She sank quickly ... some say five minutes, others say seven. The seas were high and no lifeboats could be gotten away, all being smashed against the sides of the ship. There are varying reports of the number of people lost, but it appears that about 292 of the 320 people aboard perished.
More people could probably have been saved, but initial rescue efforts by the escorting USS Sterrett had to be temporarily halted so the escort could go chase away the sub, which was attempting to torpedo it during rescue operations. There is no way of knowing the number of survivors desperately clinging to floating bits of wreckage who succumbed to the chill waters of the North Atlantic while the rescue ship was off chasing away the U-boat. Bodies washed ashore in Wales quite some time afterwards.
About 15 Japanese merchant ships were sunk by U-boat activity during World War I. Hirano-Maru was not the largest of these, but her sinking did involve the greatest loss of life, with the others suffering very minor losses by comparison.
About 15 Japanese merchant ships were sunk by U-boat activity during World War I. Hirano-Maru was not the largest of these, but her sinking did involve the greatest loss of life, with the others suffering very minor losses by comparison.
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