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The Last Battle of the Asiatic Fleet: Escape to Batangas Bay (part 1)
Early evening April 19, 1942
Rear Admiral Ifune, embarrassed that an entire convoy slipped past his ships the night before (even if it was captured in its entirety) has ordered every ship to move into position this evening, which will be another moonless night. He has 2 minesweepers (W3, W4) and 2 patrol boats (PB2, PB35) hurriedly refueling at Subic Bay, and they are ordered to rush it and steam back into position by 2400 hours at the latest.
His other ships are organized into 3 groups
Close in force
Group 1: PB1, PB34, W1 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots 20 miles SSW of Corregidor)
Group 2: CL Tatsuta, PB32, W2 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots 20 miles SW of Fort Frank (Caraboa Island)
due to the uncertainty of the location of American minefields, and desire to remain well outside of the range of the American heavy guns, these two forces never come closer than 15 miles to either Fort Frank or Fort Mills (Corregidor)
Distant Force
Group 3: CL Tenyru, PB31 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots, 35 miles due W of Fort Drum)
This force typically comes no closer as it is the interception force if anything escapes either of the other two groups
En Route (10 miles out of Subic Bay, 10 miles from Group 3)
Group 4: PB2, PB35, W3, W4 (steaming at 12 knots)
Air Support: 1 Float plane over flying each Close In Group and remaining overhead for 2 hours at a time. Several available plus 2 on strip alert
Other factors:
A raid by 3-6 Japanese Army bombers or 1 Army Light Bomber every 30-90 minutes over Fort Mills conducting harassment missions
distances:
Mariveles to Batangas 82 nautical miles (nearly 200 nautical miles including evasive action and dodging reefs)
Subic Bay to Batangas 99 nautical miles (without evasive action)
Rear Admiral Ifune, embarrassed that an entire convoy slipped past his ships the night before (even if it was captured in its entirety) has ordered every ship to move into position this evening, which will be another moonless night. He has 2 minesweepers (W3, W4) and 2 patrol boats (PB2, PB35) hurriedly refueling at Subic Bay, and they are ordered to rush it and steam back into position by 2400 hours at the latest.
His other ships are organized into 3 groups
Close in force
Group 1: PB1, PB34, W1 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots 20 miles SSW of Corregidor)
Group 2: CL Tatsuta, PB32, W2 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots 20 miles SW of Fort Frank (Caraboa Island)
due to the uncertainty of the location of American minefields, and desire to remain well outside of the range of the American heavy guns, these two forces never come closer than 15 miles to either Fort Frank or Fort Mills (Corregidor)
Distant Force
Group 3: CL Tenyru, PB31 (steaming in a race track pattern at 10 knots, 35 miles due W of Fort Drum)
This force typically comes no closer as it is the interception force if anything escapes either of the other two groups
En Route (10 miles out of Subic Bay, 10 miles from Group 3)
Group 4: PB2, PB35, W3, W4 (steaming at 12 knots)
Air Support: 1 Float plane over flying each Close In Group and remaining overhead for 2 hours at a time. Several available plus 2 on strip alert
Other factors:
A raid by 3-6 Japanese Army bombers or 1 Army Light Bomber every 30-90 minutes over Fort Mills conducting harassment missions
distances:
Mariveles to Batangas 82 nautical miles (nearly 200 nautical miles including evasive action and dodging reefs)
Subic Bay to Batangas 99 nautical miles (without evasive action)
- galveston bay
- Word Count: 320