Date of Incident09/07/1944
ConflictWorld War II 1941-1945
RankCorporal
Unit803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation)
StatusMissing in Action
On 7 September 1944 the Japanese loaded 750 American POWs into the hold of the freighter Shinyo Maru. They were transporting the prisoners from the Philippines to Japan for use as forced labor. The ship was part of a convoy of merchant ships, but did not carry any markings to indicate that it was transporting prisoners.
The U.S. Submarine Paddle, unaware that the Shinyo Maru held prisoners of war, fired two torpedoes, sinking the ship. 668 of the prisoners died in the sinking. Corporal Jacobs was among those lost. His name is listed on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, Philippines.
This narrative was researched and written by Hall of Honor staff.