Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz

1
March1942
Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz
2
March 9, 1942

• The lull in Bataan that started last Feb. 23
  continues. The enemy is either regrouping, licking
  their USAFFE inflicted wounds during the Battle
  of the Points and Pockets last month or waiting
  for reinforcements. Taking advantage of the
  lull, a reorganization was effected with the
  Visayas-Mindanao Force by separating the Visayas
  Force as a distinct command under B/Gen Bradford
  G Chenoweth and dividing it further into five
  garrisons  Panay Gerrison under Col Albert
  Christie Negros Garrison under LCol Roger
  Hillsman Cebu Garrison under LCol Irvine
  Schrudder Bohol Garrison under LCol Arthur
  Grimes and Leyte-Samat Garrison under LCol
  Theodore M Carrol.

3
March 9, 1942 - continued

• The remaining P-40s hidden in Bataan raided enemy
  base in Subic, sank one tanker and two cargo
  ships and started fires on other vessels,
  Olongapo docks and Fort Wint. Food rations were
  further reduced to three eights from half due to
  acute food shortages. Enemy propaganda through
  Manila Radio KZRH, loudspeakers at the front
  lines and leaflets dropped by planes continue
  uninterrupted but have no mark effect on our
  morale. The Voice of Freedom is doing a great job
  countering enemy propaganda. It is the Mosquitos
  in the Bataan jungles that are becoming allied to
  the enemy inflicting deadly malaria on our
  troops.

4
March 12, 1942

• I've been using "All Quiet" meaning no exchanges
  of fires nor enemy bombings since the last week
  of Feb. It is not really "Quiet" as the
  propaganda war with enemy loudspeakers blaring in
  the front lines of Bataan and enemy planes
  dropping leaflets to our troops. I would say,
  what is now going on is a "WORD WAR". The Voice
  of Freedom is doing a great job for our side.
• Q-111 engines overhaul by Lt Zulueta's gang was
  completed rwo days ago and resumed patrolling
  Bataan east coast last night. For a change,
  Q-112 was directed to patrol Bataan west coast
  and Q-113 had a special mission landing an army
  unit in Zambales area to start guerilla warfare
  also last night. Early today, the three Q-Boats
  returned to Sisiman Cove with all theit missions
  accomplished specially that one by Q-113 of Lt S
  C Nuval.

5
March 12, 1942 - continued

• At noontime, I noted the four PT Boats have not
  returned to Sisiman Cove and when I visited
  Corregidor in the afternoon, I learned from Lt
  Leonie Guerero at PRO that Gen MacArthur and a
  party of 26 left Corregidor using PT-41, PT-32,
  PT-34 PT-35 of Lt Bulkeley in compliance with
  FDR's orders. I also learned that my friend,
  Maj Huff, was with the party and understood why
  he "borrowed" late last month my portable rubber
  boat which, I am sure, was brought along. Among
  those in the party, aside from the general and
  his wife, were their young son, Arthur and his
  Amah, Gen R Sutherland and two USN officers Adm H
  Rockwell and Capt H Ray. I consider using PT
  Boats to get out of Corregidor perilous as the
  enemy had complete control of the air and sea. A
  submarine is safer and available. Now, I realize
  why I had to patrol the area previously covered
  by PT Boats and Q-113 mission to Zambales last
  night as clever diversionary tactics to cover
  MacArthur's escape.

6
March 15, 1942

• "Word War" continues. Q-112 is now assigned to
  patrol West Bataan Coast, previously a
  responsibility Lt Bulkeley's PT Boats. Q-111 of
  Capt Navarette now covers Bataan East Coast. It
  is now Q-113's turn for engine overhaul. I
  surmise that by now, Gen MacArthur and party must
  have reached Del Monte Airfield in Bukidnon where
  Gen Brereton's B-17 shuttle service to Australia
  is. The PT's have to take advantage of darkness
  and it would only take two nights to reach the
  nearest northern Mindanao port to Del Monte. They
  could be there two days ago on the 13th although,
  I think, the enemy does not know this.

7
Q-112 and Q-113OSP Torpedo Boats
8
March 15, 1942 - continued

• Pres. Quezon left Corregidor 20 days ahead of Gen
  MacArthur who wanted his Compadre (Quezon) to
  proceed to Australia per invitation of FDR. But
  Quezon, still sulking and upset that mother
  America failed him on reinforcements, debarked in
  San Jose, Antique. From there, he traveled to
  different places in Panay Island and later
  crossed to Negros where he is now. Apparently he
  does not like to leave his people and I wonder
  what he will do. Before Gen MacArthur departed
  Corregidor, he relinquished his USAFFE Command
  quietly to Gen Wainwright, newly designated
  C-in-C, US Forces in the Phil (USFIP). Gen Edward
  King took over the Bataan command of Wainwright.

