Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
Even worse, some my readings , was that the lost torpedoes had a large percentage of the MK X's (which worked) for the S- Boats, and destroyers.
Sorry to say I found the the numbers of ships assigned to Bandit 1 and Bandit 2 a bit confusing to follow who was who especially after the light carrier broke away. I think I figured it out.
Great battle scene nevertheless.
Great battle scene nevertheless.
I am glad that the American forces are maintaining contact with the outside world via Cebu to Darwin. This means you won't have as many POWs to suffer through the death marches and Japanese imprisonment. Any Filipino troops who get out could be the basis for an army in exile. Perhaps the Filipino scouts of this timeline could form commando force. They could be reinserted back into the islands for raids against the Japanese and to linkup with the guerillas for a better organized insurgency.
Yeah. Houston and Boise got out lucky by shooting first. Too bad Louisville got the short end of the stick.
vl100butch
Donor
The open sea route south and establishment of the air bridge to my mind means that a lot of excess mouths will be removed from Battan and extra supplies can be shipped in...
The Evacuation December 1941
The Evacuation December 9 – 22, 1941
General Eisenhower, in addition to being commander of the Luzon Force, remains General Krueger's Chief of Staff until Krueger is severally wounded on December 8. However Eisenhower had empowered several engineer and transport officers, both Filipino and American, to act as his assistants and these men, particularly Colonel Lewis Beebe, were invaluable when war came.
By December 11, there are several groups of people that Eisenhower decides will be leaving as soon as possible. There are over 40 merchant ships in Manila Bay when the war begins, and several of the fastest are immediately chartered by the Commonwealth Coast Guard, while several others are chartered by the Filipino Army on the orders of General Ord. Valuable cargoes are found on some, including 57 Bren Gun Carriers that were en route to Hong Kong for the Canadians there, and considerable fuel oil and gasoline. The POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants) is offloaded onto barges and sent to Bataan which allows POL storage depots near Lingayen to remain where they are needed for the expected invasion while still building up a reserve for Bataan. Literally thousands of tons of food are sent to Bataan from these ships, as well as a large amount of quinine which is found on a Dutch freighter which had been en route to the United States.
Due to prewar planning, Corregidor already has sufficient stores for 6 months at full rations for 20,000 men, while stock piles for 150,000 people for 90 days have already been assembled at Bataan. The windfall from the merchant ships adds nearly double that stockpile all on its own, while additional stores begin moving from elsewhere in Luzon, particularly from corporate warehouses in northern Manila, which will double that figure yet again.
On December 10, the first ships are ordered out and they steam south independently. The more valuable ships, such as the tankers, fast cargo ships (fast being a ship capable of cruising at 10 knots or better) and the US Navy support ships such as the destroyer tender Black Hawk, submarine tenders Holland and Otus, and seaplane tender Langley as well as the four light transports of the Philippine Coast Guard are sent to Subic Bay, escorted by 8 destroyers and 2 minesweepers, plus the gunboats Asheville and Tulsa (now in Philippine Coast Guard service).
Here they begin loading several groups of people. The first group are 4,000 civilians from the United States and other Allied countries, as well as Filipino dependents of US servicemen and government employees. The Far East Air Force sends the bulk of the Filipino's in the Philippine Army Air Force as well as most of the ground personnel except for those needed to support the remaining squadrons of the 23rd and 24th Fighter Groups and the 27th Bomb Group. This amounts to 6,000 American and Filipino personnel. Some of these will be sent on to Del Monte, but the remainder will go to Darwin. The Filipinos to obtain new aircraft to form fighter and bomber squadrons to fight on, and the Americans for reassignment or to provide the personnel needed for operations out of Darwin where already much of the 19th Bomb Group has arrived and more B17s and P40s are already en route.
