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Originally the Asiatic Squadron , it was upgraded to fleet status in 1902 . In 1907 , the fleet became the First Squadron of the Pacific Fleet . However, on 28 January 1910 , the ships of that squadron were again organized as the Asiatic Fleet. So, in later years, this was not part of the US Pacific Fleet, which was based on the western coast of the United States and, in 1940 , moved to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . 1902 – 1941 In 1904 , all Battleship s were withdrawn from the Far East . Gunboats patrolled the Yangtze River in the Yangtze Patrol . In 1922 , when the Atlantic Fleet was dissolved, the Asiatic Fleet was charged with defending the Philippines and Guam and with upholding the Open Door Policy in China . WORLD WAR II By mid- 1941 , the headquarters for this unit was in Manila , at the Marsman Building . The commander was Admiral Thomas C. Hart and the fleet was based at Cavite Naval Base and Olongapo Naval Station . On July 22 , the Mariveles Naval Base was completed and used as well. Admiral Hart had permission to withdraw to the Indian Ocean , in the event of war, at his discretion. Chinese Detachment Early in November, the Navy Department ordered Hart to withdraw the fleet's Marines and gunboats, stationed in China . Five of the gunboats were moved to Manila, ''Wake'' (PG-43) was left with a skeleton crew as a radio base and was seized by the Japanese on December 8 and ''Tutuila'' (PG-44) was given to the Chinese. The majority of the 4th Marine Regiment was stationed at Shanghai , and other detachments were at Pekin (Beijing) and Tientsin (Tianjin). These troops were loaded onto two President Class Liner s on November 27 and 28 (at either Shanghai or Chinwangtao (Qinghuangdao) and arrived in the Philippines on November 30 and December 1 . '' President Harrison '' returned to Chinwangtao, to move the remaining marines, but was captured by the Japanese on December 7 . Those Marines which had reached the Philippines were tasked with defending the naval stations, particularly Mariveles Naval Base . USS ''Rochester'' was scuttled. Minefields Manila and Subic Bay s (in support of the Harbor Defenses ) were Mine d by the Asiatic Fleet, stationed in Manila Bay . These minefields were designed to stop all vessels, except for Submarine s and shallow-draft surface craft. Vessels of the Asiatic Fleet and the 16th Naval District — December 8, 1941 The Asiatic Fleet and the 16th Naval District , possessed 1 Heavy Cruiser (Houston CA-30), 1 Light Cruiser (Marblehead CL-12), 13 World War I -era Destroyer s (Paul Jones DD-230,John D. Edwards DD-216),Alden DD-211, Whipple DD-217,Edsall DD-219,Stewart DD-224, Barker DD-213), Parrott DD 218), Bulmer DD-222 John D. Ford DD-228, Pope DD-225, Peary DD-226 and Pillsbury DD-227), Destroyer tender Black Hawk AD-9, 29 Submarine s, 5 Gunboat s (Asheville PG-21, Tulsa PG-22, Oahu PR-6, Luzon PR-7, and Mindanao PR-8), 1 Yacht (Isabel PY-10), 6 Minesweeper s (Finch AM-9, Bittern AM-36, Tanager AM-5, Quail AM-15, Lark AM-21 and Whippoorwill AM-35)2 Tanker s (Pecos AO-6 and Trinity AO-23), an ocean-going Tugboat (Napa AT-32), 1 aircraft transporter (Langley AV-3) 3 aircraft support vessels (Childs AVD-1, William B. Preston AVD-7 and Heron AVP-2), l rescue vessel (Pigeon ASR-6) Sub tenders Holland AS-3, Canpous AS-9 and Otus AS-20 and various other ships, including 6 motor Torpedo Boat s that formed Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three . Also stationed at Cavite Naval Base was the Offshore Patrol . Aircraft of the Asiatic Fleet — December 8, 1941 The aviation elements of the Asiatic Fleet comprised Patrol Wing 10 , with two patrol squadrons (VPs), a utility unit, and the aviation units aboard the Fleet's two cruisers and the large seaplane tender ''Langley'' (AV-3). Patrol Wing 10 had been commissioned in December 1940, and included Patrol Squadrons 101 ( VP 101 ) and 102 ( VP 102 ), each equipped with fourteen Consolidated PBY-4 Catalina Flying Boat s. By Mid-1941 these 28 PBY-4s were numbered 1 through 14 for VP 101, 16 through 29 for VP 102. The Utility Unit included Grumman J2F amphibians (1 J2F-2, 4 J2F-4s, and, delivered in the late summer, five new Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-2 Kingfisher Floatplane s. Also, a number of Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplanes were present. ''Houston'' (CA-30) carried four, ''Marblehead'' (CL-12) two, and ''Langley'' two or three, and two more were under repair or in storage at the Aircraft Overhaul Shop (Shop X 34) at the Cavite Navy Yard. As of or the Navy's auxiliary seaplane station at Olongapo on Subic Bay , or seaplane tender ''Childs'' (AVD-1) in Manila Bay. Trios of PBYs rotated down to the southern islands to base on ''William B. Preston'' (AVD-7) at Malalag Bay on Davao Gulf , Mindanao . These patrols out over the Philippine Sea to the east bordered with similar patrols flown by Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service flying boats basing in the Netherlands East Indies. Seaplane tender ''Heron'' (AVP-2), with a detachment of four OS2U-2 Kingfishers from the Untility Unit ran morning and evening patrols from Port Ciego , Balabac Island , over the strategically important Balabac Straits from 4 through 13 December . Early in the morning of 8 December ''Preston'' sent off one plane on patrol and a short time later was attacked by aircraft from the small Japanese Carrier ''Ryujo'' , and her other two PBYs were sunk on the water. Patrol Wing 10 was ordered south into the Netherlands East Indies on 12 December , when the collapsing defenses of the islands made further operations untenable. Within the first ninety days of the war Patrol Wing 10 had fallen back to Perth, Western Australia , being reinforced by VP 22 from Hawaii, but losing 43 of 45 PBYs, all but four to enemy action, together with tender ''Langley''.
