It was also a PR issue with MacArthur. In a reality where the Japanese have just clobbered the US Pacific Fleet in its lair and a rolling through SE Asia like a hot knife through butter the one place where Allied troops were giving the Japanese something of a rough time was in the Philippines. We can argue all day about what the reality was but that was the perception at the time, particularly with FDR. MacArthur's staff also played it well. Every press release coming out of the Philippines made it sound like Doug was fighting the Japanese by himself - "MacArthur halts Japanese advance" and "MacArthur counterattacks" stuff like that. The Allies needed a hero and for good or ill he was the best thing going in the late winter and early spring of 1942.
Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 1 The Shoestring Warriors of Luzon
- Thread starter galveston bay
- Start date
It was also a PR issue with MacArthur. In a reality where the Japanese have just clobbered the US Pacific Fleet in its lair and a rolling through SE Asia like a hot knife through butter the one place where Allied troops were giving the Japanese something of a rough time was in the Philippines. We can argue all day about what the reality was but that was the perception at the time, particularly with FDR. MacArthur's staff also played it well. Every press release coming out of the Philippines made it sound like Doug was fighting the Japanese by himself - "MacArthur halts Japanese advance" and "MacArthur counterattacks" stuff like that. The Allies needed a hero and for good or ill he was the best thing going in the late winter and early spring of 1942.
I think that's why I like the book - because the author is a serving naval officer or was - and his point about leading by what you inspect-not a passive activity, was very clear eyed. Also sensed he could debunk some of the myths from personal experience. There's a lot of really hard information in that book I'd never read before.
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The Last Battle of the Asiatic Fleet: Escape to Batangas Bay (part 3) Chase and Ambush
The Chase
A few minutes after midnight, a Japanese floatplane spots 3 shapes in the darkness, illuminated only by the bioluminescence created by the passing wakes of the ships. Flares illuminate the night and a radio message is quickly relayed to base. However, it is several more minutes before it is passed on to Ifune who then has to gather up his scattered fleet. The the 3 smaller patrol boats are left behind and at 0100 hours Ifune begins his pursuit with the Tenyru, PB1, PB2 and all four minesweepers. He is now 24 nautical miles behind the American ships and his force departs steaming at their best speed of 20 knots.
The American ships are now 40 nautical miles from Fort Frank, steaming at their best speed of 13 knots, and after being illuminated by the Japanese, both American minesweepers drop back behind the American submarine tender to cover the rear. At this speed, the Canopus will reach Batangas Bay in roughly 5 hours, including avoiding some dangerous reefs, which will put her in the bay at sunrise. At their current speed, the Japanese will catch them just outside of the bay.
Luckily, Ifune again misinterprets the Filipino-American plan, and assuming still that the Americans are trying to reach the central islands, he sends a message asking for the Central Islands Invasion force to take up interception positions further south, hours away from the true destination.
Lieutenant Commander Morrill figures out that the Japanese will likely catch them, and he orders his two small ships to hide close to shore at Cape Santiago at the entrance of Balayan Bay With the secret out, he figures radio silence is a dead issue and so signals Captain Jurado aboard the Canopus and suggests that Balayan Bay is now a better bet and that the fall back plan for the Canopus to beach herself at or near the town of Taal, which is likely to have only a small Japanese garrison. Jurado and Lim both reject this idea, as they suspect a much larger Japanese presence and insist on sticking to the plan.
As it happens there is indeed a garrison in the area, elements of the Japanese 59th Infantry Regiment of the 14th Infantry Division, which is at 50% strength having rebuilt only somewhat from the fighting earlier in the campaign at Bataan. A weak battalion is in the Taal area with the rest of the regiment spread out throughout Batangas Province. Another weak battalion is at Batangas, which also has a pier and channel leading straight to it, and intelligence indicates no guns have been set up to cover the approaches.