The next loaded aboard is the entire 4th Marine Regiment (1,100 men), which Admiral Rockwell and General Eisenhower initially plan to send to defend Cebu but whose destination is changed to Darwin after the results of the Battle of Albay Gulf become clear. Admiral Rockwell plans to establish a rear area support base to provide support for the Philippines there and he wants the Marine Regiment available to defend it, or to send forward to Java to defend bases there should it appear necessary. Also loaded aboard are nearly 3,000 men from the US Navy and Philippine Coast Guard or civilian shipyard employees working for either. These are the survivors from Cavite, as well as the entire staff of Sangley Point Naval Air Station and the hospital located there, as well the entire staff of Olongapo Naval Base (Subic Bay) except for the 1st Separate Battalion, USMC, which is sent to Mariveles (along with its radar and anti-aircraft guns) and 500 volunteers to man the submarine tender Canopus, rescue ship Pigeon, seaplane tender Huron, and provide experienced cadre for the 3 China gunboats and 2 minesweepers that will remain behind as part of the 16th Naval District along with 6 US Navy PT boats, and the various remaining craft and motor torpedo boats that remain of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Among the final people loaded aboard are most of the US Navy and US Army nurses (aside for 15 volunteers from the Army who stay) as well as sufficient personnel from the Philippine Army and Commonwealth government to establish evacuation hospitals at Cebu and Del Monte. Equipment and supplies to get them into service will be brought by air and fast transport from Darwin. The final group are nearly 2,000 wounded, both Filipino and American, who are not expected to be fit for duty within 30 days but who are viewed as not likely to die within that period either.
The Japanese fail to attack these ships on December 10th through the 12th , focusing their airpower on the continued destruction of airfields that they are aware of in Luzon as well providing support to their landings at Aparri, Vigan and Legaspi. On December 13th however, the Japanese hit Subic Bay and destroy the floating drydock Dewey as well as nearly the entire base as no one aside from a few final salvage crews remain and they cannot put out the fires that result.
Aside from 5 merchant ships that were sunk during the bombing of Manila on December 9th, in all over 200,000 tons of Allied shipping escape the Philippines successfully. Indeed the gallant sacrifice at Albay Gulf buys them more time to escape as it delays the Japanese invasion of Davao which would surely have resulted in some of these ships being spotted and sunk by Japanese aircraft while in the proximity of that operation.
By December 12th the evacuation gains the support of the Boise, which becomes command ship for the convoy of 21 merchant, transport and support ships and 13 escorts. By December 22 this convoy has reached Darwin where most of the military personnel are unloaded, while the ships carrying civilians are sent on to Brisbane along with most of the wounded.
General Eisenhower, in addition to being commander of the Luzon Force, remains General Krueger's Chief of Staff until Krueger is severally wounded on December 8. However Eisenhower had empowered several engineer and transport officers, both Filipino and American, to act as his assistants and these men, particularly Colonel Lewis Beebe, were invaluable when war came.
By December 11, there are several groups of people that Eisenhower decides will be leaving as soon as possible. There are over 40 merchant ships in Manila Bay when the war begins, and several of the fastest are immediately chartered by the Commonwealth Coast Guard, while several others are chartered by the Filipino Army on the orders of General Ord. Valuable cargoes are found on some, including 57 Bren Gun Carriers that were en route to Hong Kong for the Canadians there, and considerable fuel oil and gasoline. The POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants) is offloaded onto barges and sent to Bataan which allows POL storage depots near Lingayen to remain where they are needed for the expected invasion while still building up a reserve for Bataan. Literally thousands of tons of food are sent to Bataan from these ships, as well as a large amount of quinine which is found on a Dutch freighter which had been en route to the United States.
Due to prewar planning, Corregidor already has sufficient stores for 6 months at full rations for 20,000 men, while stock piles for 150,000 people for 90 days have already been assembled at Bataan. The windfall from the merchant ships adds nearly double that stockpile all on its own, while additional stores begin moving from elsewhere in Luzon, particularly from corporate warehouses in northern Manila, which will double that figure yet again.
On December 10, the first ships are ordered out and they steam south independently. The more valuable ships, such as the tankers, fast cargo ships (fast being a ship capable of cruising at 10 knots or better) and the US Navy support ships such as the destroyer tender Black Hawk, submarine tenders Holland and Otus, and seaplane tender Langley as well as the four light transports of the Philippine Coast Guard are sent to Subic Bay, escorted by 8 destroyers and 2 minesweepers, plus the gunboats Asheville and Tulsa (now in Philippine Coast Guard service).
