United States Asiatic Fleet
Encyclopedia
The United States Asiatic Fleet was part of the U.S. Navy
. Preceding the World War II
era, until 1942, the fleet protected the Philippines
.
Originally the Asiatic Squadron
, it was upgraded to fleet status in 1902. In 1907, the fleet became the First Squadron of the Pacific Fleet
. However, on 28 January 1910, the ships of that squadron were again organized as the Asiatic Fleet. Thus constituted the Asiatic Fleet remained organizationally independent of the Pacific Fleet, which was based on the western coast of the U.S. and, in 1940, moved to Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
.
s were withdrawn from the Far East
. Gunboats patrolled the Yangtze River
in the Yangtze Patrol
.
In 1922, when the Atlantic Fleet
was dissolved, the Asiatic Fleet was charged with defending the Philippines
and Guam
and with upholding the Open Door Policy
in China.
was appointed the commander; the fleet was based at Cavite Naval Base and Olongapo Naval Station, and the headquarters for this unit was at the Marsman Building in Manila
. On 22 July, the Mariveles Naval Base was completed and used as well.
Hart had permission to withdraw to the Indian Ocean, in the event of war, at his discretion.
Hart's submarines, commanded by Commander, Submarines, Asiatic Fleet (COMSUBAF) Captain
John E. Wilkes
with six elderly "S"-class
submarines (and submarine tender
) and seven Porpoise
s (in Submarine Squadron 5, SubRon 5), In October 1941, 12 Salmons or Sargos—in Captain Stuart "Sunshine" Murray
's Submarine Division 15 {SubDiv 15} and Captain Joseph A. Connolly's SubDiv 16, as SubRon 2—accompanied by the tender , were added. Walter E. "Red" Doyle was assigned as Wilkes' relief. Hart's defensive plan relied heavily on his submarines, which were believed to be "the most lethal arm of the insignificant Asiatic Fleet", to interdict the Japanese and whittle down their forces prior to a landing, and to disrupt attempts at reinforcing after the landings took place. When war began, Doyle's inexperience in Asian waters meant Wilkes remained de facto COMSUBAS.
Problems were encountered almost from the beginning. No defensive minefields were laid. Ineffective and unrealistic peace time training, inadequate (or nonexistent) defensive plans, poor deployments, and defective torpedoes combined to make submarine operations in defense of the Philippines a foregone conclusion. No boats were placed in Lingayen Gulf
, widely expected to be where the Japanese would land; in the event, several S-boats, aggressively handled, scored successes there. Nor were any boats off ports of Japanese-held Formosa
, despite more than a week's warning of impending hostilities. Successes were few in the early days of the war.
trade interests and to pursue a permanent alliance with the Chinese Republic, after long diplomatic difficulties with the Chinese Empire. The relationship between the U.S. and China was mostly on-again off-again, with periods of both cordial diplomatic relations accompanied by times of severed relations and violent anti-United States protests.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Asiatic Fleet was based from China, and a classic image of the "China Sailor" developed, as a large number of U.S. Navy members would remain at postings in China for 10–12 years then retire and continue to live in the country. The classic film The Sand Pebbles
is a dramatization on the life of the China Sailors.
The U.S. military also created several awards and decorations to recognize those personnel who had performed duty in China. The China Service Medal
, China Campaign Medal
, Yangtze Service Medal
, and the China Relief Expedition Medal
were all military medals which could be presented to those who had performed duty in China.
With the approach of World War II
, the U.S. military in China was slowly withdrawn to protect other U.S. interests in the Pacific. With the rise of Communist China, there was no further U.S. military presence in mainland China, a status which continues to this day.
Early in November 1941, the Navy Department ordered Hart to withdraw the fleet's Marines
and gunboats, stationed in China. Five of the gunboats were moved to Manila, was left with a skeleton crew as a radio base and was seized by the Japanese on 8 December and was transferred to the Republic of China Navy under Lend-Lease
.
