Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

740.00116 Pacific War/59

The Spanish Embassy to the Department of State

Memorandum
No. 148

The Spanish Embassy presents its compliments to the Department of State and begs to transmit herewith the complaint that has been received from the Japanese Government through the “Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores”⁵⁵ of Madrid on:

“Aerial attacks suffered by the following Japanese hospital ships that had all the markings and characteristics of such, as stipulated in the Treaties, and which represents an act contrary to Article I of the 1907 Geneva Treaty⁵⁶ as applied to Naval Warfare:

• Arabia Maru—Sailing on January 4th, 1943, at reduced speed, when mooring at pier at Rangun, was bombed repeated times. Three grazing consolidated bombardments dropping more than ten bombs in the sea at 5 or 6 meters starboard of ship, resulting in some damage. The weather was clear, clouds at 5,000 meters and visibility extremely good.
• America Maru—Sailing on January 30th, 1943, at 4:20 a.m. at 4.12.38 latitude south and 152.17.45 longitude east, outside the port of Rabaul, being attacked by enemy plane, four bombs fell behind the starboard, and then machine-gunned; no damage. At moment of attack all night markings were perfectly illuminated.
• Manila Maru—March 4th, 1943 at 11:20 a.m. torpedoed two times by enemy submarine at 136.17 longitude east and 5.36 latitude south; no damage, due to the quick working of the ship.
• Urabu Maru—April 3rd, 1943 at 2:59 p.m. sailing toward Rabaul was bombed by dive bombers at 150.7 longitude east, and 2.47 latitude south; damaging and resulting in six health officers and a crew member dead, six quarantine officers wounded and four crew members wounded, with the direct impact and bombs that fell near the ship. It was a little cloudy.
• Huso Maru—April 15th, 1943, sailing toward Shortland was attacked at 31.33 latitude south and 152.20 longitude east by planes. Three times without damage, in the following manner:

  1. Plane dropped a luminous bomb and another explosive bomb at about 2,500 meters, falling at about 500 [meters?] off the bow.

  2. Plane dropped from about 1,500 meters off bow and starboard, a luminous and two explosive bombs which fell at about 400 meters at 35 degree angle off port side.

  3. Plane dropped from about 2,000 meters exactly parallel to port side a luminous and another explosive bomb which fell about 200 meters off port side.

The same ship (Huso Maru) April 16th, between 6:13 and 8:22 p.m. returning from Shortland with sick, was machine-gunned two times and bombed four times by planes; some damage, no victims; all attacks were in full moon and with all the night lights illuminated.

Buenos Aires Maru—April 25th, 3:45 p.m. sailing at the latitude of Hong Kong, was torpedoed by submarine; small damage, seven wounded.

The names of all these ships were communicated to the enemy countries, and had all the marks and characteristics required by the Treaties.”

Washington , June 28, 1943.

55. Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
56. Reference is evidently to the convention for the adaptation of the principles of the Geneva Convention to naval warfare, signed at The Hague, October 18, 1907; for text, see Foreign Relations, 1907, pt. 2, p. 1229. The Geneva Convention for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded in armies in the field was signed at Geneva, July 6, 1906; for translation, see Foreign Relations, 1906, pt. 2, p. 1559.