Don Isidro (1939)
Don Isidro was a diesel-powered passenger ship built in 1939 for the De La Rama Steamship Company in the Philippines. Built by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany, she was the second and larger of two Krupp ships used for inter-island service. She could carry about 408 passengers and was powered by two nine-cylinder turbocharged diesel engines, giving a top speed of around 20 knots.
During World War II, Don Isidro was chartered by the U.S. Army as a transport. In January 1942 she left Brisbane loaded with rations and ammunition as part of a risky effort to run the blockade and support forces on Bataan and Corrigedor.
On 19 February 1942, while about 25 miles north of Bathurst Island near Darwin, Australia, Don Isidro was attacked by Japanese aircraft. She was hit, set on fire, and her lifeboats were destroyed. The ship tried to beach near Melville Island but could not reach safety and sank. Survivors swam to shore; rescue ships later picked up many of them and took them to Darwin for treatment. Of the 83 people aboard (67 crew and 16 soldiers), 11 crew members and 1 soldier were killed or went missing.
Don Isidro was one of eight Army ships that attempted to run the blockade to assist the Philippines. Only three outside-the-island attempts succeeded: Dona Nati, Coast Farmer, and Anhui. Don Isidro’s own attempt did not succeed.
Today the wreck is protected under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. Two relics from the ship are in the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:19 (CET).