aisei Maru during low level attack by B-25D Mitchell strafers
B-25D-1 "Feather Merchant #2" 41-30246 over Taisei Maru inside Victoria Bay off western Kairuru Island. The photo was taken from the side window of B-25D-1 "Hell's Fire" 41-30278 and is one of several taken that day of 90th SQ strafers conducting attacks in that area.
On April 6, 1943 at 1630, convoy "Hansa No. 28" departs Palau for Hansa Bay. It includes: subchaers CH-26 and CH-34 destroyers Tanikaze and Amatsukaze plus transports Teiryu Maru, India Maru, Toho Maru, Sydney Maru, Taisei Maru and Taiyu Maru.
On April 12, the convoy arrives at Hansa Bay and is attacked, and the Sydney Maru is lost. The next day at 0900 the remaining convoy depart Hansa Bay. The convoy splits, with Teiryu Maru, Toho Maru and Amatsukaze and CH-34 proceed back to Palau, arriving April 18, 1943.
The other ships CH-26, TANIKAZE and Taisei Maru and Taiyu Maru proceeded to Wewak to unload their remaining supplies on April 14. The next day while underway to Palau, the India Maru is sunk. The remainder of the convoy reaches Palau on April 20.
On September 19, 1943 "Wewak No. 9" convoy departs Palau consisting of Taisei Maru, Aden Maru and Yasukuni Maru escorted by subchaser CH-26 and CH-32. On September 23, 1943 the convoy arrives at Wewak and begin unloading cargo. The subchaser escorts depart on the 24th for Palau.
Victoria Bay is a short distance west of Wewak, amongst some islands.