War Diary of MTB Squadron 16 on Action Including Batangas Bay, March 1945

Transcription of a war diary for March 1945 filed by the MTB¹ Squadron dated 4 April 1945. This is a declassified document² taken from the United States National Archives. Originally a 9-page document, but pages with no relevance to Batangas were not included in this transcription.

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Historic documents relevant to the Province of Batangas.

MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON SIXTEEN
c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

FC8-16/A10-4 Serial (0156)

4 April 1945.

C O N F I D E N T I A L

From:	The Commander, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SIXTEEN.
To:	Commander-in-Chief, UNITED STATES FLEET.
Subject:	War Diary – Submission of.
Reference:	(a) CominCh ltr. FF1/A12-1/A16-3, Serial 7152 dated October 1943.
Enclosure:	(A) Subject War Diary for Month of March 1945.

1. In accordance with reference (a), enclosure (A) is hereby submitted.

[Sgd] R. H. HALLOWELL.

Com7thFlt.,
ComMTBrons7thFlt.

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MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON SIXTEEN
c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

1 April 1945.

ENCLOSURE (A)

C O N F I D E N T I A L

WAR DIARY

Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SIXTEEN, commanded by Lieutenant R. H. HALLOWELL, and composed of PT’s³ 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 235, 241, 242, 297, 298 and 299, operated out of Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I., during the month of March 1945. Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SIXTEEN, with Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron THIRTEEN and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron SEVENTEEN, composed of Task Unit 70.1.4, a part of Task Group 70.1, a part of the SEVENTH FLEET.

During the entire month, PT’s 220, 221 and 297 were out of commission due to damage sustained in running on reefs (PT 297 on 17 December 1944; PT 220 on 8 January 1945; 221 on 7 January 1945.)

On March 3^rd, an advance base was set up in Balanacan Bay, Marinduque Island. Most of the time, six (6) boats operated from this Base, returning to Mangarin Bay for major repairs or after having operated from Balanacan Bay for six (6) days. Boats returning from Balanacan Bay were relieved by other boats from Mangarin Bay.

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MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON SIXTEEN

ENCLOSURE A

1 April 1945.

C O N F I D E N T I A L

WAR DIARY

1 March 1945

All boats moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I.

2 March 1945

All boats moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. 0840 PT’s 235 and 242 departed Base escorting the F-120 and a double-bubble gasoline barge to Balanacan Bay, Marinduque Island, P. I.

3 March 1945

All boats, except PT’s 235 and 242, moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. PT’s 235and 242 underway to Marinduque Island, P. I. escorting double-bubble and F-120. 1700 PT’s 235 and 242 arrived at Marinduque without incident. 1900 PT’s 241 and 298 departed Base for Marinduque with orders to land scouts on Romblon, Simara and Sibuyan Islands enroute. Scouts landed on all three islands before midnight without incident.

4 March 1945

All boats, except 235 and 242, which were at Balanacan Bay, Marinduque and 241 and 298, which were underway to Marinduque, moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. 0400 PT’s 235 and 242 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol Tayabas Bay from Lucina [Lucena] eastward. They returned at 1600 with no contacts. 1900 PT’s 230 and 242 departed Balanacan Bay to escort F-120 to Mangarin Bay.

5 March 1945

PT’s 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 297 and 299 moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. PT 242 underway with PT 230 escorting F-120 to Mangarin Bay. PTS’s 241 and 298 at Balanacan Bay. 0400 PT’s 241 and 298 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol Tayabas Bay. 0840 PT’s 230 and 242 arrived at Mangarin Bay with F-120 having made no contacts. 1035 PT’s 235 and 226 departed Balanacan Bay to make a patrol to Matoco Point, Batangas Bay. These boats arrived at Matoco Pointat 1400 and fired seventy-five rounds of 40MM and sixty rounds of 20MM at a

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MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON SIXTEEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L

WAR DIARY

5 March 1945 (Continued)

house. This fire was returned by .25 caliber machine gun fire. The PT 226 was hit by two projectiles, one of which tore a hole in the starboard forward gasoline tank. PT 235 towed PT 226 to Balanacan Bay arriving at 1910. 1250 PT’s 222 and 229 departed for Balanacan. Arrived 1730. 1620 PT’s 298 and 241 returned to Balanacan Bay having made a negative patrol. 1824 PT’s 222 and 229 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol Bagilio Bay. 1835 PT’s 298 and 241 departed Balanacan Bay to pick up scouts from Sibuyan, Simara and Romblon Islands.

6 March 1945

PT’s 220, 221, 223, 224, 242, 297 and 299 moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island. PT’s 222, 235, 241 and 298 operating from Balanacan Bay, Marinduque Island. 0400 PT’s 226 and 235 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol Ragay Gulf. 0626 PT’s 241 and 298 arrived at Mangarin Bay having picked up scouts without incident. 0805 PT’s 222 and 229 returned to Balanacan Bay after negative patrol. 1600 PT’s 226 and 235 returned to Balanacan Bay after negative patrol. 1650 PT’s 222 and 229 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol southeast end of Batangas Bay.

7 March 1945

All boats, except PT’s 222 and 235 moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island. PT’s 222 and 235 operating from Balanacan Bay. 0735 PT’s 222 and 229 returned to Balanacan Bay with no contacts. 1445 PT’s 226 and 235 departed Balanacan Bay for Mangarin Bay. 1755 PT’s 222 and 229 departed Balanacan Bay to patrol Batangas Bay. 2334 PT’s 226 and 235 moored in Mangarin Bay after nil patrol from Marinduque.

8 March 1945

All boats, except PT 222, moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island. PT 222 patrolling Batangas Bay. 0750 PT’s 222 and 229 returned to Balanacan Bay after negative patrol. 1230 PT’s 223 and 298 departed Mangarin Bay to land scouts on Sibay Island. 1520 Landed scouts without incident. 1905 Returned to Base.

[Note: pages 5-8 not relevant to Batangas; omitted from transcription.]

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MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON SIXTEEN
c/o Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, California

ENCLOSURE (A)

C O N F I D E N T I A L

WAR DIARY

30 March 1945

All boats, except PT’s 222 and 223 which were at Balanacan Bay and PT 235 which was at San Pedro Bay, moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. 0830 PT’s 226 and 235 got underway from San Pedro Bay escorting F-120 to Mangarin Bay.

31 March 1945

All boats, except PT’s 222 and 223 which were at Balanacan Bay and PT 235 which was underway from Leyte to Mangarin Bay, moored in Mangarin Bay, Mindoro Island, P. I. 1315 PT’s 226 and 235 picked up seven Filipinos hanging to an overturned sailboat off Semirara Island. 1400 PT’s 226 and 235 arrived at Mangarin Bay. 1401 PT’s 222 and 223 got underway to Batangas Bay via Capulaan Bay arriving at 1655. 1755 moored to S. J. John Rossiter for instructions. 2025 underway to conduct anti-“Q” boat⁴ patrol of Batangas Bay.

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Notes and references: