Tei Seki

Captain-Ret Seki Tei (former CO of Santo Maru) was posted as the Chief Equipping Officer of IJN submarine tender Tsukushi Maru on 15 January 1943.^[3]

Tei Seki was killed in action 31 January 1944 when converted submarine tender Yasukuni Maru^[1] was torpedoed. On 24 January 1944, Yasukuni Maru was assigned to a troop convoy departing Tateyama, Chiba for Truk. On 31 January, approximately 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Truk, the convoy was attacked by the US submarine Trigger and Yasukuni Maru was hit by two torpedoes. She took on water rapidly, and sank within five minutes at 09°15′N 147°13′E / 9.250°N 147.217°E / 9.250; 147.217 with loss of 300 crewmen and 888 technicians. Escorting destroyer Shiratsuyu recovered only 43 survivors. Captain Tei Seki was amongst those lost.

The Japanese Dōmei news agency reported on 22 September 1944 that he had "died in action" but gave no details.

The dispatch, recorded by a Federal Communications Commission monitor, said that the Yokosuka naval station, near Tokyo, had listed him as a fatality.^[4]