The Japanese Army of course is ignorant of what is coming as what will be a typical problem that would plague the Japanese throughout the war, there has been no communication from the Imperial Navy to the Imperial Army. In this instance, no communication that the Americans have left Manila Bay and the Navy has also failed to inform the Army air units in Luzon that something is afoot and indeed has not even mentioned that it has plans for its aircraft once the sun comes up that will prevent Navy bombers from conducting their usual missions against the American Luzon Force. Thus the Japanese Army is in its normal routine, with only the normal sentries enforcing curfew and guarding installations and Army air units have not changed their plans to continue normal flight operations at Bataan and Corregidor.
Ambush at Cape Santiago
By 0330 the Japanese are closing in and have rounded Cape Santiago off Balayan Bay, while the Canopus has reached the entrance of Batangas Bay.
Lookouts aboard the two American minesweepers spot the wakes of the Japanese ships as they pass in the darkness and a few moments later the Quail and the Finch both open fire at 3,000 yards with 50 and 30 caliber machine guns while firing star shells to light up the Japanese fleet. The Japanese have in the lead all 4 of their minesweepers, with the 600 ton W1 in the lead. Both the W1 and W2 are heavily strafed by machine gun fire, and their thin steel hulls are not proof against the heavy machine gun bullets. Both suffer devastating crew casualties, with the W1 losing control as its bridge crew all killed or wounded, while the W2 suffers a massive explosion as machine gun bullets detonate a depth charge in her stern, creating a series of explosions that blow off her stern and leave her sinking. The W1 smacks hard into a reef, going firmly aground while the W2 is afire from amidships to her stern and is drifting.
The Japanese quickly return fire however, with all four minesweepers opening up with 4.7 inch and 3 inch guns, as well as their pair of machine guns. Both the W1 and W2 have been quickly silenced without doing any damage in return. The other pair move up to support them, as do the patrol boats, both of which are heavily armed with 25 mm anti aircraft guns.
It is a close range slug fest with automatic weapons and those decide the issue. Tracers light up the night sky and while the heavier cannons would have been decisive at longer range, at the close ranges of this fight their crews quickly become casualties and few rounds are successfully fired, all to no effect by either side. The thin hulls of the combatants mean that all are vulnerable to 50 caliber machine gun and 25 mm cannon rounds, and within 20 minutes the Finch, Quail, W3 and W4 are all sinking and all four, as well as both Japanese patrol boats, have fires aboard and have suffered serious crew casualties.
The final blow is the arrival of the cruiser Tenyru, and Ifune keeps her back out of automatic weapons range and she begins firing 5.5 inch rounds at the American ships as well as illumination rounds to light them up for better targeting. As both are on fire, this is hardly necessary but it does improve targeting somewhat for the heavier guns.
By 0430, three Japanese and two American minesweepers have sunk or are sinking, and Ifune begins sorting out the mess. Reports indicate that only his cruiser remains battle worthy, and he has lost track of the last American ship in the darkness and confusion of battle. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Morrill and several surviving members of his crew have swum ashore and are met by Filipino resistance members who will eventually smuggle them to safety. A year from now he and all of his surviving crew (18 in all) will make their way back to the United States in a epic journey and Morrill is awarded the Navy Cross for this action. Sadly the surviving crew of the Finch are all captured and only a handful survive the war.
USS Quail
Japanese minesweeper W3
A few minutes after midnight, a Japanese floatplane spots 3 shapes in the darkness, illuminated only by the bioluminescence created by the passing wakes of the ships. Flares illuminate the night and a radio message is quickly relayed to base. However, it is several more minutes before it is passed on to Ifune who then has to gather up his scattered fleet. The the 3 smaller patrol boats are left behind and at 0100 hours Ifune begins his pursuit with the Tenyru, PB1, PB2 and all four minesweepers. He is now 24 nautical miles behind the American ships and his force departs steaming at their best speed of 20 knots.
The American ships are now 40 nautical miles from Fort Frank, steaming at their best speed of 13 knots, and after being illuminated by the Japanese, both American minesweepers drop back behind the American submarine tender to cover the rear. At this speed, the Canopus will reach Batangas Bay in roughly 5 hours, including avoiding some dangerous reefs, which will put her in the bay at sunrise. At their current speed, the Japanese will catch them just outside of the bay.
