Primary Source

At the time of the 10 December air attack on Cavite Naval Yard, the majority of the Asiatic Fleet’s striking force (cruisers and destroyers) was at sea, deployed as a blocking force to the southern islands of the archipelago and off Borneo. Although several U.S. submarines were damaged during the bombing, the majority of Submarine Squadron Five (SubRon-5) was able to deploy in the following days to launch attacks against the Japanese invasion fleets. Most of these were unsuccessful due, in part, to faulty torpedoes. Subsequently dispersed to the south due to their vulnerability to the Japanese air threat, the submarines remained active around the Philippines for the next several months. Some key U.S. and Filipino personnel—such as the president and vice president of the Philippines—and Army and Navy nurses were evacuated by submarine. By mid-December, a quarter of the Asiatic Fleet’s amphibious patrol aircraft (Patrol Wing 10) were lost either on the ground or to Japanese fighter planes. The remainder was also dispatched to the southern Philippines; some of these aircraft performed evacuation flights from the Philippines to Australia.  Between 8 and 25 December 1941, the Japanese successfully carried out nine amphibious landings throughout the Philippine Archipelago. When Manila was evacuated on 25 December, the Asiatic Fleet’s immediately available surface assets were the remnants of its inshore patrol, PT boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three (MTBRON-3), and vessels from its service train: Gunboats: Oahu (PR-6), Luzon (PR-7), Mindanao (PR-8) Tenders/salvage vessels: Canopus (AS-9), Pigeon (ASR-6) Minesweepers: Tanager (AM-5), Finch (AM-9), Quail (AM-15), Bittern (AM-36) Torpedo boats: PT-31, PT-32, PT-33, PT-34, PT-35, PT-41 Tugs: Napa (AT-55), Genesee (AT-55) Assorted yard small craft, two confiscated civilian tugs and two yachts were also employed.