Built in 1917 at Bethlehem Steel, Sparrow's Point, Maryland the 379' long cargo steamer Hatteras would sail under several different names, she was sent to the U.K. under the name War Dragon soon after she was built and in 1938 she was sent to Shanghai under the name Hatterlock. When Japan plunged the Pacific into war on Dec. 7, 1941 (Dec. 8 in China) she was laying at anchor in Shanghai and was seized by the invading Japanese forces.

Her name was changed for the last time to Renzan Maru and she was used to transport troops and supplies for a little over two years. On January 1, 1943 she was in convoy off Honshu when Lt. Commander John R. McKnight, Jr. and his crew in USS Porpoise SS-172 scored their first combat victory torpedoing the ship a little over 7 miles from the Oishi, Japan. I have been unable to locate any casualty figures.