WesWorld

The Mindanao Post, Sunday, 30 June 1946

A squadron of the Atlantean Navy arrived in Manila Bay this Friday, as part of a good-will cruise. Among the vessels calling at Cavite were the aircraft carrier Atlantes, the battleship Cronus, and the cruisers Aeneas and Prometheus, together with the flotilla leader Aruba and her destroyer consorts. They are expected to remain at Cavite for several days before beginning their homeward voyage.

The Philippine Herald, Monday, 1 July 1946

The destroyer Baelaran was laid down today at the Cavite shipyard. She is the latest of the Marinduque class, and is expected to be completed next spring.


The Malacañan Palace, Tuesday, 2 July 1946

Foreign Minister Carlos Rómulo reported to the Council the result of his recent discussions with the Atlantean ambassador, Ronan Oscito.

“Our discussions were quite frank and open. The Atlanteans have expressed an interest in improving trade relations between our two countries and are willing to receive an envoy to continue discussions.”

“Ah,” replied President Arellano, “gaining greater access to Western markets would be a great benefit to the economy; enticing Atlantean investment would do likewise. We should not delay in sending such an envoy; are there any suggestions we might make to the Senate?”

Don Alfredo Montelibano, Minister of Civil Affairs smiled. “I believe that Don Pedro Teves would make an excellent representative to Atlantis.”

This drew several nods. Sending the leader of the Senate’s hawkish faction abroad would lead to several advantages.

Captain Seth Meranno aboard the Battleship Cronus stood quietly waiting for the Admiral to return from his tour of the Philippino Navy vessels. Meranno had the fortune himself to have a brief tour of the Armoured Cruiser Visayas and was quite impressed. Along with her 3 sisters and the Polish built Mindanao they formed a powerful uniform squadron backed by equally impressive cruisers and the carrier Sibuyan.

As he scanned the harbor admiring the warships, the Admirals boat returned and the battlewagon buzzed with activity. "I hope the old buzzards mood has improved", he thought to himself. The Admiral was not as enthusiastic as his junior officers at the thought of visiting a nation that used to be part of SATSUMA. As the fleet had drawn closer to the Philippines the Admiral had voiced his displeasure at how "the other former SATSUMA nations had managed to mire themselves in war and it was only a matter of time before the Philippines did the same", to which the captain disagreed. "Sir the Philippino's as a race are quite cheery and polite and I think only Lyrian ale would change that disposition." This remark had made even the Admiral chuckle slightly. "Lyrian ale.." he remarked "would make a nun commit robbery!"

The Captain would have to wait and see if the Admirals opinion had changed.

The battlecruiser Mindanao rode easily at anchor in Cavite Harbor, together with her consorts of the First Cruiser Squadron. White-uniformed sailors lined her side as the barge carrying the Admiral commanding the visiting Atlantean squadron nosed up to the landing stage and deposited the distinguished visitor and his staff; this formal inspection of the flagship of the Philippine Navy had been delayed due to the necessary but boring round of formal engagements ashore.

The visitors were pleased that punctilio was being observed to the highest degree; as the Admiral stepped onto the deck of the Mindanao and saluted the band on the foredeck broke into the Atlantean royal anthem, followed by the national anthem of the Republic of the Philippines. Formal introductions were made and the visitors were conducted on a lengthy tour of inspection.

What they found disabused them of some of their pre-conceived notions of what the Philippine Navy was all about – discipline and good order was maintained in all departments; while no doubt spruced-up for the occasion the ship was battle-ready; her officers were far younger than what Intelligence had led them to expect. A few well-chosen questions on the latter point elicited the fact that with the scrapping of many of the older ships of the fleet many of its older and SATSUMA-trained officers had been replaced by younger men schooled in Chile, and a few in France.

The Admiral was a difficult man to please, but all-in-all he left the Mindanao with a better opinion of the Philippine Navy than when he arrived.

Itu Aba Island, Thursday, 4 July 1946

The arrival of two aircraft in a single day was almost unheard of on Itu Aba Island, yet Salvador Abcede had been advised to expect an airlift of three aircraft during the morning hours; the advance notice had become standard procedure for incoming flights, to assure that work parties were clear of the airstrip. Abcede wondered what all was being shipped; time would prove he did not have long to wait.

The first Air Force C-47 to touch down brought fuel, supplies and mail – little more than the regular delivery run; the second C-47 to arrive brought even more fuel and boxes of signals gear – this much could be determined by examining the crates as they were off-loaded and hauled away to storage. The third aircraft proved to be one of the big Bristol Freighters, which landed heavily on the airstrip and rolled to a stop after some seconds – suggesting she was heavily loaded; which proved to be the case.

Abcede smiled when the clamshell doors in the nose of the Freighter were opened; the aircraft disgorged a small dradis unit on a trailer, and a second one bearing the necessary generator. With the detection unit came a quartet of operators from the Ministry of Transport, whose leader explained the purpose of their presence. “In order to improve air safety and traffic control, the Ministry has decided to establish a reporting station here, so that we can offer navigational assistance to passing aircraft on the Manila-Singapore route.”


Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Friday, 5 July 1946

Chen Jui-tien sat across from his defense attorney – the Court had appointed one for him as the Imperial embassy in Manila had not done anything for him. His counsel was quite unhappy.

“Look,” he explained. “Your companions have all confessed their crime, and their testimony puts you, as the boat’s captain, in an extremely bad position. Your silence before the court is not gaining you anything; not sharing the facts with me prevents me from conducting any sort of defense. If you continue to say nothing you are going to be convicted out of hand. Is that what you want?”

The Chinese intelligence officer was certain that there were listening devices in the room, and he doubted very much that this lawyer – if he in fact was a lawyer – would not report anything said here to his interrogators. Thus far he had resisted the intense questioning aimed at obtaining a confession. His brother officers might fail but he would keep faith with the Emperor, with the Intelligence Service, and with his ancestors. He would remain silent, even if it meant his life.

The Bohol Chronicle, Sunday, 7 July 1946



United Press International, Tuesday, 9 July 1946

The trial of the crew of the Chinese fishing vessel Dong Fa 37 for espionage concluded today in Palawan City Criminal Court with the conviction of her officers on multiple counts of espionage. Sentencing has been set for later this month.

Itu Aba Island, Thursday, 11 July 1946

The Constabulary Twin Condor support aircraft flew in a carefully prescribed course, over and over, checking periodically with the radio station on the island. Their mission was to calibrate the newly erected dradis unit that had been deployed to Itu Aba to facilitate civil air traffic control – and things were progressing slowly. It would likely take several more days, if not a week, before the control station was operational.


The Freeman (Cebu), Saturday, 13 July 1946

Manila, Nielsen Field, Tuesday, 16 July 1946

Don Pedro Teves sat back in his first-class seat on the Philippine Air Lines DC-4 as it took off, bound for Singapore and the first stage of his journey. He had accepted the Senate’s mandate to represent the Philippines in negotiations with Atlantis, an opportunity to re-establish his importance in the eyes of the people. He had come to realize that his unflagging opposition to Chinese expansionism was shared by his nemesis, Soriano – it was on the question of how to combat that expansionism that they differed; and Teves had come to see the wisdom of some of Soriano’s arguments.

By bolstering ties with France, Britain, the United States, and now Atlantis, the Philippines had gained powerful counterweights to China and retained its freedom of action. By concentrating on quality rather than mere numbers the Philippines might offset China’s vast resources of manpower. That meant money, and foreign investment was necessary to sustain the nation’s economic growth. Teves hoped that the reports of Atlantean wealth and willingness to invest were not unfounded, and he would do his best to secure a share of them against the day with the dragon in Peking awoke.


The Manila Times, Thursday, 18 July 1946

The Senate has approved the acquisition of additional license-built North American P-51D fighter aircraft to equip an additional fighter wing. It is expected that the new unit will be organized in the late autumn of this year.

Mission Nuestra Senora de los Islas, Tapiantana Island, Sunday, 21 July 1946

Brother Francis re-read the letter from the Superintendent, which was full of praise for the work he and the brothers had done on Tapiantana; but he had been told that he was needed elsewhere. Soon a replacement would arrive to relieve him, and Francis would sail onward to Tawi-Tawi, where his skills were needed to win the souls of the Bajao there. He greeted the news with mixed emotions – he had formed strong attachment to the people of this small island, but the challenge of mission in a new area was something that appealed to him. In any event, it was not his choice to make; his duty was to obey. He would make the best preparations he could for his replacement.


Naval Operating Base Cavite, Wednesday, 24 July 1946

Kapitein-luitenant ter Zee Eugène Lacomblé read the news report on the sentences handed down on the officers of Chinese spy ship Dong Fa 37 with distaste. The sentences themselves were bad enough – twenty years penal servitude for most of her officers, while her captain, Chen Jui-tien, had been sentenced to death. What disturbed him most was the indifference of the Chinese to the situation; with a mild apology to the Philippines the Chinese Government had written off its men, doing nothing for their defense. Perhaps this was the way all governments behaved within the shadowy world of espionage and covert action. He was thankful that as a regular naval officer he was above such tawdry and lurid things.

The Mindanao Post, Sunday, 28 July 1946

The submarine Carricero is due to be launched today at the Butuan Naval Shipyard.

From your Q3 report...

Quoted

Dock No.1 – Type 4.0 – Submarine Carricero laid down 1 April 1946; requires 849 tons, 250tons previously committed, receives 250 tons, 349 tons remaining

... and for comparison also at Butuan...

Quoted

Slip No.1 – Type 2.0 – Destroyer Malapaso – Laid down 1 April 1946; requires 2,200 tons, 550 tons previously committed, receives 550 tons, 1,100 tons remaining; Launched 14 August 1946

... so having read the news, I would say that you forgot to indicate in your Q3 report that the Carricero will be leaving the dry dock this quarter...

You are correct; I omitted to note that. I shall amend that immediately.

Thank you for calling the error to my attention.