Here they begin loading several groups of people. The first group are 4,000 civilians from the United States and other Allied countries, as well as Filipino dependents of US servicemen and government employees. The Far East Air Force sends the bulk of the Filipino's in the Philippine Army Air Force as well as most of the ground personnel except for those needed to support the remaining squadrons of the 23rd and 24th Fighter Groups and the 27th Bomb Group. This amounts to 6,000 American and Filipino personnel. Some of these will be sent on to Del Monte, but the remainder will go to Darwin. The Filipinos to obtain new aircraft to form fighter and bomber squadrons to fight on, and the Americans for reassignment or to provide the personnel needed for operations out of Darwin where already much of the 19th Bomb Group has arrived and more B17s and P40s are already en route.
The next loaded aboard is the entire 4th Marine Regiment (1,100 men), which Admiral Rockwell and General Eisenhower initially plan to send to defend Cebu but whose destination is changed to Darwin after the results of the Battle of Albay Gulf become clear. Admiral Rockwell plans to establish a rear area support base to provide support for the Philippines there and he wants the Marine Regiment available to defend it, or to send forward to Java to defend bases there should it appear necessary. Also loaded aboard are nearly 3,000 men from the US Navy and Philippine Coast Guard or civilian shipyard employees working for either. These are the survivors from Cavite, as well as the entire staff of Sangley Point Naval Air Station and the hospital located there, as well the entire staff of Olongapo Naval Base (Subic Bay) except for the 1st Separate Battalion, USMC, which is sent to Mariveles (along with its radar and anti-aircraft guns) and 500 volunteers to man the submarine tender Canopus, rescue ship Pigeon, seaplane tender Huron, and provide experienced cadre for the 3 China gunboats and 2 minesweepers that will remain behind as part of the 16th Naval District along with 6 US Navy PT boats, and the various remaining craft and motor torpedo boats that remain of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Among the final people loaded aboard are most of the US Navy and US Army nurses (aside for 15 volunteers from the Army who stay) as well as sufficient personnel from the Philippine Army and Commonwealth government to establish evacuation hospitals at Cebu and Del Monte. Equipment and supplies to get them into service will be brought by air and fast transport from Darwin. The final group are nearly 2,000 wounded, both Filipino and American, who are not expected to be fit for duty within 30 days but who are viewed as not likely to die within that period either.
The Japanese fail to attack these ships on December 10th through the 12th , focusing their airpower on the continued destruction of airfields that they are aware of in Luzon as well providing support to their landings at Aparri, Vigan and Legaspi. On December 13th however, the Japanese hit Subic Bay and destroy the floating drydock Dewey as well as nearly the entire base as no one aside from a few final salvage crews remain and they cannot put out the fires that result.
Aside from 5 merchant ships that were sunk during the bombing of Manila on December 9th, in all over 200,000 tons of Allied shipping escape the Philippines successfully. Indeed the gallant sacrifice at Albay Gulf buys them more time to escape as it delays the Japanese invasion of Davao which would surely have resulted in some of these ships being spotted and sunk by Japanese aircraft while in the proximity of that operation.
By December 12th the evacuation gains the support of the Boise, which becomes command ship for the convoy of 21 merchant, transport and support ships and 13 escorts. By December 22 this convoy has reached Darwin where most of the military personnel are unloaded, while the ships carrying civilians are sent on to Brisbane along with most of the wounded.
authors notes: There really was that much shipping in Manila Bay and nearly all of it got away by December 12.
Colonel (later Brig General) Beebe was the quartermaster for USAFFE and did an impressive job with little resources getting what he could to Bataan when MacArthur finally ordered the retreat. He had almost no vehicles but still managed to do wonders.
With the transports aircraft available, unlike in OTL, and prepared facilities already built prewar, it is possible to actually evacuate a lot of wounded as well as later on key specialists.
What does not get discussed much is that part of the job of the USAFE and Asiatic Fleet was to save what it could while still fighting as long as it could. As the Air Force has lost most of its primary bases and will be getting no new aircraft, many of them, as well as nearly all of the Filipinos in the PAAF are surplus to need at this point but would be useful elsewhere, such as at Darwin. Same for the naval and civilian personnel who used to man the now untenable naval installations. With the fleet forced to retreat it is taking what it can in terms of support personnel.
