Tamatsu Maru was a World War II Japanese landing craft depot ship[2] completed in January 1944[3] and remembered for the heavy loss of life when sunk by USS Spadefish[2] on 19 August 1944.

[4] Tamatsu Maru was laid down at Mitsui Shipbuilding on 4 November 1942, launched on 18 August 1943, and completed on 20 January 1944.

It returned to Japan in March to transport elements of the 30th Infantry Division of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) from Pusan to the Philippines with convoy Hi-63 in May.

Redfish assembled other submarines for a radar-guided wolfpack attack on the evening of 18 August in heavy rain.

[3] The sinking of Tamatsu Maru was the fourth worst loss of life on any Japanese vessel during the war taking down 4,755 troops and 135 merchant seamen.