Seian Maru is a large freighter located at only a few hundred meters from the waterfront.
| Name Dive Site: | Seian Maru |
| Depth: | 15-25m (49-82ft) |
| Inserted/Added by: | visit_subic_bay |
| Rated: | Rated not yet |
| Specifications: |   |
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The Seian Maru is located between Alava pier and the end of the airport runway, just outside of the shipping lanes and 150 meters from the USS New York. She ran aground outside of Subic Bay on 17 November 1944. She was refloated, brought into Subic Bay and escorted by a submarine chaser (CH36). She and the submarine were sunk by an aircraft on 19 November 1944.
It is difficult to document the military life of the Seian Maru. Japanese records show that there were at least three ships in use (and sunk) with that name. In addition, records created in the war are often inaccurate. The Naval pilots that sank this ship identified her as merchant tanker. Japanese records show her as having been converted to a tanker and later converted back to a cargo vessel, which she is. The ship is the Seian Maru, this is established beyond any doubt as the name is still faintly visible on the ship's bow.
Built in 1938 along with a sister ship Hokuan Maru, she was 351 feet long and 50 feet wide. Powered by diesel engines she could cruise at 12 knots with a top speed of 13 knots and a radius of 9,500 miles. In addition to her crew facilities, she was capable of carrying nine passengers.
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Name: funkydivers
The IJN Seian Maru was an Imperial Japanese Navy Merchant Tanker. After running aground on the 17 December 1946 she was refloated and escorted into Subic Bay by a submarine chaser. She and the submarine were both bombed and sunk by US Aircraft on the 19 December 1944, only 4 days after the sinking of the Oruyko Maru.
It is difficult to trace the history of the Seian Maru as there were three ships with that name in use by the IJN during World War II and all three ships were sunk during the war. The US Navy pilots who sank her identified her as a merchant tanker. IJN records show that she had been converted to a tanker and then converted back to a cargo vessel.
That the wreck was called Seian Maru has been proven beyond doubt as the name is still visible on her hull. IJN Seian Maru now lies on her port side. She suffered severe damage to her mid-section when sank and the violence of her demise is evident from the twisted and torn metal of her hull.
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