The Freeman (Cebu), Tuesday, 30 July 1946

Naval Operating Base Cavite, Friday, 2 August 1946

Eugène Lacomblé had spent so much time working closely with the Philippine Navy as liaison officer that it seemed that his hosts forgot that he was not one of their own officers; and that was how he found in his in-box a copy of the weekly fleet intelligence report. He was already aware of most of it – the question of security in the Southern Seas was still a primary Philippine concern – but the report included some items not in his normal purview.

His eye lit upon a brief item regarding estimates of fuel oil stocks held at Manila, which showed increased purchases from the East Indies. Given the need to replenish the pool of fuel oil after the recent visit by the Atlantean squadron, this was not surprising in and of itself. What was surprising was that there had been an up-tick during the last week by firms who had supplied fuel to the German Navy in the past. Most of the purchased oil was still on the high seas – indeed, some had yet to ship from Tarakan – but it suggested that someone anticipated the need to fuel the Kriegsmarine in Far Eastern waters…

The Mindanao Post, Sunday, 4 August 1946

The light cruiser Dumarao has completed her operational work-up and has departed for Manila to take up her duties with the Northern Fleet.


The Freeman (Cebu), Tuesday, 6 August 1946

The light cruiser Panay was completed today and has embarked on her trials. She is expected to join the fleet next spring.

The Philippine Herald, Thursday, 8 August 1946

There has been much activity in the naval shipyard at Butuan. The patrol combatants San Isidro and San Luis have been completed and have embarked on their trials, while there sisters Danglas and Daragan have just completed their operational training; they are now to deploy on patrol in the Southern Seas.

Puerto Princesa, Palawan, The Presidio, Saturday, 10 August 1946

Chen Jui-tien took his time eating his breakfast; his captors had granted him the traditional request of the condemned to a final meal, and he savored the best approximation of the dishes of his homeland as best he could. At last his jailors came, and opened the door to his cell. He was resigned to his fate, and hoped that by keeping his silence and denying his captors the confession they so desired he might win some measure of honor for his family. The apparent indifference of his Government was what he expected; it was a part of the risk he chose when he entered the Emperor’s service.

They led him out into the prison yard where the scaffold stood; they had found an itinerant Buddhist priest who chanted sutra – he supposed it a gesture by his captors to ease his fears; it was unnecessary. He walked up the steps, and allowed himself to be positioned on the trap. The hangman fitted the noose around his neck, and with a tug made certain that it was tight. The hood was slipped over his head and all was dark. It would be but a moment now…

The trap was sprung…


The Bohol Chronicle, Wednesday, 14 August 1946

The destroyers Malapaso and Maracano are due to be launched at the Butuan naval shipyard today, a testament to the hard work of the shipyard work force and the determination of the Navy to defend the nation against any and all foreign aggressors.

Naval Operating Base Cavite, Sunday, 18 August 1946

For the sailors of the Philippine Navy, and the workers of the shipyard, Sundays were much like any other day. The defense of the nation required constant vigilance and action to keep the fleet ready for action. Thus it was that the crew of the yard’s floating dry dock were methodically preparing to undock the destroyer Pardela, which had completed its refit and modernization.

The sea chests of the dock were opened and slowly the waters of Manila Bay entered, lapping on the keel blocks as the rams held the Pardela in place. The walls of the dock sank lower, and in careful balance the destroyer was released to float as the dock approached its final level. At last the pressures outside and inside the dock were equalized, and the doors of the dock opened. Aided by winches and guided by small yard tugs the Pardela was nudged out of the dock and into the harbor; slowly her bronze screw began to churn the waters as her crew made ready to begin her post-refit trials.

For the crew of the dry dock, there was little rest. In a few weeks’ time the destroyer Pluvial would take her place within and undergo modernization. There was much to do in preparation.

Manila, The Malacañan Palace, Tuesday, 20 August 1946

Don Roberto Cain carefully read the report forwarded from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The main outline of the surveillance infrastructure across the Kalayaan Islands had fallen into place. The air traffic control dradis station on Itu Aba was operational, together with the full spectrum of visual, audio, and radio beacons for aircraft and ships at sea. Its airstrip had been sufficiently restored to support regular supply flights, and reconstruction of its pier had begun. Similar work was progressing on the outer islands of Pagasa, Lagos, and Celerio, albeit on a smaller scale.

Despite the fact that the project was being carried out under the aegis of Constabulary, Don Roberto was happy enough to track Chinese – and by extension other nation’s – activities this strategic sector. The limitations imposed by the Treaty of Saigon required the project to be handled by Civil Affairs; of course, if China persisted in its program of provocative overflights and covert attempts to carry out espionage it was always possible that sufficient cause might be found to denounce the treaty. Other political developments also entered into the equation. With Indochina gaining its independence – in association with France – and its decision to commence a military buildup in the Paracel Islands, there opened up possibilities of cooperation with Indochina to contain Chinese expansion.

He made some marginal notes – questions to be raised in discussion with the rest of the council; avenues to be explored, opportunities to be taken.


The Manila Times, Thursday, 22 August 1946

The patrol combatants Hermosa and Hagonoy were launched today at the Butuan naval shipyard.

The Bohol Chronicle, Sunday, 25 August 1946