9
March 18, 1942

• This is the 24th "Lull Day" in all fronts and the
  "Word War" going on helped to obscure the secret
   escape of Gen MacArthur from Corregidor a week
  ago. Meanwhile, Q-112 continues her routine
  patrol of West Bataan Coast while Q-111 covers
  East Bataan Coast.
• Finally, yesterday, the whole world knew the
  dramatic escape. Upon arrival of Gen MacArthur
  and party at Bachelors Field, 40 miles south of
  Darwin, Australia from Mindanao, confronted by
  the Australian press, he said, "The President of
  the US ordered me to break through the Japanese
  lines and proceed from Corregidor to Australia
  for the purpose, as I understand it, of
  organizing the American offensive against Japan,
  a primary object of which is the relief of the
  Philippines. I CAME THROUGH and I SHALL RETURN".

10
Q-Boat depth charge firings
11
March 18, 1942 - continued

• No mention was made of the arrival of Pres Quezon
  and party in Australia aboard another B-17 that
  left Mindanao a bit ahead of MacArthur's B-17. I
  understand the general would not leave Mindanao
  without his "Compadre" Quezon left sulking in the
  Visayas. Besides, Pres Roosevelt wants Quezon to
  have his govt in exile in USA.                  
                                                   
                        I calculated that it would
  take only two nights for the PTs to make the 620
  miles from Corregidor to Cagayan de Oro, nearest
  port to Del Monte Airfield in Mindanao where the
  B-17 shuttle to Australia operates. My
  calculation was confirmed by Corregidor USN
  Intelligence tracking Adm Rockwell and Capt Ray
  aboard PT-34 of Lt Kelley as the party had, in
  fact, arrived in Cagayan de Oro early morning of
  March 13.

12
March 18, 1942 - continued

• The news about MacArthur's dramatic escape using
  PT Boats instead of submarines is devastating to
  the enemy.
• We, of the 1st Q-Boat Sqn, are proud of our
  brethrens of PT Ron Three under Lt Bulkeley for
  their accomplishments. I expect to know more
  details about this escapade from friends at USN
  Intelligence.

13
March 20, 1942

• This is the 26th day of "Lull in All Fronts" as
  Q-112 and Q-111 continue with their nightly
  routine Bataan sea coastal patrols. From the
  office of Major Romulo and USN Intelligence in
  Corregidor, I learned more details of that
  dramatic escape of MacArthur from Corregidor
  using PT Boats instead of  a Submarine. The
  party boarded after dark March 11, at South Dock,
  distributed in 4 PT Boats with Gen MacArthur and
  family aboard PT-41 (Bulkeley's flagship) Ens
  George Cox, CO Adm Rockwell aboard PT-34 Lt R
  Kelly, CO other PT-32  Lt (jg) V Schumacher,
  CO PT-35 Ens Akers, CO. Under cover of
  darkness, the PTs got thru the minefields and
  dashed for the open China Sea on their 620 mile
  journey to North Mindanao headed for Cuyo Gp
  where they spent daylight March 12 at Tagcauayan.
  PT 32 had engine trouble, passengers and crew
  transferred to other PTs and abandoned. They
  expected rendezvous with a back-up no show
  submarine.  

14
March 20, 1942 - continued

• The night of March 12 -- dashed southeast at 40
  knots arriving 0700 March 13 at Cagayan de Oro
  Wharf where Gen Sharp welcomed MacArthur aboard
  PT-41 and PT-34 with military honors. PT-35
  arrived much later due to engine problem.
  MacArthur and party were escorted to nearby Del
  Monte Pineapple Plantation whose Airfield is used
  by the B-17 Shuttle to Australia. Adequate
  quarters and facilities at Del Monte were most
  welcomed by a very weary and tired group that
  suffered severe sea-sickness and shaken like
  pop-corn in rough seas cramped among torpedo
  tubes as quarters.

15
March 22, 1942

• The "Lull In Bataan" continues on its 28th day
  but let me continue with more additional details
  learned from Major Romulo's office about the
  dramatic escape of MacArthur from Corregidor
  eleven days ago. Immediately after Gen
  MacArthur's arrival at Del Monte on March 13, Gen
  Sharp gave a briefing about Vis-Min Area and
  fresh reports say Pres Quezon is still wavering
  on whether he will leave the Philippines or not
  and is hiding somewhere in Negros Oriental about
  100 miles north. Alarmed and greatly disturbed by
  this report MacArthur summoned Lt John Bulkeley
  and ordered him to locate and "persuade" Quezon
  to join them at Del Monte with Lt Col Andres
  Soriano as guide and a few men of Gen Sharp to
  assist. Using PT-41 and PT-35, Bulkeley and
  Soriano were able to locate Quezon hiding in
  Bais, Negros Oriental. At first, Quezon refused
  to budge and it took some "persuasion" by a
  pirate looking Bulkeley for Quezon and party to
  finally relent and board PT-41 PT-35.