The implication at this point should be that Eisenhower is becoming pessimistic about his chances of stopping the Japanese at the beach as his air power has been halved and the hoped for forward defense by the USN submarines is not living up to expectations. More on this later.
Colonel (later Brig General) Beebe was the quartermaster for USAFFE and did an impressive job with little resources getting what he could to Bataan when MacArthur finally ordered the retreat. He had almost no vehicles but still managed to do wonders.
With the transports aircraft available, unlike in OTL, and prepared facilities already built prewar, it is possible to actually evacuate a lot of wounded as well as later on key specialists.
What does not get discussed much is that part of the job of the USAFE and Asiatic Fleet was to save what it could while still fighting as long as it could. As the Air Force has lost most of its primary bases and will be getting no new aircraft, many of them, as well as nearly all of the Filipinos in the PAAF are surplus to need at this point but would be useful elsewhere, such as at Darwin. Same for the naval and civilian personnel who used to man the now untenable naval installations. With the fleet forced to retreat it is taking what it can in terms of support personnel.
The implication at this point should be that Eisenhower is becoming pessimistic about his chances of stopping the Japanese at the beach as his air power has been halved and the hoped for forward defense by the USN submarines is not living up to expectations. More on this later.
actually they are being saved from internment that in OTL was at Santo Tomas and a few other places, where a substantial number died. Also every time i read about the nurses of Bataan and Corregidor (a must read is this book "We Band of Angels" ) I get a bit pissed off that the US Army and Navy didn't do a better job getting them all out. Although they did wonders at Santo Tomas helping keep the civilian internees alive.
Considering what happened to British nurses at Singapore and Hong Kong things could have gone far worse for the American nurses left behind.
Saving all those persons and getting the extra supplies to Bataan will help for a better and longer defence. It may also help with better feelings after the fall of the Philippines. Getting a cadre set up in Darwin may also help with its defense should Japan try to come calling ITTL.
Each delay the US can get to evacuate more wounded, inflict more casulties on Japan, and the better the defenses will give that much more inspiration to those on the homefront. I can just imagine the movies made ITTL about Pearl Harbor and the Philipinnes.
Each delay the US can get to evacuate more wounded, inflict more casulties on Japan, and the better the defenses will give that much more inspiration to those on the homefront. I can just imagine the movies made ITTL about Pearl Harbor and the Philipinnes.
that is it for the day... you can thank my son's oral surgery (wisdom teeth extraction) and me being home to make sure he didn't have a reaction to the pain meds for my free time today
Let's do some math here.
Pre-war stockpiles have 17.1 million man days worth of full rations at either Corregidor or Bataan.
The merchant ship windfall nearly doubles that --- so 30 to 34 million man days of full rations.
The warehouses double that figure again so between 60 and 68 million man days of full rations.
We also know that the Philipine Army is smaller (better trained but smaller) while the US Army is a bit bigger. 100,000 total defenders of Manilla Bay may be reasonable at the start of the campaign and that number will shrink due to a combination of further evacuations and casualties.
But let's start with 100,000 as that is a high estimate that could mask some of the normal wastage and or destruction of supplies due to either a need to retreat or Japanese firepower. This is just a rough estimate. There could be some further food brought in from a combination of hunting, farming on Bataan, fishing or blockade runners but let's neglect those sources.
At full rations, there is enough food to feed that garrison for anywhere from 600 to 680 days after supplies are cut off.
If there are only fed at 75% rations, they have enough food for 30 months.
At full rations, an army of 94,000 men have 2 years of supplies.
If the Army is reduced to 50,000 or 60,000 on Bataan and another 15,000 in the Harbor, those men have enough food for three years at 80% rations. If they are mainly content on being besieged, 80% rations won't hurt their combat effectiveness nor health too much (especially since they have quinine in mass quantities).
This army can close Manilla Bay until 1944 as long as it has sufficient ammunition. That will be the key.
From a transplanted Texan living just across the Sabine River in Louisiana, if the battleship Texas has to go down, please let her go out fighting
ammunition is indeed a severe issue... getting more into the Philippines in useful quantities will become increasingly difficult and than essentially impossible. Plus of course some of the ammunition present is defective (like the 3 inch AA shells and 3 inch mortar rounds as well)
