"destroyed by accidental explosion"

WED 23 FEB 1944
Pacific
During strikes on Japanese shipping in Tanapag harbor, Saipan, F6Fs, TBFs and SBDs from carriers Essex (CV-9) and Yorktown(CV-10) (in TG 58.2) damage cargo ship Shoan Maru, 15°15'N, 145°45'E; planes from carrier Bunker Hill (CV-17) (in TG 58.3) sink cargo vessel Seizan Maru off Tinian, 15°00'N, 145°30'E.

Submarine Balao (SS-285), in attack on Japanese convoy about 35 miles north of Biak, New Guinea, sinks army cargo ship Nikki Maru, 00°11'S, 135°00'E.

Submarine Cod (SS-224) sinks Japanese fleet tanker No.3 Ogura Maru off Halmahera, 04°23'N, 129°05'E.

Submarine Plunger (SS-179), in attack on Japanese convoy, sinks transport Kimishima Maru about 200 miles northwest of Chichi Jima, 30°11'N, 140°49'E.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship Horei Maru, 26°20'N, 126°11'E, and damaging merchant tanker Teikon Maru, 26°22'N, 126°16'E, about 60 miles west of Okinawa.

Submarine Snook (SS-279) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking transport Kayo Maru about 120 miles north- northwest of Chichi Jima, 28°49'N, 141°13'E.

Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) and planes from carrier Yorktown (CV-10) sink Japanese collier Shinyubari Maru about 40 miles west of Saipan, 15°23'N, 145°03'E.

Submarine Tang (SS-306) sinks Japanese repair ship Yamashimo Maru west of Saipan, 14°45'N, 144°32'E. The cataclysmic explosion of the enemy auxiliary damages Tang, but not badly enough to prevent the boat from remaining on patrol.

Japanese gunboat Eiko Maru is sunk by aircraft north of Saipan, 15°12'N, 144°52'E, as she proceeds to the position of the loss of Fukuyama Maru that had been sunk by Tang (SS-306) on 22 February.

Japanese cargo ship Gyoko Maru is destroyed by accidental explosion in Naha harbor, Okinawa, 26°13'N, 127°40'E.

Indian Ocean
U.S. tanker E.G. Seubert in convoy PA 69, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-510 about 200 miles from Aden, 13°45'N, 48°56'E; three of the 27-man Armed Guard (including its commander) perish, as do three of the ship's merchant complement. Australian minesweeper HMAS Tamworth and Indian Navy corvette RINS Orissa rescue survivors.