The majority of the 4th Marine Regiment was stationed at Shanghai, and other detachments were at Peking
(Beijing) and Tientsin
(Tianjin). These troops were loaded onto two President class liners on 27-28 November (at either Shanghai or Chinwangtao (Qinghuangdao) and arrived in the Philippines on 30 November-1 December.
President Harrison returned to Chinwangtao, to move the remaining Marines, but was captured by the Japanese on 7 December. Those Marines which had reached the Philippines were tasked with defending the naval stations, particularly Mariveles Naval Base.
and Subic Bay
s (in support of the Harbor Defenses
) were mine
d by the Asiatic Fleet, stationed in Manila Bay
. These minefields were designed to stop all vessels, except for submarine
s and shallow-draft surface craft.
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} in support of Patrol Wing 10 (VP 101 and VP 102) with 28 Consolidated PBY-4 flying boat
s
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Also stationed at Cavite Naval Base was the Offshore Patrol
.
Patrol Wing 10 had been commissioned in December 1940, and included Patrol Squadrons 101 (VP 101) and 102 (VP 102), each equipped with fourteen Consolidated
PBY-4 flying boat
s. By Mid-1941, these 28 PBYs were numbered 1 through 14 for VP 101, 16 through 29 for VP 102. The Utility Unit included Grumman J2F Duck
amphibian
s (1 J2F-2 and 4 J2F-4s), as well as five new OS2U-2 Kingfisher floatplane
s, delivered in the late summer. Also, a number of Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplanes were present. Houston carried four, Marblehead two, and Langley two or three, and two more were under repair or in storage at the Aircraft Overhaul Shop (Shop X 34) at Cavite Navy Yard.
As of 8 December, PBYs of Patrol Wing 10 patrolled the northwest and northeast of Luzon daily. These flights were based at either NAS Sangley Point, the Navy's auxiliary seaplane station at Olongapo on Subic Bay
, or seaplane tender Childs in Manila Bay. Trios of PBYs rotated down to the southern islands to base on William B. Preston at Malalag Bay on Davao Gulf
, Mindanao
. These patrols over the Philippine Sea
to the east bordered with similar patrols flown by Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service flying boats based in the Netherlands East Indies. Seaplane tender Heron, with a detachment of four OS2U-2s from the Utility Unit, ran morning and evening patrols from Port Ciego, Balabac Island
, over the strategically important Balabac Straits from 4-13 December.
Early in the morning of 8 December, Preston dispatched one aircraft on patrol and a short time later was attacked by aircraft from the small Japanese carrier
, and her other two PBYs were sunk on the water.
Patrol Wing 10 was ordered south into the Netherlands East Indies on 12 December, when the collapsing defenses of the islands made further operations untenable. Within the first 90 days of the war, Patrol Wing 10 had fallen back to Perth
, Western Australia
, being reinforced by VP 22 from Hawaii but losing 43 of 45 PBYs—all but four lost to enemy action—together with Langley.
TF 4, Asiatic Fleet: Patrol Wing 10, seaplane tenders, and aviation resources.
TF 5, Asiatic Fleet: surface strike forces, including cruisers and Destroyer Squadron 29 (DesRon 29).
TF 6, Asiatic Fleet: submarines force, including all submarines, tenders and rescue ships.
TF 7, Asiatic Fleet: patrol force, including gunboats and .
4th Marine Regiment
Commandant 16th Naval District (COM16): The Cavite Navy Yard and all the shore establishment on Luzon, including the radio station, ammunition depot, hospital, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THREE, naval air station, mine depot, and similar facilities on Corregidor,at Mariveles, Bataan, and Olongpago, on Subic Bay.
The historic Yangtze Patrol
was concluded in early December 1941. Of the five remaining gunboats, remained at Chungking, was in reduced commission at Shanghai as a radio station for the U.S. State Department
, and ComYangPat sailed in with Oahu for Manila, joined by Mindanao
.
es and gunfire to sink four transports and one patrol craft. The Japanese believed that the attack came from submarines, and sent cruiser and destroyers out to sea in pursuit, leaving the transports unprotected. This was the first surface action of the Pacific War and the first since the Spanish-American War. Although it significantly boosted morale, it had a negligible effect on Japanese operations.
on Celebes Island
.
