LOST JAPANESE “HELLSHIP” HŌFUKU MARU FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES – JOSH GATES AND TEAM MAKE HISTORIC WWII DISCOVERY

For Immediate Release

June 4, 2026

LOST JAPANESE "HELLSHIP" HŌFUKU MARU FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES - JOSH GATES AND TEAM MAKE HISTORIC WWII DISCOVERY

WITH MORE THAN 1,000 ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR ABOARD, THE WRECK MARKS ONE OF THE LARGEST PREVIOUSLY UNDISCOVERED RESTING PLACES OF LOST POWs

FIND TO BE REVEALED IN TWO-PART SEASON PREMIERE OF 'EXPEDITION UNKNOWN'BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 AT 9PM ET/PT ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL

(New York, NY) - Explorer Josh Gates and The Hellships Memorial Foundation have identified the wreck of the notorious World War II "Hellship" Hōfuku Maru, a Japanese prison transport in which over 1,000 Allied servicemen perished. This historic lost war grave was found in more than 160 feet of water off the coast of Zambales province in Luzon, Philippines.

POWs called these floating concentration camps "Hellships," yet their shocking legacy remains one of the lesser-reported atrocities of the Second World War. More than 130 Requisitioned cargo ships and passenger liners were repurposed by Imperial Japan to transport prisoners between forced labor sites across South Asia. Notorious for their brutally inhumane conditions, of the more than 125,000 Allied prisoners transported in "Hellships," an estimated 20,000 died onboard. And, because the Japanese would hide the ships within their military convoys, the vessels became targets for the Allies, who were unaware of their true purpose.

On September 21, 1944, the freighter Hōfuku Maru was sunk by an Allied torpedo, breaking in half and going under in less than three minutes, with up to 1,000 British and Dutch prisoners still in her holds. Tragically, the identity and location of the sunken Hellship was lost in the fog of war, and the story of the Hōfuku Maru largely forgotten…until now.

More than 80 years later, the Hellships Memorial Foundation - founded by retired U.S. Naval Officer Randy Anderson and later joined by researchers Tim Beckensall and John Duresky - uncovered long buried documents in both the American and Japanese military archives that place the sinking of the Hōfuku Maru more than 30 miles away from where it was assumed to have been lost.

"We were absolutely stunned that Japanese sources had information on where the convoy was attacked and what ships were hit - this was a smoking gun," says Randy Anderson.

Explorer Josh Gates partnered with The Hellships Memorial Foundation, as well as underwater imaging specialist Evan Kovacs and maritime archaeologist Dr. Calvin Mires of Marine Imaging Technologies, LLC, on a heroic mission to locate the Hōfuku Maru. The team used sonar to confirm an uncharted wreck in their search zone, then conducted a series of deepwater dives to identify the wreck, culminating in the sobering discovery of human remains among the debris. The size of the vessel along with the position of the ship's masts, cargo holds, and detailed photogrammetry of the wreckage was compared against blueprints of the Hōfuku Maru, which matched to a tee. The wreck is also violently split into two pieces, matching both American and Japanese descriptions of her fate by torpedo hit.

"The pieces all fit," states Beckensall. "The vessel is the right size, in the right place and from the correct period. I am convinced this is the Hōfuku Maru."

"The story of the Hellships is a chapter in the history of WWII that demands to be brought to light," said Gates. "The research and dives that led to this groundbreaking discovery can hopefully offer closure to the families of more than a thousand servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice. It's a privilege to work alongside the Hellships Memorial Foundation to honor their memories; they are lost no more."

The discovery of the Hōfuku Maru is documented as part of EXPEDITION UNKNOWN's two-part season premiere, Hunt for the Hellships. Gates and his team will also be featuring the groundbreaking efforts of the US Military's DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) to recover POW remains from another previously identified Hellship, the Ōryoku Maru, which sank in Subic Bay, Philippines.

The season premiere of EXPEDITION UNKNOWN premieres Wednesday, June 24 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel.

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Viewers can join the conversation on social media by using #ExpeditionUnknown, and following Discovery on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok and Expedition Unknown on Facebook and Josh Gates on Instagram, X, and TikTok. 

EXPEDITION UNKNOWN is produced for Discovery Channel by Ping Pong Productions.

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Across every platform, Discovery Channel is dedicated to connecting audiences who have a passion for adventure and crave a connection to the world around them. Popular series including Deadliest Catch, Expedition Unknown, Naked and Afraid and Gold Rush, along with Shark Week, the annual tentpole programming event, serve as trusted portals that transport viewers directly into thrilling, real, high stakes moments. Through smart, authentic characters whose stories inform and inspire, Discovery celebrates the men and women who will stop at nothing to explore new spaces and achieve their dreams. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

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