Luckily, Ifune again misinterprets the Filipino-American plan, and assuming still that the Americans are trying to reach the central islands, he sends a message asking for the Central Islands Invasion force to take up interception positions further south, hours away from the true destination.
Lieutenant Commander Morrill figures out that the Japanese will likely catch them, and he orders his two small ships to hide close to shore at Cape Santiago at the entrance of Balayan Bay With the secret out, he figures radio silence is a dead issue and so signals Captain Jurado aboard the Canopus and suggests that Balayan Bay is now a better bet and that the fall back plan for the Canopus to beach herself at or near the town of Taal, which is likely to have only a small Japanese garrison. Jurado and Lim both reject this idea, as they suspect a much larger Japanese presence and insist on sticking to the plan.
As it happens there is indeed a garrison in the area, elements of the Japanese 59th Infantry Regiment of the 14th Infantry Division, which is at 50% strength having rebuilt only somewhat from the fighting earlier in the campaign at Bataan. A weak battalion is in the Taal area with the rest of the regiment spread out throughout Batangas Province. Another weak battalion is at Batangas, which also has a pier and channel leading straight to it, and intelligence indicates no guns have been set up to cover the approaches.
The Japanese Army of course is ignorant of what is coming as what will be a typical problem that would plague the Japanese throughout the war, there has been no communication from the Imperial Navy to the Imperial Army. In this instance, no communication that the Americans have left Manila Bay and the Navy has also failed to inform the Army air units in Luzon that something is afoot and indeed has not even mentioned that it has plans for its aircraft once the sun comes up that will prevent Navy bombers from conducting their usual missions against the American Luzon Force. Thus the Japanese Army is in its normal routine, with only the normal sentries enforcing curfew and guarding installations and Army air units have not changed their plans to continue normal flight operations at Bataan and Corregidor.
Ambush at Cape Santiago
By 0330 the Japanese are closing in and have rounded Cape Santiago off Balayan Bay, while the Canopus has reached the entrance of Batangas Bay.
Lookouts aboard the two American minesweepers spot the wakes of the Japanese ships as they pass in the darkness and a few moments later the Quail and the Finch both open fire at 3,000 yards with 50 and 30 caliber machine guns while firing star shells to light up the Japanese fleet. The Japanese have in the lead all 4 of their minesweepers, with the 600 ton W1 in the lead. Both the W1 and W2 are heavily strafed by machine gun fire, and their thin steel hulls are not proof against the heavy machine gun bullets. Both suffer devastating crew casualties, with the W1 losing control as its bridge crew all killed or wounded, while the W2 suffers a massive explosion as machine gun bullets detonate a depth charge in her stern, creating a series of explosions that blow off her stern and leave her sinking. The W1 smacks hard into a reef, going firmly aground while the W2 is afire from amidships to her stern and is drifting.
The Japanese quickly return fire however, with all four minesweepers opening up with 4.7 inch and 3 inch guns, as well as their pair of machine guns. Both the W1 and W2 have been quickly silenced without doing any damage in return. The other pair move up to support them, as do the patrol boats, both of which are heavily armed with 25 mm anti aircraft guns.
It is a close range slug fest with automatic weapons and those decide the issue. Tracers light up the night sky and while the heavier cannons would have been decisive at longer range, at the close ranges of this fight their crews quickly become casualties and few rounds are successfully fired, all to no effect by either side. The thin hulls of the combatants mean that all are vulnerable to 50 caliber machine gun and 25 mm cannon rounds, and within 20 minutes the Finch, Quail, W3 and W4 are all sinking and all four, as well as both Japanese patrol boats, have fires aboard and have suffered serious crew casualties.
The final blow is the arrival of the cruiser Tenyru, and Ifune keeps her back out of automatic weapons range and she begins firing 5.5 inch rounds at the American ships as well as illumination rounds to light them up for better targeting. As both are on fire, this is hardly necessary but it does improve targeting somewhat for the heavier guns.