Planning a night attack, the ABDA force had to sail some distance on open water in daylight. It was attacked by Japanese bombers which severely damaged the light cruiser and disabled turret #3 on the heavy cruiser . The force retreated to Tjilatjap, Java, having failed to prevent the Japanese landing.
after the Japanese had made their landing and had retired, leaving only four Japanese destroyers on station. This attack failed. Three Japanese destroyers were damaged by gunfire, but the Dutch destroyer Piet Hein was sunk and a Dutch and American destroyer were damaged.
sailed against a Japanese force of seven cruisers and 25 destroyers. The Japanese had air cover, while ABDA did not (nor in any of the other battles described here). It was a rout, fought during the afternoon and evening, a running gun battle with Japanese planes constantly dropping flares to illuminate the ABDA ships. The Dutch lost two cruisers and a destroyer, the British two destroyers. One Japanese destroyer was damaged.
and Java—came upon a Japanese invasion force making a landing in Bantam (now Banten) Bay. In a confused night battle, both ships were sunk inside the Bay and not in Sunda Strait as is usually written. The two Allied ships fought bravely, but were overwhelmed by superiour numbers. Four of the Japanese transports were torpedoed, most likely by their own side. The Japanese fired 87 torpedoes in the first half hour of the battle.
surrendered to the Japanese at Corregidor
in the Philippines. Most of the surviving ships safely reached Australia.
in 1943.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Preceding the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era, until 1942, the fleet protected the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Originally the Asiatic Squadron
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, it was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded...
, it was upgraded to fleet status in 1902. In 1907, the fleet became the First Squadron of the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
. However, on 28 January 1910, the ships of that squadron were again organized as the Asiatic Fleet. Thus constituted the Asiatic Fleet remained organizationally independent of the Pacific Fleet, which was based on the western coast of the U.S. and, in 1940, moved to Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
1902 — 1941
In 1904, all armored cruiserArmored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
s were withdrawn from the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Gunboats patrolled the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
in the Yangtze Patrol
Yangtze Patrol
The Yangtze Patrol, from 1854 to 1945, was a prolonged naval operation to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. Initially the patrol was carried out by ships of the United States Navy's East India and Asiatic Squadrons. In 1922, the "YangPat" was established as a formal...
.
In 1922, when the Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
was dissolved, the Asiatic Fleet was charged with defending the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and with upholding the Open Door Policy
Open Door Policy
The Open Door Policy is a concept in foreign affairs, which usually refers to the policy in 1899 allowing multiple Imperial powers access to China, with none of them in control of that country. As a theory, the Open Door Policy originates with British commercial practice, as was reflected in...
in China.
World War II
By mid-1941, Admiral Thomas C. HartThomas C. Hart
Thomas Charles Hart was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served briefly as a United States Senator from Connecticut.-Life and career:Hart was born in Genesee County, Michigan...
was appointed the commander; the fleet was based at Cavite Naval Base and Olongapo Naval Station, and the headquarters for this unit was at the Marsman Building in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. On 22 July, the Mariveles Naval Base was completed and used as well.
Hart had permission to withdraw to the Indian Ocean, in the event of war, at his discretion.
Hart's submarines, commanded by Commander, Submarines, Asiatic Fleet (COMSUBAF) Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
John E. Wilkes
John E. Wilkes
John E. Wilkes was a vice admiral in the United States Navy, who served in World War I and World War II. In December 1941 he was appointed Commander of Submarines, Asiatic Fleet. In 1944 Wilkes was commander of all ports in Northern Europe. From 1945 to 1951 he was the chief U.S. Naval Officer in...
with six elderly "S"-class
United States S class submarine
The United States' S-class submarines, often simply called S-boats , were the first class of submarines built to a United States Navy design....
submarines (and submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
) and seven Porpoise
United States Porpoise class submarine
The Porpoise class were submarines built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s, and incorporated a number of modern features that would make them the basis for subsequent classes such as the Salmon, Tambor, Gato, Balao, and Tench classes...
s (in Submarine Squadron 5, SubRon 5), In October 1941, 12 Salmons or Sargos—in Captain Stuart "Sunshine" Murray
Stuart S. Murray
Stuart Shadrick Murray was a Vice Admiral of the United States Navy who served during World War II. Born in Delia, Texas he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1919...
