Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon
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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)
Attachments
Fester's writings last couples days, sparking you up again GB?
I need some escapism from the ups and downs of real life but I am glad that Fester and Zheng He have returned to the board too!
It is fun to see another take on Pearl Harbor though
1830 Hours
The Asiatic Fleet assembles at Corregidor Bay, unnoticed by a Japanese Army bombing raid that is dropping bombs at random on Corregidor itself. A smaller force of motor launches and trawlers completes the clearance of a narrow channel in the minefield between Fort Drum and Fort Frank. Having done the exact same task the previous night, the Filipino sailors quickly accomplish their mission.
By 2045 hours, the little fleet has steamed into position and using the ebb tide that begins at 2045 hours, uses it and just enough speed to keep steerage way with the tide to slip carefully out of the harbor. At 1945 hours the Japanese launch another raid on Corregidor and the noise of the raid has the useful effect of covering any noise of the motors and engines of the departing ships.
Well offshore, the raid distracts Japanese lookouts for a few minutes, most of whom are somewhat blasé about likely American sorties after a few weeks of boring blockade duty. Admiral Ifune is convinced that any second attempt by the Americans to flee will be after midnight, assuming that they will take advantage of the usual fatigue that watchers will have in the early morning hours. However he is making the assumption that the Americans intend to head for the southern islands, while the instead the Americans are heading for Batangas, planning to use the high tide at 0400 Hours to get as close to shore as possible before beaching the Canopus and offloading her human cargo.
2200 Hours
Japanese Group 2 fails to spot the lead Filipino-American groups in the darkness as they pass 20,000 yards from each other, the Japanese near the end of their western track, the Filipino-American ships heading south at 5 knots. It is not until 20 minutes later as the Japanese ships turn that forward lookouts aboard the Tatsuta spot the trailing gunboat Luzon in the third Filipino-American group and moments later radio messages are sent out alerting all Japanese ships that the Americans are making a sortie. The first star shell is fired at the Filipino-American ships at 2222 hours.
The First Clash
With orders to get the Canopus out no matter the cost, the 2 American minesweepers and the Canopus accelerate to 13 knots (their best speed) while the two gunboats turn toward their far more powerful opponents and make their best speed of 15 knots to buy time. The Luzon and Mindanao each have only a forward 3 inch gun to reply with as they make their charge, while the two Japanese ships, far more heavily armed (and much larger) with 5.5 and 4.7 inch guns open fire as well and split so that each ship can engage its opposite number. What the Japanese do not spot however are the three Filipino PT Boats (formerly USN) moving up on them at 35 knots, the noise of gunfire hiding their engine noise, while fixation of the Japanese lookouts on the battle in front of them preventing them from spotting the new attackers in the darkness. All three boats launch their torpedoes and then open fire with heavy machine gun fire on the PB32. The PT boats however miss in turn the trailing Japanese minesweeper W2 which opens fire with its forward 4.7 inch gun.
The Birth of a Legend
The gun battle is an old style battle that sailors from the previous World War or even Russo-Japanese War and Spanish American War would recognize. Open gun mounts, guns served by manual loading and firing, limited fire control (or none at all) other than the sights on the guns themselves, and due to firing angles, Japanese torpedoes aboard the cruiser are not a factor. Neither side scores for several minutes, which is just long enough as two torpedoes from PT32 smash into the side of the Tatsuta near her aft magazine, causing a sympathetic detonation that results in the old cruiser exploding in a massive fireball that destroys half of her in a moment at 2234 hours. Her forward half sinks within a few minutes with a massive blaze marking her grave.
Meanwhile, the PB32 finds herself distracted by heavy machine gun fire from the Filipino PT boats that down numerous crewmen on her decks and silence her aft guns, but not before her forward gun finally lands a hit amidships on the Mindanao, starting a serious fire that also leaves her well illuminated.
Meanwhile Japanese Group 3 is moving fast on the engagement, and while aghast that the Americans have taken out his other cruiser, Admiral Ifune is determined to crush the American sortie here as to avoid the embarrassment of yet another successful American breakout. The Tenyru opens fire with its forward gun at 2250 hours, and scores a near miss that causes serious leaks in the thin hull of the Mindanao. At the same time, Commander Astrada aboard the PT32 spots the approaching Japanese Group 4 which has been illuminated by accident by a Japanese float plane overhead, coming on hard and in position to intercept the Canopus if they spot her. He orders his boats to attack, even though all torpedoes are exhausted and half of their machine gun ammunition has been expended.
Around that same time, the Luzon scores a hit on the bridge of the PB32, followed by a second hit that wipes out the gun crew of her forward 4.7 inch gun.
Minutes later, the Tenyru makes a turn to the south to unmask her full battery and begins firing shell after 5.5 inch shell at the burning Mindanao, which is slowing as water from leaks caused by the earlier near miss begins to flood her engine room. The PB31 meanwhile turns to unmask her full battery and opens fire on the Luzon. Meanwhile the Japanese minesweeper W1 moves to cover the two Japanese ships from any renewed PT boat attack.
Aboard the ships of Japanese Group 1, which have thus far failed to spot the enemy (which exited Manila Bay some miles from their position) but has also not yet been spotted, orders are received to swing out sea and look for any ships that might have already slipped by, and orders are also sent to Ifune's air support requesting that alert aircraft be sent to look for the enemy.
By this time, the Canopus and her two American minesweeper escorts (Finch and Quail) are almost 10 miles from the scene of the battle, steaming at their best possible speed. Thus far unobserved, this happy condition continues for another hour while the Mindanao and Luzon fight a brave and ultimately lost battle against a Japanese light cruiser, 2 patrol boats, and 3 minesweepers, aided only by 3 PT boats that are forced to flee after exhausting the last of their ammunition (losing the PT 41 in the process). Although the Filipinos score a several hits on the Japanese ships (including wiping out a gun on the Tenyru and holing the PB32 which limps back to Subic Bay with serious flooding that fills several compartments amidships) both Filipino gunboats eventually go down by 2400 hours after being set completely ablaze and suffering massive crew casualties. However their sacrifice gives the future Navy of the Republic of the Philippines a heroic legend to build on.
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authors notes:
The PT boats have the older, and as it turns out, more reliable torpedoes
The PT boats (and their counterparts in all Navies) rarely did damage to the major combatant in World War II but occasionally they got lucky or were in particularly good position for success. The poor gunboats had not a chance in hell of surviving a gun battle with a heavier ship, but they could do some damage. Mainly they were along to provide a sacrifice in necessary, although it was hoped they would make it to Batangas Bay where their shallow draft would have been particularly useful.
There is some luck involved here for the Filipino Americans, but also good planning and while the Japanese force is stronger then they are, the blockade runners have the advantage of the initiative
But the chase is about to begin.....
But even success means Rear Admiral Ifune is probably going to spend the rest of the war counting supplies somewhere..
The PT boats have the older, and as it turns out, more reliable torpedoes
The PT boats (and their counterparts in all Navies) rarely did damage to the major combatant in World War II but occasionally they got lucky or were in particularly good position for success. The poor gunboats had not a chance in hell of surviving a gun battle with a heavier ship, but they could do some damage. Mainly they were along to provide a sacrifice in necessary, although it was hoped they would make it to Batangas Bay where their shallow draft would have been particularly useful.
There is some luck involved here for the Filipino Americans, but also good planning and while the Japanese force is stronger then they are, the blockade runners have the advantage of the initiative
But the chase is about to begin.....
But even success means Rear Admiral Ifune is probably going to spend the rest of the war counting supplies somewhere..
Barry Bull
Donor
Trying to use he two oldest cruisers still on active IJN duty to catch such nimble opponents is quite a tall order. If some of the modern IJN destroyers were present or replaced the cruisers, the situation would be much more different.
The blockade of Manila Bay is an economy of force mission. Modern units are needed at the front so 2nd and 3rd rate units need to be adequate for patrol duty.
exactly and it might be many months before American PT boats sink another major surface vessel
Thus far the American and Filipino torpedo boats have had no significant impact on the campaign aside from their one engagement where they destroyed some landing barges
So they had the element of surprise in this engagement
The Japanese force was plenty adequate to deal with the gunboats and will be effective against the rest of the Filipino American ships
Good to see you back. Have to thank you a good deal for making me aware of the Zimm book, bought it read it.
I think it is the Shattered Sword for PH, and augments that book in some ways on the Japanese mindset - although I think the author is maybe insensitive to that - just purely judging actions objectively.
Reading the Amazon reviews was illuminating also: author does not suffer fools or Kimmel descendants trying to defend the family name.
I hadn't read the reviews prior to now... but I have run across Kimmel and his website before. While I understand his desire to defend his family I cannot but agree that Kimmel was deservedly sacked. Even if others had a share of the blame, the fact that in the US Navy the commander bears the ultimate responsibility which made no other course of action possible (in traditional terms) and realistically in political terms there was no other option either.
He lost a force that everyone knew was doomed. Kimmel and Short lost the fleet.
I like how you manage to get the naval action down. It reads well and just feels so...well nitty gritty.
Welcome back by the way!
Welcome back by the way!
thanks all for the welcome back
the naval battle is inspired by the epic stand of Taffy 3