1. the fate of japanese transports and their strategic background

1. the fate of japanese transports and their strategic background
During the Pacific War (1941-1945), the core of Japanese military strategy was the transport of troops and supplies to the vast Pacific islands. However, the Japanese Navy, which had the upper hand at the beginning of the war, was subject to counterattacks by the U.S. forces as the war progressed, and Japan's control of the seas rapidly became vulnerable. Especially after 1943, the submarine tactics of the U.S. forces developed dramatically, and the Japanese convoys were greatly threatened.

The U.S. forces made full use of "Wolfpack tactics" (Operation Group Wolf), in which multiple submarines worked together to ambush Japanese transports. The waters around the Philippines and the Bashi Strait were turned into "death passages," the very targets of these operations, and many Japanese transports were sunk.

Under such circumstances, Japanese transports were often forced to sail alone without escorts. The reasons for this were the lack of escort vessels in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the fact that the Japanese military leadership prioritized air power and decisive fleet operations and did not secure enough escort vessels. As a result, many transports became easy targets for enemy submarines, and the total number of Japanese transports sunk during the war reached more than 2,000, according to reports from the Combined Fleet Headquarters.

2. the role of the transport ship "Kamakura Maru" and its crew
Sailing under these circumstances was the "Kamakura Maru," originally a luxury passenger ship. Before the war, the ship had been in service on the U.S. route as the "Chichibu Maru," but once the war broke out, it was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and used to transport soldiers and supplies.

Transport ships like the Kamakura Maru were packed with a diverse range of personnel, including army soldiers, engineers, construction workers, and even common conscripted laborers. The ship was extremely crowded, with people overflowing into the aisles, under the stairs, and in every nook and cranny of the deck, so much so that those who boarded the ship could hardly find a place to stand on their feet.

Although the transports were manned by regular naval crews, the expeditionary soldiers were also given duties. Of particular importance was the "lookout," which was to detect the approach of an enemy submarine as soon as possible. This duty was usually carried out by those with specialized nautical training, but suitable candidates were also selected from among the flight crew.