's Submarine Division 15 {SubDiv 15} and Captain Joseph A. Connolly's SubDiv 16, as SubRon 2—accompanied by the tender , were added. Walter E. "Red" Doyle was assigned as Wilkes' relief. Hart's defensive plan relied heavily on his submarines, which were believed to be "the most lethal arm of the insignificant Asiatic Fleet", to interdict the Japanese and whittle down their forces prior to a landing, and to disrupt attempts at reinforcing after the landings took place. When war began, Doyle's inexperience in Asian waters meant Wilkes remained de facto COMSUBAS.
Problems were encountered almost from the beginning. No defensive minefields were laid. Ineffective and unrealistic peace time training, inadequate (or nonexistent) defensive plans, poor deployments, and defective torpedoes combined to make submarine operations in defense of the Philippines a foregone conclusion. No boats were placed in Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, widely expected to be where the Japanese would land; in the event, several S-boats, aggressively handled, scored successes there. Nor were any boats off ports of Japanese-held Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
, despite more than a week's warning of impending hostilities. Successes were few in the early days of the war.
Chinese Detachment
Between 1901 and 1937, the United States military maintained a strong presence in China to maintain Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
trade interests and to pursue a permanent alliance with the Chinese Republic, after long diplomatic difficulties with the Chinese Empire. The relationship between the U.S. and China was mostly on-again off-again, with periods of both cordial diplomatic relations accompanied by times of severed relations and violent anti-United States protests.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Asiatic Fleet was based from China, and a classic image of the "China Sailor" developed, as a large number of U.S. Navy members would remain at postings in China for 10–12 years then retire and continue to live in the country. The classic film The Sand Pebbles
The Sand Pebbles (film)
The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 American period war film directed by Robert Wise. It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy Machinist's Mate aboard the fictional gunboat USS San Pablo in 1920s China....
is a dramatization on the life of the China Sailors.
The U.S. military also created several awards and decorations to recognize those personnel who had performed duty in China. The China Service Medal
China Service Medal
The China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted on August 23, 1940 and featured a yellow ribbon with narrow red edge stripes...
, China Campaign Medal
China Campaign Medal
The China Campaign Medal is a decoration of the United States Army which was created by order of the United States War Department on January 12, 1905...
, Yangtze Service Medal
Yangtze Service Medal
The Yangtze Service Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created in 1930 for presentation to members of the U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, and the China Relief Expedition Medal
China Relief Expedition Medal
The China Relief Expedition Medal was a decoration of the United States military which was issued to members of both the United States Navy and the United States Marines for service in the China Relief Expedition between 1900 and 1901 during the Boxer Rebellion. The medal was authorized by General...
were all military medals which could be presented to those who had performed duty in China.
With the approach of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the U.S. military in China was slowly withdrawn to protect other U.S. interests in the Pacific. With the rise of Communist China, there was no further U.S. military presence in mainland China, a status which continues to this day.
Early in November 1941, the Navy Department ordered Hart to withdraw the fleet's Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and gunboats, stationed in China. Five of the gunboats were moved to Manila, was left with a skeleton crew as a radio base and was seized by the Japanese on 8 December and was transferred to the Republic of China Navy under Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
.
The majority of the 4th Marine Regiment was stationed at Shanghai, and other detachments were at Peking
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
(Beijing) and Tientsin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
(Tianjin). These troops were loaded onto two President class liners on 27-28 November (at either Shanghai or Chinwangtao (Qinghuangdao) and arrived in the Philippines on 30 November-1 December.
President Harrison returned to Chinwangtao, to move the remaining Marines, but was captured by the Japanese on 7 December. Those Marines which had reached the Philippines were tasked with defending the naval stations, particularly Mariveles Naval Base.
