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Sample from the only original wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay"
Chronology of
US Navy Operations in the Philippines, 24
September 1944
This is based on the official USN chronology of
the Second World War published by the US
Government
Printing Office in 1955
24 September, Sun. --
As Japanese shipping shifts south from Luzon in
the wake of the heavy attacks there over the
previous days,
Task Force 38 follows, its planes hitting
targets ranging from the Calamian group to the
Visayas. Aircraft from
three task groups (TG 38.1, TG 38.2, and TG
38.3) from TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher)
participate.
Off Calamian Island in Coron Bay, TF 38 planes
sink flying boat support ship Akitsushima, cargo
ship
Kyokusan Maru and Civilian oiler ship Okikawa
Maru, and damage ammunition ship Kogyo Maru,
army cargo
ship Olympia Maru, cargo ships Ekkai Maru and
Kasagisan Maru, supply ship Irako, oiler Kamoi
and small
cargo ship No.11 Shonan Maru, 11°59'N, 120°02'E.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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Coron, Busuanga,
Philippines during
World War 2:
Confident of the
invulnerability of the United States Army, news
of the outbreak of the war did not readily
strike fear in the people of Coron. Many took
the event lightly, and philosophically believed
that the war would not last more than a month or
two. However, after hearing several adverse news
on what happened in the battlefields, fear
began to grip them and they felt uneasy if not
panicky. Supply of goods from the big city,
especially rice and other prime commodities
became scarce as the merchants hoarded them
making life condition more difficult in the town
On May 4, 1942 at
8:00 o’clock in the morning, three Japanese
transports arrived at Coron. One platoon of
soldiers led by three officers, Commander
Akiyana, Major Shimoto, and Captain Niyamote
landed and occupied the town, which did not
offer any resistance. They established their
quarters in the Luzon Stevedoring Company
compound, located at the present elementary
school buildings; they also occupied the
ancestral house of the Sandovals. Soon after,
they also occupied the mining camps at Singay,
Carmelita, and Amalgated Mines.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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Admiral William
Frederick Halsey:
U.S. Naval
Academy Graduation 1904. Though Halsey's career
was mainly in battleships and other surface
warships before, in 1935 he made his pilot's
license and became captain of USS Saratoga.
Becoming
Commander, Aircraft, Pacific Fleet, before World
War 2, Halsey led the group centered on USS
Enterprise into Pearl Harbor on December 8th
after having ferried planes to various Pacific
outposts. Going to see again the next day,
Halsey and Enterprise conducted searches
for the Japanese Fleet, but failed to find it.
Staying south of Midway, his forces were
recalled to Pearl Harbor when the Japanese
captured Wake.
The new year saw Halsey, still on Enterprise,
raid the new Japanese possessions in the
Pacific, as well as the old, bombarding islands
in the Marshalls and Gilberts, Wake, and Marcus
Island.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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CONFIDENTIAL
USF 74B 2200.
ATTACK DOCTRINE
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US Attack
Doctrine from the WW2:
2201. GENERAL
Successful
offensive air action is dependent on (1)
Properly indoctrinated and well trained air
groups. (2) Complete appreciation of the
striking power of modern aircraft when properly
employed. (3) A bold and imaginative plan of
attack designed to take timely advantage of
available weapons including scientific and
natural aids. (4) Sufficient planning of the
attack based on information concerning the
location, nature and scope of the objective. (5)
A thorough understanding of the attack plan by
each pilot. (6) An efficient and aggressive
execution of the attack.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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World War ll
Japanese standard ships:
The shipping
industry suffered more than any other sector
during the war. Japan's industry depended
heavily on the natural resources from abroad.
From Southeast Asia, oil, ore and renewable
resources such as rubber, were the vital
materials for the nation to exist, let alone to
fight a war. Transport of these raw materials in
turn depended on shipping.
At the beginning
of the war, Japan's merchant fleet was counted
as 6.3 million tons gross. This tonnage
increased to no less than 9.95 million tons at
its peak in 1942. The increase came due to a
forceful new building program. Also, quite a
number of captured ships were put into service.
The requirements for shipping space skyrocketed
because all supplies and troops had to cross
some water to get to their field of action. At
the end of the war, only 1.5 million tons
remained of all this. The majority of these
ships were either very small, very old or
consisted of the poorly built Standard Ships.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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Original Coron Bay Aerial
Photography:
According to
official Japanese and American sources the
following vessel movements are proven:
Kogyo Maru
(Auxiliary Supply Ship, IJN/Navy)
After she had
survived TF 38`s air attacks on Japanese
shipping in Manila Bay and Harbor on 21 Sep 1944
she received sailing order to transfer to Coron
Bay and weighed anchor at 17:30 the same day.
She arrived in Coron Bay on 23 Sep 15:40 and
dropped anchor in position 11deg; 58` 54"N /
120deg; 02` 15"E (GPS). The night was spent in
trying to camouflage bridge and main deck. In
the morning of 24 Sep at 0900 U.S. dive-bombers
attacked her. After she had received several
bomb hits the vessel sank with 39 men.
Okikawa Maru
(Civilian oiler)
She had been
mistaken for more than 50 years to be another
tanker ship of very similar shape and size named
Taiei Maru. She was in Manila Bay during the
said air attacks. The ship got strafed but was
not damaged. On 22 Sep she was ordered to move
to Coron Bay and set sail at 15:00. The vessel
arrived in Coron Bay on 23 Sep 18:00 and dropped
anchor near the town of Concepcion. 70
dive-bombers attacked Okikawa Maru at 08:55 on
24 September. The first two or more groups just
strafed Okikawa Maru and continued to head for
the seaplane tender Akitsushima anchored a few
cables to the West. At 09:10 the dive-bombers
scored numerous hits and the vessel began to
sink. Three gunners and 5 or 6 sailors were
dead. The rest of the crew abandoned the ship.
