神靖丸的遭遇

Posted by EyeDoc

神靖丸是1943-44年1CRS型戰時標準货船之一.排水2,700噸(另一記載為2,880噸).是東京栗林商船公司擁有.昭和18年(1943)在北海道函館船渠(造船廠)建造下水.
上圖是同型货船,神靖丸本身照片沒有存檔案.滿載後吃水極深,是潛水艇最佳目標.

因為只是货船,被日本海軍征集,改做運兵船,所以並無軍艦式的攻防武裝,只有兩挺机槍作防空自衛之用,真是開玩笑.對美軍戰鬥机飛行員來說,這种船是"sitting ducks"並無抵抗力.碰上了,他們轟炸得更起勁.

還有巡行太平洋的美方潛水艇也是一大威脅.神靖丸裝配的深水炸彈,威力不明,大約只有嚇阻作用並無真正殺傷力.所以神靖丸和一般船隻相同,航行時需作之字型,不能直線,才能躲開魚雷襲擊.這樣航行時間拖延很久.就是這樣陰錯陽差的趕上1945年1月11日開始的美軍對中南半島地區日本船團大轟炸,稱為"Operation Gratitude".

第2天,1945年1月12日,西貢一帶損失情況如此:
西貢港內損失9條船(紅框),Cape Saint Jacques港外損失9艘,港內7艘(包括神靖丸在內,見上圖藍框).位于西貢東北方的金蘭灣損失19艘.一共44艘.日本官方記載是全部損失34條船,美軍方則記錄當天擊沉41艘,其中包括遭池魚之殃的法國維奇政府軍艦2艘,功勞全歸38特遣隊(Task Force 38).不管數字是44, 34還是39,總是人員船隻,損失非常慘重.船隻倒也罷了,人一死,多少無辜家庭受到影響!!

有一網站www.jsu.or.jp/siryo/map/hutuin/hutuin_se/sinsei_k.jpg 列神靖丸死亡人數為84乘員,6名軍人,及22名船員. 另一站www.ric.hi-ho.ne.jp/senbotusen/siryo-deta/kisen.pdf 則列為64乘員,8名軍人以及22名船員死亡.這些數字都不可信,大抵与戰時混亂有關.唯一正确的資料應是吳平城醫師在場人的即時統計.

至於當時戰況之慘烈,吳醫師書中有詳細記載.是一波接一波的轟炸(參見下文).

美國海軍戰後審問日本海軍軍官,1945年11月1日筆錄Commander KUWAHARA Tadao [注: 原名可能是 "桑原忠男海軍大佐"]形容1945年1月12日在西貢東北方的空袭:

"On the 12th [注:12日] the convoy left QUINON Bay at 0700. Three F6F's were sighted at 0855 and the one covering Zero fighter was shot down. At 0955 two more fighters appeared and at 1104 about 16, TBF's and SB2C's appeared. In the attack which lasted 30 minutes the heavily loaded 6,900 ton freighter EIMAN Maru was set afire by a bomb hit and sank. I believe one or two of the attacking planes were shot down by AA fire of the Kashii and other escort vessels. The Ukuru was bracketed by four or five near misses, thirty or forty meters away, which shook up the ship and caused her to stop about 2 minutes; but no damage was sustained. About 1229 a single plane dove on the Ukuru, but only obtained a near miss and did no damage. During the attack the convoy had become scattered due to evasive action and was now reformed. About 20 dive-bombers appeared and circled in the vicinity until 1355 when 50 more of the same type arrived from the north. At 1408 the dive-bombing and torpedo attack by all planes began. The Kashii was sunk almost immediately in an explosion. This was a well executed attack, bombers diving in succession and at the same time a torpedo attack was launched at the Kashii from her starboard side. One torpedo and two bombs hit the Kashii. One of the bombs exploded the after magazine. The ship sank stern first, the bow remained about 10 feet above the water which was shallow. Vice Admiral T. SHIBUYA [注: 可能是"渋谷海軍中將"], Convoy Commander, and his entire staff were killed. At 1416 escort No. 51 on the starboard quarter of the convoy received a hit or a very near miss by bomb, which I believed ignited the depth charges because of the white smoke. She sank very soon. The attack continued practically uninterrupted until dark…"