Minefields
ManilaManila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
and Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
s (in support of the Harbor Defenses
Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays
The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays were part of the Philippine Department of the United States Army prior to and during World War II....
) were mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
d by the Asiatic Fleet, stationed in Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
. These minefields were designed to stop all vessels, except for submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s and shallow-draft surface craft.
Vessels of the Asiatic Fleet and the 16th Naval District — 8 December 1941
The Asiatic Fleet and the 16th Naval District possessed:- 1 heavy cruiserHeavy cruiserThe heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
}
- 1 light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
}
- 13 Clemson-classClemson class destroyerThe Clemson class was a series of 156 destroyers which served with the United States Navy from after World War I through World War II.The Clemson-class ships were commissioned by the United States Navy from 1919 to 1922, built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, New York Shipbuilding...
destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s:
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- 1 destroyer tenderDestroyer tenderA destroyer tender is a ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of this class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved .Due to the increased size and automation of...
}
- 29 submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
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- 5 gunboatGunboatA gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s:
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- 1 yachtYachtA yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
}
- 6 minesweeperMinesweeper (ship)A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
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- 2 tankerTanker (ship)A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
s:
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- 1 ocean-going tugboatTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
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- 4 seaplane tenderSeaplane tenderA seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
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} in support of Patrol Wing 10 (VP 101 and VP 102) with 28 Consolidated PBY-4 flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s
- 1 submarine rescue vessel
}
- 3 submarine tenders:
}
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- various other ships, including 6 motor torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s that formed Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron ThreeMotor Torpedo Boat Squadron ThreeMotor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three was a United States Navy squadron based at Cavite, Philippines, from September 1941 to mid-April 1942. It was commanded by then-Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley and made up of six motor torpedo boats: PT 31, PT 32, PT 33, PT 34, PT 35, and PT 41, the last as the... - 1 2-masted schoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
}
Also stationed at Cavite Naval Base was the Offshore Patrol
Offshore Patrol
The Offshore Patrol was a rudimentary navy, intended for inshore defenses only, called for by the Philippine National Assembly in its National Defense Act of 1935...
.
Aircraft of the Asiatic Fleet — 8 December 1941
The aviation elements of the Asiatic Fleet comprised Patrol Wing 10, with two patrol squadrons (VPs or PatRons), a utility unit, and the aviation units aboard the Fleet's two cruisers and the large seaplane tender Langley.Patrol Wing 10 had been commissioned in December 1940, and included Patrol Squadrons 101 (VP 101) and 102 (VP 102), each equipped with fourteen Consolidated
Consolidated Aircraft
The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was being closed by its parent corporation, General Motors. Consolidated became...
PBY-4 flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s. By Mid-1941, these 28 PBYs were numbered 1 through 14 for VP 101, 16 through 29 for VP 102. The Utility Unit included Grumman J2F Duck
Grumman J2F Duck
|-Popular culture:* A J2F Duck was used in the 1971 film Murphy's War, which includes a spectacular three-minute rough water takeoff scene along with numerous flying and aerobatic sequences...
amphibian
Amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft that can take off and land on either land or water. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes that are equipped with retractable wheels, at the expense of extra weight and complexity, plus diminished range and fuel economy compared to planes...
s (1 J2F-2 and 4 J2F-4s), as well as five new OS2U-2 Kingfisher floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
s, delivered in the late summer. Also, a number of Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplanes were present. Houston carried four, Marblehead two, and Langley two or three, and two more were under repair or in storage at the Aircraft Overhaul Shop (Shop X 34) at Cavite Navy Yard.
As of 8 December, PBYs of Patrol Wing 10 patrolled the northwest and northeast of Luzon daily. These flights were based at either NAS Sangley Point, the Navy's auxiliary seaplane station at Olongapo on Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
, or seaplane tender Childs in Manila Bay. Trios of PBYs rotated down to the southern islands to base on William B. Preston at Malalag Bay on Davao Gulf
Davao Gulf
Davao Gulf is a gulf found in Mindanao in the Philippines. It has an area of 308,000 hectares. Davao Gulf cuts into the island of Mindanao from Celebes Sea. It is surrounded by all four provinces in the Davao Region. The largest island in the gulf is Samal Island. Davao City, on the gulf's west...
, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. These patrols over the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
to the east bordered with similar patrols flown by Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service flying boats based in the Netherlands East Indies. Seaplane tender Heron, with a detachment of four OS2U-2s from the Utility Unit, ran morning and evening patrols from Port Ciego, Balabac Island
Balabac Island
Balabac Island is the southern-most island of the Palawan province in the Philippines, only about north from Sabah, Malaysia, across the Balabac Strait.Administratively, the island forms the main part of Balabac Municipality and is divided into 14 barangays:...
, over the strategically important Balabac Straits from 4-13 December.
Early in the morning of 8 December, Preston dispatched one aircraft on patrol and a short time later was attacked by aircraft from the small Japanese carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, and her other two PBYs were sunk on the water.
Patrol Wing 10 was ordered south into the Netherlands East Indies on 12 December, when the collapsing defenses of the islands made further operations untenable. Within the first 90 days of the war, Patrol Wing 10 had fallen back to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, being reinforced by VP 22 from Hawaii but losing 43 of 45 PBYs—all but four lost to enemy action—together with Langley.
- PBY-4 (28. Added: 12 PBY-5s from VP 22 and 5 ex-Dutch Catalinas in January)
- J2F-2 or -4 (4)
- OS2U-2 (5)
- SOC-1 or -2 / SONSONSON protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SON gene.-Further reading:...
(10-12)
Asiatic Fleet components — 8 December 1941
Asiatic Fleet Headquarters, ashore from mid-1941 at the Marsman Building on the Manila waterfront. The Fleet flagship, , was assigned to lead Task Force 5 (TF 5).TF 4, Asiatic Fleet: Patrol Wing 10, seaplane tenders, and aviation resources.
TF 5, Asiatic Fleet: surface strike forces, including cruisers and Destroyer Squadron 29 (DesRon 29).
TF 6, Asiatic Fleet: submarines force, including all submarines, tenders and rescue ships.
TF 7, Asiatic Fleet: patrol force, including gunboats and .
4th Marine Regiment
Commandant 16th Naval District (COM16): The Cavite Navy Yard and all the shore establishment on Luzon, including the radio station, ammunition depot, hospital, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THREE, naval air station, mine depot, and similar facilities on Corregidor,at Mariveles, Bataan, and Olongpago, on Subic Bay.
The historic Yangtze Patrol
Yangtze Patrol
The Yangtze Patrol, from 1854 to 1945, was a prolonged naval operation to protect American interests in the Yangtze River's treaty ports. Initially the patrol was carried out by ships of the United States Navy's East India and Asiatic Squadrons. In 1922, the "YangPat" was established as a formal...
was concluded in early December 1941. Of the five remaining gunboats, remained at Chungking, was in reduced commission at Shanghai as a radio station for the U.S. State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, and ComYangPat sailed in with Oahu for Manila, joined by Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
Battles Fought by the Asiatic Fleet — early 1942
As the Japanese sought sources of oil and minerals in the Netherlands East Indies and Borneo immediately following Pearl Harbor, the only fleet available to defend against them was the Asiatic Fleet. Outnumbered, outgunned, outmanned, the U.S. Navy, part of the ABDA (American, British, Dutch and Australian) force was unable to stop the Japanese, and could only attempt to slow them down.Battle of Balikpapan — 24 January 1942
Catching a Japanese invasion fleet of 16 transports, a cruiser and several destroyers anchored in Balikpapan Bay, four old U.S. "four stacker" destroyers—, , and —attacked at night using torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es and gunfire to sink four transports and one patrol craft. The Japanese believed that the attack came from submarines, and sent cruiser and destroyers out to sea in pursuit, leaving the transports unprotected. This was the first surface action of the Pacific War and the first since the Spanish-American War. Although it significantly boosted morale, it had a negligible effect on Japanese operations.