However, contrary to statements of Bowie and
Dietrich (AG 31) Okikawa Maru did not sink at
once. The forecastle remained afloat and burned
until 9 Oct. when another U.S. air group
appeared and, in a final strike, send her to the
bottom in position 12deg; 01` 10"N / 119deg; 58`
07"E (GPS).
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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Original
Aircraft Action Report No. 107:
Serial:
013-45 AIR GROUP TWENTY-SEVEN
29 September 1944
Subject:
Comments and Recommendations on Air Operations
against Coron Bay on 24 September 1944
The strike
coordinator. Tactical rendezvous can then be
easily accomplished enroute with minimum
expenditure of gasoline.
(b) Operations
against merchant and escort shipping afforded
this air group its first skip bombing experience
against live targets. The accuracy and damage
inflicted by this type of attack is of such a
high order that any other type of bombing
against merchantmen is considered a poor
employment of weapons. In this connection all
CVL's should be assigned sufficient delay (4-6
seconds) fuzes to Complement bomb allowances.
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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The WW ll
Japanese Wrecks in Coron Bay today:
"AKITSUSHIMA"
One of the few true warships
among the Coron wrecks, was the Akitsushima, a
Japanese flying boat tender.
"OKIKAWA MARU"
A War Standard 1TL oil tanker of
the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet in WW
ll
"IRAKO" (Type 1C Standard War
Ship)
Refrigerated provision ship of
the Imperial Japanese Navy Fleet.
"KOGYO MARU"
Navy auxiliary supply ship (AK),
Jap. "Yuso-sen"
"OLYMPIA MARU"
Army auxiliary supply ship (AK),
Jap. "Yuso-sen" The origin of this cargo vessel
is not known, probably built in England or
Australia, and captured in Singapore.
"TAIEI MARU" or "CEI…SH" Wreck?
The origin of this coastal vessel
is not known
"KYOKUZAN MARU"
Army auxiliary supply ship (AK),
Jap. "Yuso-sen"
"EAST TANGAT GUNBOAT"
The origin of this coastal vessel
is not known. Believed to be either a tugboat or
an anti-submarine craft
"LUSONG GUNBOAT"
The origin of this coastal vessel
is not known
"BLACK ISLAND WRECK"
The origin of this 45m (150ft)
long coastal vessel is not known
More
information and pictures in the wreck diving book "Operation
Against Coron Bay" |
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The Calamian
Group of Islands and Coron town today:
The northernmost
part of Palawan consists of the Calamian Goup
whose main islands are Busuanga, Coron, Culion
and Linapacan.
Busuanga, the
largest in the Calamian Group of Islands, is
composed of 39 islands and islets. The
municipality of Busuanga is located
approximately 212.8 nautical miles from Puerto
Princesa and 34.7 miles from the municipality of
Coron, about an hour and a half ride through
verdant rural scenery. The unspoiled countryside
entices the travelers to dream of a paradise
lost in the northernmost part of Palawan.
Coron is located
between Manila and Puerto Princesa, the
provincial capital of Palawan. It is also the
second northernmost municipality and is located
on the island of Busuanga. It has a land area
of 68,910.0 hectares or 689.10 square
kilometers. It is composed of 63 islands and
islets and includes Coron Island. Politically,
it comprises 23 barangays. Its topography is
characterized by rugged terrain and rolling
hills, mountain ranges running in almost all
directions and an extensive seashore. The
coastline is very irregular and its 14 rivers
are small and narrow. Mountain lakes (7), hot
springs (1) and white beaches are also found in
the locality. It has a population of about
33,000. |
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The Autor HP. Landolt:
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HP. Landolt
is a PADI Master Scuba Dive Trainer who is
specialized in Wreck, Deep, Drift, Night and
Underwater Navigator. He is also a Medic
First Instructor.
-
An I.A.N.T.D. ADV Instructor
who is specialized in Nitrox, Deep Air,
Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Diving and
Mixgas Diving.
-
He is also a I.A.N.T.D. gas /
Nitrox Blender and a Recompression Chamber
operator
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HP has trained more than +450
Students from Padi Open Water to I.A.N.T.D.
Nitrox and Technical Diver.
-
He has more than +5000
Recreational Dives, and more than +400
Technical Dives under 66m/208ft.
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On the 21st May 1999, HP was
involved in the Open Ocean World Record Dive
to 200m/656ft as a Safety and Support Diver
in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippines.
-
He has more than +1000 dives
on the WW ll Wrecks from Coron and
a 100% Safety Record !!!
-
October
2001, HP. Landolt wroth and published the first
and
only original wreck diving
book
over the WW ll History in Coron, Busuanga,
Philippines about the Japanese Naval Shipwrecks around Coron
Bay in Busuanga, Philippines.
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Order-No: OACB-book
Price:
US$ 50.00 incl.
shipment
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HP.
Landolt wrote and published on October 2001 the first
and only original wreck diving book "Operation Against
Coron Bay". A book over the World War 2 History from
Coron Bay, Busuanga, Philippines and about the Japanese
Naval Shipwrecks around Coron Bay in Busuanga,
Philippines.
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