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May 1941. Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz. Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz former CO, Q-112, WW II USAFFE former Chief of Staff, PN.
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May1941 Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz
Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcarazformer CO, Q-112, WW II USAFFEformer Chief of Staff, PN This diary was used as technical reference material for the 2002 documentary “Bataan: The Last Defense”to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battles of Bataan and Corregidor.
Preface With the upcoming Death March’s 60th Anniversary next year, I share pertinent portions of my diary of 60 years ago from the time I started it to the time we were released as POW in 1942, that the younger generation can appreciate more the Battle of Bataan. Ka Monching
May 27, 1941 Briefly, the situation in the Philippines, a US territory with a Commonwealth Govt led by Pres Quezon, whose legislature passed CA #1, Defense Act, is progressing well towards the 1946 Independence. Defense law framed by Advisors MacArthur & Eisenhower anchors on Phil Army (PA) with sea going sv (OSP) and air (PAAC) as mere branches like Inf, Arty, CAC etc. PC as nucleus, PMA replaced PCA to produce Reg Os for regular army. Defense patterned after Swiss citizen army conscript concept. Phil divided to 10 Mil areas with various Training Cadres, each area to produce 4,000 trained men per year. By 1946, we will have 400,000 citizen army, 250 planes and 50 Torpedo boats. Reserve Os will come from ROTC or other Os Schools. PA C/S is Maj Gen Basilio Valdez; C,PC B/Gen G Francisco.
May 27, 1941 - continued Peace and order, civil service excellent. Every young man is eager to join the military, trainees enthusiastic and many high school grads want to go to PMA. Our Class '40 graduated last year and '41 two months ago. I selected the OSP for we are a maritime country. We graduated from OSP School last March and are now busy undergoing extensive sea duty training aboard three Q-Boats. When we graduated from PMA in 1940, the 79 members of the class went: 29 to Inf; 17 PAAC; 10 OSP; CAC & CE 7 each; SigC 2; Cav 1. Nobody chose PC. MacArthur still Mil Advisor; Eisenhower left in 1939 for CONUS replaced by Sutherland; Lt Sidney L Huff, Navy Advisor.
OSP School GraduatesThe 1941 batch of OSP training school graduates headed by left to right, 3rd Lts. Quirico P Evangelista, Ramon A. Alcaraz, Felix Apolinario, Cesar Montemayor, Heracleo Alano, and Liberator Picar. Alcaraz, Alano and Picar won assignments with Q-Boats and served directly under MacArthur in USAFFEE headquarters.
May 27,1941 - continued Our 3-Q Boat Training Cruise arrived noon at Muelle del Codo, Port Area Manila, where the Off-Shore Patrol Hq and facilities are located. It was a most enlightening training as student Os were rotated in asgmts as Navigator, Gunnery, Engineering, Mess & Fin, ExO and CO posts. We were 15 student Os namely Lts Nestor Reinoso '34; Simeon Castro and A. Navarrete both '35; J Magluyan '37; M Castillo '38; A. Palencia & S Nuval '38; C J Albert '39; and R Alcaraz, H Alano, F Apolinario, A C Campo, Q Evangelista, C Montemayor, L Picar all '40. Lt R Olbes, our PMA Baron requested transfer to CE as he was always sea sick.
May 27,1941 - continued We visited Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Iuisan, Malampaya and western Palawan. Was fascinated with overwhelming amount of fish in Malampaya Sound, the Tabon bird whose eggs seem to be bigger than the bird itself and the tiny Mouse Deer we saw in Balabac. Our Training was under the eagle eye of C, OSP Capt Jose V Andrada USNA '31.
May 27,1941 - continued Let me comment briefly on my branch of service, Off-Shore Patrol (OSP), the youngest, born Feb. 9,1939 pioneered by Capt Andrada '31, Lt A Pecson '33 and Lt M Castillo '38 all USNA grads. Our facilities are located at Muelle del Codo adjacent to Engineer Island, Port Area, Manila. Andrada handpicked his Os as when he interviewed us personally before grad at PMA. We have three British made motor tropedo boats we called Q-Boats. This is the Commonwealth’s entire navy in the making envisioned by MacArthur.
May 27,1941 - continued The first two Q-Boats were imported from England but the third was made in Engineer Island with engines imported from England. Eight Q-Boats are under construction and it is projected that by 1946, we will have a total of 50 Q-Boats. Assisting us in this program are Lt Sidney Huff, USN and Chief Torpedo man Wm Mooney USN. British technicians from Thornycroft are Sam Howard and John Herndon. Lt Huff is also in the staff of Gen MacArthur.