Battle of Flores Sea — 4 February 1942
Encouraged by the success of the Balikpapan raid, an attempt was made to break up another invasion when word was received that a Japanese force was planning a landing at MakassarMakassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
on Celebes Island
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
.
Planning a night attack, the ABDA force had to sail some distance on open water in daylight. It was attacked by Japanese bombers which severely damaged the light cruiser and disabled turret #3 on the heavy cruiser . The force retreated to Tjilatjap, Java, having failed to prevent the Japanese landing.
Battle of Badung Strait — February 19/20, 1942
In an effort to break up another invasion, a small force of ABDA ships arrived on the island of BaliBali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
after the Japanese had made their landing and had retired, leaving only four Japanese destroyers on station. This attack failed. Three Japanese destroyers were damaged by gunfire, but the Dutch destroyer Piet Hein was sunk and a Dutch and American destroyer were damaged.
Battle of Java Sea — 27 February 1942
This was the largest battle fought in the area. The ABDA force of five cruisers and 11 destroyers, led by Dutch Admiral DoormanKarel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily-organized multinational naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack. Doorman was killed and the main body of ABDACOM Naval forces destroyed...
sailed against a Japanese force of seven cruisers and 25 destroyers. The Japanese had air cover, while ABDA did not (nor in any of the other battles described here). It was a rout, fought during the afternoon and evening, a running gun battle with Japanese planes constantly dropping flares to illuminate the ABDA ships. The Dutch lost two cruisers and a destroyer, the British two destroyers. One Japanese destroyer was damaged.
Battle of Sunda Strait — 28 February 1942
Retreating south to Batavia after the Battle of Java Sea the day before, the U.S. cruiser Houston and the Australian light cruiser —while heading at high speed for Sunda Strait, between SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Java—came upon a Japanese invasion force making a landing in Bantam (now Banten) Bay. In a confused night battle, both ships were sunk inside the Bay and not in Sunda Strait as is usually written. The two Allied ships fought bravely, but were overwhelmed by superiour numbers. Four of the Japanese transports were torpedoed, most likely by their own side. The Japanese fired 87 torpedoes in the first half hour of the battle.
Half the U.S. Fleet lost
Of the 40 surface vessels in the Asiatic Fleet on Pearl Harbor Day, 19 were sunk by 5 May 1942, the day General WainwrightJonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV
Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV was a career American army officer and the commander of Allied forces in the Philippines at the time of their surrender to the Empire of Japan during World War II...
surrendered to the Japanese at Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
in the Philippines. Most of the surviving ships safely reached Australia.
Aftermath
After the defeats in the defense of the Philippine Commonwealth and the Dutch East Indies, the remaining vessels retreated to Australia. They would fall under the command of the South West Pacific Area which would establish the 7th FleetUnited States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
in 1943.