By 0430, three Japanese and two American minesweepers have sunk or are sinking, and Ifune begins sorting out the mess. Reports indicate that only his cruiser remains battle worthy, and he has lost track of the last American ship in the darkness and confusion of battle. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Morrill and several surviving members of his crew have swum ashore and are met by Filipino resistance members who will eventually smuggle them to safety. A year from now he and all of his surviving crew (18 in all) will make their way back to the United States in a epic journey and Morrill is awarded the Navy Cross for this action. Sadly the surviving crew of the Finch are all captured and only a handful survive the war.
USS Quail
Japanese minesweeper W3
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authors notes:
The hulls of these ships are unarmored and only thin steel, while none of the vital spaces are particularly protected and the guns are all open mounts. They would chew each other to splinters very quickly, with only the decimation off the gun crews reducing the firepower
The Japanese were using the point as a navigation reference in the dark (as none have radar and its a moonless night) so their route was predictable for Morrill
Historically Morrill is an interesting man and earned his Navy Cross ... he eventually retired as a Rear Admiral
The hulls of these ships are unarmored and only thin steel, while none of the vital spaces are particularly protected and the guns are all open mounts. They would chew each other to splinters very quickly, with only the decimation off the gun crews reducing the firepower
The Japanese were using the point as a navigation reference in the dark (as none have radar and its a moonless night) so their route was predictable for Morrill
Historically Morrill is an interesting man and earned his Navy Cross ... he eventually retired as a Rear Admiral
They did, but both sides concentrated their machine gun fire on deck gun crews right away. Both sides got some rounds off but no hits scored. The initial American rounds were star shells however, which definitely helped.
The Last Battle of the Asiatic Fleet: Escape to Batangas Bay (part 4) Surprise Attack
Batangas Bay
The Canopus is in the middle of the bay at first light, steaming straight for Batangas at 13 knots. Meanwhile the Tenryu has departed the most recent battle area after detaching the two battered patrol boats to pick up survivors and see if the remaining minesweeper can be gotten off the reef it has run into (it is, but spends many months in the yard after). An exhausted Japanese Rear Admiral again calls for air support, and Japanese floatplanes begin looking for the fugitive American ship while he answers queries from high authority regarding the events of the last few hours. The tone of those questions is very critical, particularly regarding the fate of his other cruiser and the loss of still more combat vessels.
The Japanese do not spot the Canopus until she is only a few thousand yards from Batangas, while the Tenyru has already well into Balayan Bay checking for American fugitives. Thus she is miles away and when the message is received at 0640 hours, the cruiser makes an immediate turn and makes revolutions for 33 knots. She is an hour away, and it will be at least 45 minutes before she can get within gun range. Once again no one from the Navy thinks to warn the Army, focused as they are on the chase and failing to imagine that the American ship is crammed with troops.
Surprise attack
The Japanese Army has only 600 troops at Batangas, a beat up infantry battalion and some support troops. Regimental headquarters is Batangas Airfield with another 400 troops, while another 1,200 troops which include ground crews, are at Rosario and Zablan Airfield (along with 45 Army light bombers). The bombers at Zablan are being bombed up and fueled for a strike planned against Bataan later in the morning or are undergoing maintenance and repair.
Army sentries spot the American ship, which to the untrained eye looks little different from a 6,000 ton troops ship or freighter and officers are soon on their way to the dock to greet the unexpected arrival of reinforcements and supplies. Meanwhile the Canopus has launched her 4 motor launches, each crammed with 30 troops, which are moving so that the ship is between them and any observers on the dock.
Only when she is at 900 yards from the dock does the flag of the Republic of the Philippines replace the Japanese Army Flag, and at that moment gunners open fire on the small crowd of Japanese soldiers at the dock with 5 inch and 3 inch shells and heavy and medium machine guns, inflicting a slaughter on the completely surprised Japanese. The motor launches meanwhile accelerate to their best speed and come out from behind the ship, hurrying to get troops onto the dock so that it can be seized and a small perimeter established by the 120 man mixed US Marine Corps and Philippine Scouts troops. It takes several minutes for the remainder of the Japanese garrison to figure out what is going on, which is too late to interfere with the seizure of the docks and nearby buildings.
