibition game in Japan in 1934. He was a superstar at the time and was deployed 3 times in combat by the Japanese Army. On the way to his last posting the troop ship he was on was torpedoed by a US submarine near the Ryukyu Islands off Tiawan. Does anyone know what US sub got the credit?

 

Here is the illustration of Eiji Sawamura I drew to accompany the article...

[uplandmod]

Do you read Japanese? If somebody here can't figure it out, I'll be able to look it up on Monday.

 

Leonardo

[jerseygary]

No, I don't read Japanese. I've asked a few Japanese baseball historians and even though Eiji Sawamura is a God in Japan the historians I asked have no idea what US sub sunk the ship. I guess in the big picture it isn't of much interest to a baseball fan, but being I'm interested in military history, I'd like to include it, expcially since I've never seen it mentioned anywhere.

 

I appreciate you responding.

[uplandmod]

My Japanese friend and I at work Monday will try to figure it out. I'm sure we can figure out what ship he was on in WWII and from there figure out what sub sank the ship.

 

Leonardo

[uplandmod]

Just a quick look a Japanese wiki looks like he was corporal in tbe IJA on a troop transport when he was killed.

 

Looks like he died on December 2nd 1944 Off the coast of Yakushima.

 

If Japanese wiki is correct it states its the USS Sea Devil SS 400.

 

Let me double check it with some other sites.

 

Edit:

 

If you put シーデビル 沢村栄治 in google you will see numerous references. The first is the Sea Devils name in Hiragana the second Eiji sans name in Japanese.

 

 

Leonardo

[jerseygary]

Wow, thanks a lot uplandmod! I had been checking academic baseball books but didn't think to look at the japanese wiki page. Strange it says he was a corporal, I have found Japanese sources saying he was a recently commissioned lieutenant of supply.

[uplandmod]

Wow, thanks a lot uplandmod! I had been checking academic baseball books but didn't think to look at the japanese wiki page. Strange it says he was a corporal, I have found Japanese sources saying he was a recently commissioned lieutenant of supply.

 

Thanks! I'll go over my translations on Monday and make sure everything is checked out ok.

 

When it comes to Japanese subjects, the Japanese wiki is always better way to go than the english one.

 

Leonardo

[skio]

According to the book "United Staes Submarine Operations in WWII", the only Dec 2, 1944 sinkings (that I noticed) were made by the USS Sea Devil when she sunk the cargo vessel Akigawa Maru and the passenger/cargo vessel Hawaii Maru. The locations are given in lat & long but are 30-51N, 128-45E for both.

 

[jerseygary]

Thanks again guys, I finished the story and gave you two a "thank you" at the bottom in the sources section:

 

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2012/0...-of-japans.html

[bunkerhillburning]

Gary,

that is fascinating. Thanks for the chance to read this!

[manayunkman]

Very interesting story and your a mighty fine artist as well.

 

M

[jerseygary]

Thanks guys, if you're interested, I have a couple more baseball stories that I got to tie to my other hobby, military history:

 

Eddie Grant - WWI hero died rescueing the Lost Battalion:

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2010/1...morial-day.html

 

Billy O'Hara - former Giants outfielder goes to the trenches of France, throws grenades like baseballs and wins a medal:

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2011/0...w-to-apply.html

 

Johhnny Grodzicki - leading Cardinals pitching prospect wounded as a paratrooper

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2012/0...s-next-big.html

 

Bill Niemeyer - pitcher who died fighting in Germany in 1945

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2012/0...l-day-2012.html

 

Larry Doby - Hall of Famer and his time in the US Navy in WWII:

http://infinitecardset.blogspot.com/2011/0...-uncle-sam.html