Commanders in Chief, Asiatic Fleet
| • | Robley D. Evans Robley Dunglison Evans Robley Dunglison Evans was born in Floyd County, Virginia served in the United States Navy from the American Civil War to the Spanish-American War, attaining the rank of rear admiral... |
(1902 | — | 1904) | |
| • | Charles Jackson Train | (20 September 1904 | — | 1906) | |
| • | Willard H. Brownson Willard H. Brownson Rear Admiral Willard Herbert Brownson, USN was a United States Navy officer whose career included service against pirates in Mexico, and service during the Spanish-American War. He also served a term as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.-Early Life and Career:A native of Lyons, New... |
(1906 | — | 1907) | |
| • | William S. Cowles William S. Cowles William Sheffield Cowles, Sr. was an rear admiral in the United States Navy.-Naval career:Cowles commanded the gunboat, during the Spanish–American War, and served as naval aide to President McKinley... |
(1907 | — | August 1908) | |
| • | John Hubbard | (28 January 1910 | — | 1912) | |
| • | Walter Cleveland Cowles | (1914 | — | 11 July 1915) | |
| • | Albert Gustav Winterhalter | (11 July 1915 | — | 22 May 1917) | |
| • | Austin Melvin Knight | (22 May 1917 | — | 7 December 1918) | |
| • | Albert Gleaves Albert Gleaves Albert Gleaves was an admiral in the United States Navy, also notable as a naval historian.-Biography:... |
(1920 | — | 4 February 1921) | |
| • | William Ledyard Rodgers William Ledyard Rodgers William Ledyard Rodgers was a Vice Admiral of the United States Navy. His career included service in the Spanish-American War and World War I, and a tour as President of the Naval War College... |
(1920 | — | 1920) | |
| • | Joseph Strauss Joseph Strauss (admiral) Admiral Joseph Strauss was an officer of the United States Navy, who served in World War I, and later commanded the Asiatic Fleet.-Biography:... |
(4 February 1921 | — | 28 August 1922) | |
| • | Edwin Anderson, Jr. Edwin Anderson, Jr. Edwin Alexander Anderson, Jr. was a United States Navy officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the 1914 American intervention at Veracruz. He retired from the Navy in 1924 as an admiral.... |
(28 August 1922 | — | 11 October 1923) | |
| • | Thomas Washington Thomas Washington Thomas Washington was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War I.-Early life and career:Born at Goldsboro, North Carolina, Washington was appointed to the United States Naval Academy on 17 May 1883... |
(11 October 1923 | — | 14 October 1925) | |
| • | Clarence S. Williams Clarence S. Williams Clarence Stewart Williams was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of the United States Asiatic Fleet from 1925 to 1927.-Early career:... |
(14 October 1925 | — | 9 September 1927) | |
| • | Mark L. Bristol | (9 September 1927 | — | ?) | |
| • | Charles B. McVay, Jr. | (? | — | 1 September 1931) | |
| • | Montgomery Taylor Montgomery M. Taylor Montgomery Meigs Taylor was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet from 1931 to 1933.-Military career:... |
(1 September 1931 | — | 18 August 1933) | |
| • | Frank B. Upham Frank B. Upham Frank Brooks Upham was an admiral in the United States Navy during the Spanish American War and World War I.-Biography:... |
(18 August 1933 | — | 30 September 1935) | |
| • | Orin G. Murfin Orin G. Murfin Orin Gould Murfin was an admiral in the United States Navy.Murfin served as the commanding officer of USS Albany in 1916 and of West Virginia , 1928-29. From 1931-34, he was the Navy's Judge Advocate General.He also served as Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet, 1935-36... |
(30 September 1935 | — | 30 October 1936) | |
| • | Harry E. Yarnell Harry E. Yarnell Admiral Harry Ervin Yarnell was an American naval officer whose career spanned 51 years and three wars, from the Spanish-American War through World War II.-Early life and Naval career:... |
(30 October 1936 | — | 24 July 1939) | |
| • | Thomas C. Hart Thomas C. Hart Thomas Charles Hart was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service extended from the Spanish-American War through World War II. Following his retirement from the Navy, he served briefly as a United States Senator from Connecticut.-Life and career:Hart was born in Genesee County, Michigan... |
(24 July 1939 | — | 15 February 1942) |
See also
- Philippine DepartmentPhilippine DepartmentThe Philippine Department was a regular US Army unit, defeated in the Philippines, during World War II. The mission of the Philippine Department was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the Philippine Army...
, USAFFE - Military History of the PhilippinesMilitary history of the Philippines-Battle of Mactan:The Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521, is celebrated as the earliest reported resistance of the natives in the Philippines against foreign invaders. Lapu-Lapu, a Chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Christian European explorers led by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand...
- Military History of the United StatesMilitary history of the United StatesThe military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries. During the course of those years, the United States evolved from a new nation fighting the British Empire for independence without a professional military , through a monumental American Civil War to the world's sole...
- USS Houston Website
- USS Houston Blog
- China Gunboatman Blogsite
- The United States Asiatic Fleet
Further reading
- Robert W. Love History of the U.S. Navy
- Kemp Tolley Cruise of the Lanakai
- Dwight R. Messimer In The Hands of Fate