The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1943-07-08
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER 1.-The story of their part
in the battle for the Philippines is told In
this and the following chapters by four OF
the five naval officers who are all mat
ID left of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
3. They are Lieut. John Buckley (now
lieutenant commander), squadron COM
mander; Lieut.. r. B. Kelly; and En-
signs Anthony Akers and George E. COX
Jr. (The fifth officer, Lieut.. Henry J.
Birmingham, has since arrived from
Australia.) The squadron, hand picked
by Buckley from volunteers, had come
% the Philippines in the fall OF 1871.
They knew trouble was coming, but the
events Of December were as much OF
. surprise to them as to anyone, because
they thought the Philippines would De at
tackled first.
Lieut.. Kelly, second-in-command, to
whom Buckley delegated the task OF
telling most Of the story, describes MS
preparations for war. Hearing ABOUT
secret operations orders, he went to the
Ofncers Club in Manila on the eve OF
Pearl Harbor and had thick steak with
all the trimmings. After receiving mis-
orders from Bulkeley the next afternoon
he took three of the boats to Mariveles,
the submarine tender for provisions ana
fuel. When they got there they found the
tender had been ordered away. So they
set up makeshift headquarters in native
knts at Sisinan Cove.
CHAPTER u-Lieut. Kelly continues:
Refueling the boats from drums was
dangerous Job. They found water and
rust in the gas, but didn't know then
that the gas had been sabotaged. Kelly
had a badly gashed finger, but couldn't
take time to go to the hospital. Lieut..
Buckley describes the first big air raid.
CHAPTER HI-Lieut. Kelly tells how
he was sent to a tunnel hospital on Cor
regidor, where he met Peggy, nurse.
Survivors from the sinking Of shipload
Of refugees were brought to the hospital.
Patients from Manila were also moved
into the tunnel, and Kelly learned from
them how badly the war was going.
CHAPTER IVA member Of tank
crew trapped by the Japs concludes his
story Of their escape as told to Lieut..
Kelly in the tunnel hospital on Corregi.
dor. Kelly tells Of the heroisn Of the
hospital staff, and especially Of the nurse,
Peggy, during severe bombing. En-
sign Akers tells some of his experiences
Just before Manila tell.
CHAPTER V-Ensign Akers continues,
and Ensign Cox adds his story Of the
fan of Manila. The PIT boats pulled
away safely from the blazing city. Lieut..
Kelly tells how he spent New Years Eve
In the hospital, while Lieut.. Buckley dis
eussed with the Admiral plan Of escape
to China. Buckley tells how two Of the
boats, the 81 and the "a, went out into
Subic Bay on night raid.
CHAPTER VI-Lieut. Buckley contin.
ues: When the 81 boat didn't show up.
Buckley, in the "a boat, sneaked up to
torpedo a cruiser. Later they learned
what happened to the 81 boat When the
sabotaged gas clogged the engines they
drifted and landed on a reef. All but
two of the men from the 81 crew finally
returned. Lieut. Kelly persuaded the
doctor to let him out of the hospital and
went out on patrol They broke up Jap
landing party. then captured landing
barge.
CHAPTER VII-Lieut. Kelly continues:
They captured Jap captain and one of
his men. Meanwhile the Japs, tired of
being heckled by PIT boats, sacrificed
another ship as bait. But two of the
original six torpedo boats had also been
lost so far.
CHAPTER vIII-The torpedo boats
took their final crack at the Japs off
Bataan by sinking a 10,000-ton ship.
March first General Macarthur surprised
them by taking a ride in one of the
boats. When he returned he presented
Buckley with the order decorating him
with the DISC. But everyone knew
something was up. Lieut.. Kelly talked
with Peggy. the nice little nurse on
Corregidor.
CHAPTER IX-Lieut. Kelly tells how
he tried to let Peggy know he might be
ordered away without actually telling her
ANYTHING. On March IL, Kelly contin-
mes. Lieut.. Buckley showed them all
their secret orders. They were to carry
General Macarthur, his wife and son,
and some additional personnel to the
southern islands. They left that night
Later Kellys boat ran into trouble and
nearly missed the others.
CHAPTER X-Lieut Kelly continues
The boats continued the trip to the south
ern islands where General Macarthur
party would be met by plane
CHAPTER XI-Lieut. Kelly continues
When they arrived at their destination
OCDl, NCllS4 al 4f1GSfai tHui plOllllSIN
Lieut.. Buckley that if it was humanity
possible he would get the Officers anc
key men of Squadron out of the Philip
pines. While Kelly was busy getting
his boat repaired, Lieut.. Buckley was
helping President Quezon escape.
CHAPTER XH-Hearing of a great of
fensive planned against the Japs, Squad
ron 8 wanted to take part. They die
plenty of damage before Lieut. Kelly's
boat and the one Lieut.. Buckley was
riding in were forced into hiding after
firing the last of their torpedoes.
CHAPTER XIII-The torpedo boat.
finally escaped from the Japs and head
ed for port, believing they were covered
by our own planes, only to discover toe
late that the Jap dive bombers hac
found them and were not only bombing
but strafing them. They landed anC
scattered Cebu was under attack. Lieut.
Kelly met an American who invited hiy7
to his home.
CHAPTER X1V-Lieut Kelly was al
the Americans home when Cebu was
finally invaded. Anxious to get back tt
his squadron, he walked, begged rides
and finally stumbled onto the home
dock. to learn that he had been reported
dead.