The ship is rapidly tied up to the dock, and cargo nets and gangways are soon filled with troops making their way ashore. By 0655, nearly 1,000 men are ashore, where they meet the Japanese counterattack with the support of heavy weapons and cannons aboard the Canopus and chew it to pieces. The surviving Japanese retreat to the edge of town, while sending word of an American raid by courier to the nearest other Japanese garrisons as battalion headquarters has already been overrun and the senior battalion commanders and staff were at the dock and thus vital minutes were lost before anyone thought to send a radio message or make a telephone call.
Of all the events this day, the element of surprise is what ensures the success of the debarkation of the 4th Philippine Infantry Regiment and crew off the Canopus. Nearly everyone is off by the time the Tenyru reaches artillery range and begins firing round after round into her. In all Filipino-American casualties are under 200, most of them in wounded, and only 45 are killed or fatally wounded. By the time the Japanese 59th Infantry Regiment or 14th Infantry Division have figured out what has occurred, the Filipino-Americans are 10 miles into the jungle and it will be a couple of days before the Japanese determine that this was more than a desperate ships crew with a few soldiers that took Batangas. The last of the crew of the Canopus set off scuttling charges as they depart, sinking her in shallow water. It will be months before the ship is salvaged by the Japanese, only to be sunk by an American submarine in 1944.
Due to secrecy, the true story of this major victory is kept quiet until the return and liberation of the Philippines later in the war, but the 4,500 men aboard the Canopus, particularly the veteran infantrymen, are the cadre of a partisan army that would be 20 times this size by time the Americans return to liberate Luzon. By that time Lieutenant General Lim will be in control of much of Luzon while Rear Admiral's Andrade and Juarado, both evacuated from Luzon, command ships manned by Filipinos and Filipino-Americans (from the US) in that liberation.
April 18 is Navy Day in the Republic of the Philippines. Both the US Navy and the Republic of the Philippines Navy have ships named Canopus.
The Canopus is in the middle of the bay at first light, steaming straight for Batangas at 13 knots. Meanwhile the Tenryu has departed the most recent battle area after detaching the two battered patrol boats to pick up survivors and see if the remaining minesweeper can be gotten off the reef it has run into (it is, but spends many months in the yard after). An exhausted Japanese Rear Admiral again calls for air support, and Japanese floatplanes begin looking for the fugitive American ship while he answers queries from high authority regarding the events of the last few hours. The tone of those questions is very critical, particularly regarding the fate of his other cruiser and the loss of still more combat vessels.
The Japanese do not spot the Canopus until she is only a few thousand yards from Batangas, while the Tenyru has already well into Balayan Bay checking for American fugitives. Thus she is miles away and when the message is received at 0640 hours, the cruiser makes an immediate turn and makes revolutions for 33 knots. She is an hour away, and it will be at least 45 minutes before she can get within gun range. Once again no one from the Navy thinks to warn the Army, focused as they are on the chase and failing to imagine that the American ship is crammed with troops.
Surprise attack
The Japanese Army has only 600 troops at Batangas, a beat up infantry battalion and some support troops. Regimental headquarters is Batangas Airfield with another 400 troops, while another 1,200 troops which include ground crews, are at Rosario and Zablan Airfield (along with 45 Army light bombers). The bombers at Zablan are being bombed up and fueled for a strike planned against Bataan later in the morning or are undergoing maintenance and repair.
Army sentries spot the American ship, which to the untrained eye looks little different from a 6,000 ton troops ship or freighter and officers are soon on their way to the dock to greet the unexpected arrival of reinforcements and supplies. Meanwhile the Canopus has launched her 4 motor launches, each crammed with 30 troops, which are moving so that the ship is between them and any observers on the dock.
Only when she is at 900 yards from the dock does the flag of the Republic of the Philippines replace the Japanese Army Flag, and at that moment gunners open fire on the small crowd of Japanese soldiers at the dock with 5 inch and 3 inch shells and heavy and medium machine guns, inflicting a slaughter on the completely surprised Japanese. The motor launches meanwhile accelerate to their best speed and come out from behind the ship, hurrying to get troops onto the dock so that it can be seized and a small perimeter established by the 120 man mixed US Marine Corps and Philippine Scouts troops. It takes several minutes for the remainder of the Japanese garrison to figure out what is going on, which is too late to interfere with the seizure of the docks and nearby buildings.