May 28,1941 Today, I got engaged to my American girl friend, Lucy Jonhson of LA. She and sister Helen are students at American School in Taft Ave and their Dad, Mr Richard Johnson is the civilian Head of the USA Qm Depot, Port Area, Manila. Among Lucy's classmates was Ming Martinez (later became Mrs FVRamos). Through the Johnson family, I was gradually introduced to the Manila American Community where I met the daughters of Manila Supe School, Pearl and Ann McCall. I knew Ann while at PMA and was my drag a couple of times. I also met Justice and Mrs Malcolm and the Dir of Education, Luther Bewley and daughter, Virginia.
May 28,1941 - continued Then, there are the Stagner sisters, one of them Rose, became a popular local actress named Rosa del Rosario. What I consider a most beneficial of my American socialization is my friendship with Lt Sidney L Huff, USN, a bachelor serving on the staff of Gen MacArthur as naval advisor. Sid and I, both Lts (I was 3rd Lt while he was Lt SG) and bachelors have the same sense of humor. We clicked.
May 29,1941 The OSP Navy idea as a branch of the PA is the brainchild of MacArthur and Eisenhower who immediately asked the USN if they can help. The USN have no motor torpedo boat program but the British and Italian Navies have. A deal was made with Thornycroft Inc of England that sold us two Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB) we identified as Q-111 and Q-112. Why it was called Q-Boats was never explained but I think, MacArthur who is a good friend and compadre of Quezon did it to titillate the ego of his compadre. MacArthur's only son, Arthur, is the godson of Quezon.
May 29,1941 - continued Q-111 is 65 ft long 15 ft wide with 3-12 cylinder 3,000 hp engines while Q-112 is 55 ft long 11 ft wide with 2-12 cyl 3,000 hp engines. Both has cruising engines with mufflers that run like a car; 2 torpedoes, 2 depth charge throwers, and 3 50 Cal AA Guns. Both makes, over 55 knots. USN promise to develop their own at Quonset Point, R.I. which they called Patrol Torpedo (PT) Boats. The Q-Boats were definitely the beginnings of our present Navy. The Off-Shore Patrol (OSP) is the bassinette of the Philippne Navy we know today.
May 30,1941 All hands at OSP are jubilant hearing the approval of a request by C,OSP to begin construction of the hull for eight (8) new Q-Boats by Engineer Island Shipyard under Engr Bernardo Abrera who successfully passed his experimental model last March that was christened by Mrs. Quezon as Q-113. The keel for the new 8 Q-Boats are now being laid. By the time we get our independence in 1946, we expect to have a Fleet of 50 Q-Boats.
May 30,1941 - continued Meantime extensive training are underway ashore and afloat. OSP School have under training PMA Class '41 namely Lts Pastor, Viado, Manuel A Gomez, Hector Moya and Filipino Flojo plus several newly recruited reserve Os from UP and Naut School, amomg them, Remo Lavadia, Hilario Ruiz, Dioscoro Papa, etc in the Officers Course. Fifty enlisted men (EMs) are also taking the EM's Course.
May 31,1941 Due to the fact that OSP top leadership are all USNA graduates ranging from Capt Jose V Andrada '31 to Lt C J Albert '39, the Os consider themselves the elite in the PA. When Capt E L Jurado USNA '34 reported from Aberdeen Prov Grds, he replaced Capt A Pecson '33, to become Ex-O, OSP. This pride syndrome is fortified when we learned that the Phil is among the few countries having Torpedo Boats in their arsenal, the others being England, USA and Italy. England and Italy had their Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB) after WW I. USN started theirs only two years ago called Patrol Torpedo (PT) Boats. We call ours Q-Boats to honor Quezon.
May 31,1941 - continued Torpedo boat assignment seems attractive and glamorous as your naval officers in the Italian, British and US Navies register their preference. Perhaps, the best known among them is a certain Lt (jg) John F Kennedy, CO PT 109. To give you an idea, here is part of what Life reporter Carl Mydans wrote after he had a ride aboard Q-113 last March: “If you stood atop a car racing down a flooded highway at 65 miles per hour, you would experience the sensation of being aboard one of the smallest, fastest, roughest and most exciting fighting ships of the Commonwealth of the Phil, if not the world.”
May 31,1941 - continued Pound for pound, this "mosquito suicide boat" is by far the deadliest then afloat, for as a vest-pocket sea raider, it could be used for daring David-and-Goliath attacks on superior forces. Its torpedoes can sink the proudest dreadnought. It could glide silently on its cruising engine to make stabbing thrust. Its 4-ft draft could skim over minefields and maraud enemy harbors. Speed, surprise and three 50 Cal cannons are its main protection . . . . . . ."