16
March 22, 1942 - continued

• On their way  to Cagayan de Oro, PT- 35 went
  aground and her passengers were transferred,
  packed like sardines that upset Quezon, to PT-41.
  Military Honors was rendered by Gen Sharp on
  Quezon upon arrival at Cagayan de Oro Wharf.
   MacArthur lost no time  placating the hurt
  feelings of his Compadre and so before midnight
  of March 16, Quezon and party boarded a B-17 at
  Del Monte and headed for Australia. Shortly,
  thereafter, MacArthur and party boarded another
  B-17 that took them to Bachelors Field where he
  declared his famous "I Shall Return" on March 17.
  

17
March 22, 1942 - continued

• By this time, of the original 6 PTs, only PT-41of
  Bulkeley's PT Squadron remains.  Lt Bulkeley was
  left behind and given instructions by MacArthur
  to reconnoiter the Southern Cotabato Coast for
  possible Allied landing sites when MacArthur
  returns as he intended.

18
March 25, 1942

• This is the 31st day "Lull in Bataan" as the
  Q-Boats continue their routine monotonous Coastal
  Patrols. As good and bad news are hard to come
  by, it is only today I learned of the fate of the
  big ships of Adm Hart's Asiatic Fleet that moved
  to Dutch East Indies waters last December and
  later became part of the Allied Naval Forces
  under Dutch Adm E E Helfrich. In late January,
  the USS Boise ran aground and lucky to return to
  USA for repairs to fight another day. The USS
  Marblehead was badly damaged after enemy attacks
  in February, managed to be towed to Boston via
  South Africa for repairs to fight again later.
  However, the big cruiser USS Houston ran out of
  luck and sunk during the battle of Java Sea with
  many casualties. Half of the 29 submarines under
  Capt John Wilkes became a part of Adm Helfrich
  naval forces and operated in Surabaya.

19
March 25, 1942 - continued

• Finally, after eight days fighting following the
  Japanese landings in Java, the Allied Forces of
  more than 100,000 troops capitulated to the
  Japanese Forces. The USAFFE is not doing bad at
  all considering that we have not given up 106
  days now after the initial Japanese landings in
  Luzon last Dec 10 despite lack of reinforcements,
  supplies and other handicaps.
• Before the Dutch surrendered in Java, the
  submarine force under Capt Wilkes moved to
  Freemantle, Australia as new base of operations.
  The other half of the Asiatic submarine force
  under Captain James Fife went directly from the
  Philippines to Darwin, Australia where they
  operated supporting USAFFE operations like
  bringing badly needed ammo and evacuating certain
  critical passengers like Pres Quezon and party,
  High Commissioner Francis B Sayre and party and
  other selected military personnel as directed
  from time to time.

20
March 30, 1942

• Two days ago, Q-112 became NRFS (not ready for
  sea) the first time since the war started. Her
  main engines have exceeded the 700 hrs operation
  by 200 hrs and are due for extensive overhaul by
  Lt Joe Zulueta and his mechanics. I and the crew
  are having a respite at our Bataan Shore Camp
  upstream Sisiman River.
• The two days I've been ashore gave me time to
  ponder our fate for the first time. This is
  the 36th day "Lull" and when I saw some of the
  troops of the 2nd Reg Div, I could feel the
  effects of starvation diet and ravages of
  sickness living in the jungles of Bataan from
  their gaunt bodies and sunken eyes. It dawned on
  me that the enemy may just prolong the "Lull" and
  like a plant, we will just "die in the vine".

21
March 30, 1942 - continued

• The signs are clear but I refused to see them.
  For instance, when War Plan Orange was made
  effective last Dec 24, that was the initial bad
  sign. By the end of Dec, the Asiatic Fleet and
  remaining B-17s had scampered south. No
  reinforcements were possible as long as the enemy
  retain air and sea power.  Pres Quezon, H.C.
  Sayre and Gen MacArthur are all gone now.
• After the Asiatic Fleet abandoned us last Dec,
   our naval defense relied on nine torpedo boats
  (6PTs 3 Qs). Since  last Mar. 11 when MacArthur
  used the remaining PTs, our naval defense fell on
  these hapless three Q-Boats and so for the past
  twenty days, our very own  three Q-Boats are the
  only fighting ships to support our beleaguered
  USAFFE troops.  I can only wish that those eight
  Q-Boats under construction at Engineer Island
  were completed before the start of WW II-wishful
  thinking ashore in Bataan.