The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

Although never previously studied in any depth, the sinking of the Lisbon Maru was the most costly American on British ‘Friendly Fire’ incident of the Second World War. Of the 4,500 of Hong Kong’s garrison who perished during the war, 1,000 died directly or indirectly from this sinking. From American, British, Hong Kong and Japanese sources, this book reconstructs the fateful voyage of the Lisbon Maru, and the experiences of the captives, the captors, and those on board the submarine that sank her.

The book will be of interest to anyone wishing to know more about the ‘Hellships’ that caused the deaths of almost 20,000 Allied Prisoners of War during the Second World War, or the experiences of Allied POWs in Japan.

Tony Banham is a long-term resident of Hong Kong, having arrived in the 1980s. He has been studying the Battle of Hong Kong for well over a decade and has written on the subject, aided in the production of numerous television documentaries, and helped many children of veterans in their researches into their fathers’ war years. He is the author of Not the Slightest Chance.

‘a well-composed, far-ranging story, . . . a carefully researched book’ —International History Review

‘a Hong Kong historian eager to put a human face to the brutal history of World War II’ —China Daily

‘His thorough research enables one to learn about the “hellships” that caused the deaths of almost 20,000 allied POWs overall.’ —The Guards Magazine