The ship is rapidly tied up to the dock, and cargo nets and gangways are soon filled with troops making their way ashore. By 0655, nearly 1,000 men are ashore, where they meet the Japanese counterattack with the support of heavy weapons and cannons aboard the Canopus and chew it to pieces. The surviving Japanese retreat to the edge of town, while sending word of an American raid by courier to the nearest other Japanese garrisons as battalion headquarters has already been overrun and the senior battalion commanders and staff were at the dock and thus vital minutes were lost before anyone thought to send a radio message or make a telephone call.
Of all the events this day, the element of surprise is what ensures the success of the debarkation of the 4th Philippine Infantry Regiment and crew off the Canopus. Nearly everyone is off by the time the Tenyru reaches artillery range and begins firing round after round into her. In all Filipino-American casualties are under 200, most of them in wounded, and only 45 are killed or fatally wounded. By the time the Japanese 59th Infantry Regiment or 14th Infantry Division have figured out what has occurred, the Filipino-Americans are 10 miles into the jungle and it will be a couple of days before the Japanese determine that this was more than a desperate ships crew with a few soldiers that took Batangas. The last of the crew of the Canopus set off scuttling charges as they depart, sinking her in shallow water. It will be months before the ship is salvaged by the Japanese, only to be sunk by an American submarine in 1944.
Due to secrecy, the true story of this major victory is kept quiet until the return and liberation of the Philippines later in the war, but the 4,500 men aboard the Canopus, particularly the veteran infantrymen, are the cadre of a partisan army that would be 20 times this size by time the Americans return to liberate Luzon. By that time Lieutenant General Lim will be in control of much of Luzon while Rear Admiral's Andrade and Juarado, both evacuated from Luzon, command ships manned by Filipinos and Filipino-Americans (from the US) in that liberation.
April 18 is Navy Day in the Republic of the Philippines. Both the US Navy and the Republic of the Philippines Navy have ships named Canopus.
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authors notes:
The Japanese Army had no reason to expect this, so success was achieved by surprise
The Japanese Army and Navy did indeed spend the entire war fighting their enemies and trying to ignore the other service. Indeed the Navy lied about their losses at Midway, while the Army spent years hiding its embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Soviets in 1939.
4,500 trained and fit Filipino troops hiding in the jungles and essentially unknown to the Japanese for many weeks (well after the surrender at Corregidor) would have a major effect on the sophistication of Filipino Guerillas later on. Indeed a major effect on post war politics in the Republic as well.
What effect is of course beyond the bounds of this story, but certainly interesting.
The Japanese Army had no reason to expect this, so success was achieved by surprise
The Japanese Army and Navy did indeed spend the entire war fighting their enemies and trying to ignore the other service. Indeed the Navy lied about their losses at Midway, while the Army spent years hiding its embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Soviets in 1939.
4,500 trained and fit Filipino troops hiding in the jungles and essentially unknown to the Japanese for many weeks (well after the surrender at Corregidor) would have a major effect on the sophistication of Filipino Guerillas later on. Indeed a major effect on post war politics in the Republic as well.
What effect is of course beyond the bounds of this story, but certainly interesting.
that is it for this week... the next chapters will resolve the final battles of Bataan and Corregidor
I hope to finish this by the end of the year if not sooner.
Then it will be back to "Flattops and Flyboys" and "Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 2 (remainder of the title still being determined) covering the struggle for the South Pacific
I hope to finish this by the end of the year if not sooner.
Then it will be back to "Flattops and Flyboys" and "Eisenhower in the Pacific: Part 2 (remainder of the title still being determined) covering the struggle for the South Pacific
Well done! The historic based maps you've provided at different points are really helpful. Still, thank goodness for Google maps!In coastal areas, the satellite view shows some of the offshore features that play into story lines.
I am relying on them heavily! I would post maritime charts if I could and while I have good map (from a book) on the minefields for Manila Bay I lack a scanner to put them into my computer.
So, the Canopus did a bit more than repairing ships and submarines in this TL. Good, good.