Noshiro Maru was a Nippon Yusen Kaisen (NYK) Liner completed in 1934 and requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in 1937 to transport troops to China following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

[1] Noshiro Maru was assigned to the Yokosuka patrol squadron escorting convoys of merchant ships to varied locations including Truk, Ponape, Kwajalein, and Rabaul before being redesignated as a troopship in August 1942.

She completed a round trip from Japan to the Marianas and Truk in November 1942 and was detached to Rabaul on 11 December, where she was bombed by a Fifth Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on 16 January 1943.

[3] Noshiro Maru was one of several ships torpedoed that night, but temporarily beached at Port Currimao to avoid sinking, and reached Manila on 24 August.

[1] While awaiting repairs, Noshiro Maru was caught in Manila Bay by a Task Force 38 air strike on 21 September 1944 and hit by three bombs that afternoon.