Evening star., 1943-06-24
CHAPTER rs.

searchlights Illuminating the waters
north of us and shining on the
jungle-covered south shore of
Bataan.
Tho most ticklish part of the trip
that first night on the voyage to
Cebu was passing through the Verde
Island passage between Luzon and
the Island of Mindoro, which lay
to the south. The straits were only
8 miles wide, with an island in the
middle. We knew that the Japs
had stationed garrisons on both the
Mindoro and Luzon shores of the
straits and probably on the island.
For all we knew there were torpedo
boats or destroyers on the straits.
Even an armed launch would have
meant curtains for us. Our hull
was so thin that stream of So
caliber bullets would have sunk the
ship.
We landed next day at the port
Of Looc on the island of Tablas and
the following day at Estancia on
the northeastern tip of Panay.
Next morning we anchored off
Barilli, on the west coast of Cebu.
Husky young Filipinos from the
crew of the Princesa carried us the
last few feet to shore on their shoul-
ders. We thanked the Princesa's
portly captain and the other officers
and said good-by. The Mayor of
Barilli met us in the palm lined,
paved streets of the town. He began
an enthusiastic speech of welcome
to the "reinforcements" for Bataan.
One of the Englishmen interrupted
him: Il say! We're not reinforce
ments. We've escaped from Bataan."
The Mayors face dropped a foot.
On smooth-paved roads we drove
40 miles across the island to the
City of Cebu, on the east shore. We
found Maj. Bird of the Quartermas-
ter Corps in an ir-conditioned
office down by the waterfront. He
was young, handsome and efficient.
He looked at the credentials MacAr-
thur had given us and said:
There should be a ship along
sooner or later. I'll keep an eye out
for you. If it doesn't show up we'll
try to get you to Mindanao and
maybe you can catch a plane from
Del Monte to Australia"
Several days later, at 4 o'clock in
the morning, car pulled up in
front of the Liloan Beach Club
where We were staying 1t was 1t.
Col. Edmunds and his aide.
Pack up your things and get
going" Edmunds said. Bird sent
me out here to tell you to come
on into Cebu as fast as you can"
We were on our way in IS minutes
We went up to Birds apartment
and he gave us some breakfast. IT
thought it best to get you down
here" he said. The Dona Natl is
pulling out this morning.
He looked grim. Here's the score"
he said. "A Jap cruiser is coming
up the coast, headed for Cebu. 1t is
due here at noon at the speed it is
making. If you want to 60 on the
Dona Matt you can. I'm going down
to the dock"
AT the dock we held last t-minute
consultation. Mel, Annalee and
couldn't make up our minds. II
seemed highly likely that the cruiser
would catch the Dona Natl a few
miles out of Cebu and our VOYAGE
would end abruptly. But while we
were talking we walked up the gang
plank.
A naval officer, a friend from Cor
regldor, shouted at us from the dock.
Don't be damn fools" he said.
Come down off of there!" Then
Bird shouted, This may be your last
chance"
Even then we considered going
ashore, but it was too late, The
gangplank had already been
pulled up.
We steamed out through the north
channel from Cebu. passing two
smaller and slower interisland ships.
Both of them were sunk by the jap
cruiser that afternoon. We hardly
dared look to the south across the
calm blue waters. The ships crew
went about their jobs as if nothing
was up. At noon they announced
lunch and we went down to the COM
Portable dining salon. There was a
large table in the center with eight
places where the American machine
gunners sat and two smaller tables
at each side. The Englishmen who
had come out of Corregidor with us
were already eating.
We turned east after leaving the
harbor and within couple of hours
the northwestern corner of Bohol
was between us and Cebu. There
was no sign of the cruiser. We lis
tened to the Cebu radio station. At
2:15 1t went off the air and a half
hour later it came back on.
News f1ash!" said the announcer.
"A japanese cruiser shelled the
docks and water front of Cebu from
2:25 p.p. until 2:40 this afternoon.
1t has just left the harbor and is
speeding away to the southeast"
The cruiser wasn't following us.
The days that followed were not
eventful, but they were not monot-
onous. Capt. Pons wouldn't tell us
exactly where we were going, but we
knew it was Brisbane and we knew
that we would have to run east be-
tween Japan's Caroline and Marshall