Hi Phantom,
Most disasters are not caused by one event but by a chain of events. Break the chain and the disaster may not happen. It seems Col. Bunker was a link in this chain. The captain of the SS Corregidor and Col. Bunker both made decisions to allow this disaster to happen. Before I read the Captain George Steiger diary, I had assumed that the ship captain was solely responsible.
As for the Steiger diary itself, I think it is as credible as anything we will find including Bunker’s. Both officers worked together at the same time on Corregidor and even socialized together. What better way to get to know your boss than socially, especially if alcohol is involved. You will probably learn things you wish you did not know.
At the start of the war I can see certain things being ‘overlooked’ as the brass would think they had much more important things to deal with at the time. It does not make it right, just understandable.
Also, I don’t think we can fault anyone for being a “man of his times”. We always look at yesterday’s decisions with today’s biases. Hopefully we can understand the context in which they made decisions. Considering that, not deactivating mines for an approaching friendly ship seems inexcusable.
Too bad Bunker’s detailed diary does not start until the month following this incident. That in itself seems a little strange in that people I know just do not abruptly start a diary. Writing is almost in their blood and they have done it for years. We will never know if Bunker wrote anything earlier.
I did a search on the net about the incident and any possible inquiry. I found some conflicting info but no mention of Col. Bunker or any inquiry. (Wackypedia says there were 1,200 passengers and they hit Japanese mines).
Not knowing more, I would agree with everything that okla says. Another unfortunate and sad war story…
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A survivor’s account of the sinking.
(She would know nothing about Col. Bunker’s fateful decision)
A tragic Christmas
By Jenara Regis Newman
Sixty years ago on Dec. 16, Cebu, as well as other Visayan and Mindanao students studying in Manila filled the boat, the S.S. Corregidor, for their Christmas vacation. For these students, this vacation was different as it could turn out, as it did, to be a much longer vacation instead of a Christmas break.
Already, the Philippines was at war, with the Japanese attacking some of her northern provinces after their attack on Pearl Harbor.
In an article, Ret. Col. Manuel Segura wrote that Manila Bay was already filled with mines as early as August of that year. And most of the boats going in and out of Manila Bay had to be escorted by a military boat from Corregidor Island in order to pass through the mine field safely. But not this fateful night. The captain, who had been in and out of Manila for the previous months, decided to proceed without waiting for the escort. And then, shortly after midnight, wham! The boat had hit a mine and all hell broke loose within the ship.
Among the passengers was Adelaida Pages. This is her story:
I was studying in Philippine Women's College taking up P.E. I was still young and "innocent" in the manner of those days. Ignorante gyud. Innocente gyud kaayo. I had been booked in an airconditioned cabin along with my schoolmate Emma Pelaez, her brother Tristan and Delfin Teves, a friend of my brother. I had gone to bed with my PE uniform on.
The blast woke us up and Delfin was the first to get out of the boat. But when he went out the door, it slammed shut and would not open anymore. We were locked in! But the door had louvres and Tristan managed to break the slats and we managed to get out of the cabin and rushed to the upper deck where it was every man for himself. Tristan almost got shot by an American from whom he wanted to get his lifejacket for his sister and me. There were lifeboats but they were packed with people. By the time we got into one, the boat was sinking and we sank along with the boat.
I sank, and I felt someone was tugging at me. I thought it was Emma. I did not realize it was the boat's sinking that pulled me down. When the sinking stopped, I struck for the surface. There were no signs of Emma or Tristan. I saw a pillow and tried to grab that, but it would not do as a lifesaver. I saw a barrel and tried to get on it but it kept rolling. Then I saw a raft and clambered aboard. When the raft was filled, other survivors had to cling to its sides.
Soon, a searchlight announced the arrival of a PT boat. I took off my skirt and waved it so the rescuers could see us. The boat picked us up and brought us to Corregidor Island. I was amazed at what I saw. It was a very well equipped camp with a hospital. The works. While we waited for a launch to take us back to Manila, we were given blankets and served hot coffee.
In Manila, Helena Benitez was waiting for me and I was taken into her home. Meanwhile, my father, learning of the incident, sent the family launch to pick me up and my brother Peping. Because of the mines, the launch docked in Batangas. To get there, Peping and I and Mario Paca walked part of the way, rode a carromata as far as it would take us, rode horses, and slept overnight in a nipa hut. The trip to Cebu took about two days, during which time Mario was seasick. We first docked in Bantayan before we proceeded to the city.
For me it was all one grand adventure. I was even enjoying myself! Later I was to learn that both Emma and Tristan perished in the accident, as did Delfin. So many young and bright people died in that accident. But it was only afterwards that I learned of the immensity of the tragedy. At the time of the sinking and afterwards, all that occupied me was to struggle to stay above water, to latch on to something solid, to get home.
And home I was for Christmas, with lots of stories to tell.
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Excerpts from the Journal of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz
(Note the part about the SS Corregidor being escorted by a PT boat and veering away toward the mines. Also, the ship was carrying not only passengers but war materiel)
www.geocities.com/comralcaraz/dec1941.ppt“The approaches to Manila Bay west of Corregidor are mined. A narrow channel serves as entrance and exit to Manila Bay and one of the PT jobs is to guide those vessels not familiar with that channel”.
“By night time, the tragedy was compounded by the sinking of SS Corregidor in our own defensive minefields guarding the entrance to Manila Bay west of Corregidor Fortress. SS Corregidor is one of the best among our inter-island commercial vessels with civilian and military personnel aboard bound for Visayas and Mindanao”.
“Loaded also are Artillery pieces, equipment and supplies of the 101st FA, and other Vis-Min Units. From initial scant report I got from my Mistah Alano, ExO of Q-111 that participated in the rescue, he said the ship hit a mine and sunk so fast virtually all passengers went down with the ship including her Captain. There were very few survivors. The mined area is under the responsibility of the Harbor Defense and PT RON 3. I should know more details about this tragedy after I talk with some of my comrades on duty then at PT RON 3”.
“This 17 Dec 1941 entry has special although sad, significance to me personally. My late father, First LT Carlos G Agustin XC6 221 263 CE aboard the SS Corregidor”.
“I also talked with Ens George Cox, CO PT 41 on duty when SS Corregidor sunk five days ago. He said PT 41 was leading the ill fated ship at the channel but suddenly, all at once, the SS Corregidor veered course towards the minefields and his efforts to stop her were to no avail. There was a loud explosion after hitting a mine, the ship sank so fast virtually all aboard went with her including the ship captain. There were very few survivors”.
The SS Corregidor itself was constructed in England as a ferry in 1911 and later was commissioned into the Royal Navy to carry seaplanes. After WWI, she was sold back to her original owners and finally ended up in the Philippines.