Probably the definitive work on Pat Wing 10 is the book ''In The Hands of Fate'' (the story of Pat Wing 10 8 December 1941-May 1942), by Dwight R. Messimer. Naval Institute Press, 1985. 348 pages. Vessels of the British and Dutch Navies In the Far East , by December of 1941, the British had 1 Battleship , 1 Battlecruiser , 10 cruisers, and 13 destroyers. The Dutch had 3 light cruisers, 7 destroyers, and 15 submarines. These forces were either wiped out or driven from the area during the next few months. HMS ''Prince Of Wales'' and HMS ''Repulse'' were the first victims of the Japanese. They set out from Singapore to intercept Japanese forces landing in Malaya . On 10 December 1941, they were intercepted by Japanese aircraft and sunk. The British and Dutch cruisers were damaged or destroyed during the defence of the Netherlands East Indies , including at such engagements as the Battle Of The Java Sea . Asiatic Fleet — December 8, 1941
Battles Fought by the Asiatic Fleet-early 1942 As the Japanese sought sources of oil and minerals in the Netherlands East Indies and Borneo immediately following Pearl Harbor the only fleet available to defend against their onslaught in that area was the Asiatic Fleet. Outnumbered, outgunned, outmanned, the U.S. Navy, part of the ABDA (American, British, Dutch and Australian) force could only attempt to slow down the Japanese advances. Stopping them was out of the question. Battle of Balikpapan-Jan 24, 1942. Catching a Japanese invasion fleet of 16 transports, a cruiser and several destroyers anchored in Balikpapan Bay, four old U.S. "four piper" destroyers (Ford, Pope, Paul Jones and Parrot), luck with them, attacked at night using torpedoes, then gunfire to sink four transports and one patrol craft. During the attack, the Japanese cruiser and the destroyers headed out to sea, sure that the attack came from submarines there, thus leaving the transports unprotected. This was the first surface action of the Pacific War and the first since the Spanish American War. It was a great morale booster, but slowed the Japanese not at all. Battle of Flores Sea-Feb 4, 1942. Encouraged by the success of the Balikpapan raid, an attempt was made to break up another invasion when word was received that a Japanese force was planning a landing at Makasar on Celebes Island. Planning a night attack, the ABDA force had to sail some distance on open water in daylight. It was attacked by Japanese bombers which severely damaged U.S. light cruiser Marblehead and disabled turret #3 on the heavy cruiser Houston. Wounded, the force retreated to Tjilatjap, Java, mission not accomplished. Battle of Badoeng Strait-Feb 19/20, 1942. In an effort to break up another invasion, this time on the island of Bali, a small force of ABDA ships arrived after the Japanese had made their landing and had retired, leaving only four Japanese destroyers on station. This badly executed attack failed. Three Japanese destroyers were damaged by gunfire, but a Dutch destroyer was sunk and a Dutch and American destroyer were damaged. Battle of Java Sea-Feb 27, 1942. This was the biggest battle fought in this area. The ABDA force of five cruisers and 11 destroyers, led by Dutch Admiral Doorman sailed against a Japanese force of seven crusiers and 25 destroyers. The enemy force had air cover; ABDA did not (it never had air cover in any of the battles described here). It was a rout, fought during the afternoon and evening, a running gun battle with Japanese planes constantly dropping flares to illuminate the ABDA ships. The Dutch lost two cruisers and a destroyer, the British two destroyers. One Japanese destroyer was damaged. Battle of Sunda Strait-Feb 28, 1942. Sunda Strait lies between Sumatra and Java. Retreating south to Tjilatjap after the Battle of Java Sea the day before, the U.S. Cruiser Houston and the Australian cruiser Perth, upon entering the strait, came upon and Japanese invasion force making a landing on Java. Both ships attacked the transports and sank four of them. As they started back down the Strait, they were attacked by a Japanese cruiser and ten destroyers which overwhelmed and sank both ships. Half The U.S. Fleet Lost. Of the 40 surface vessels in the Asiatic Fleet on Pearl Harbor Day, 19 were sunk by May 5, 1942, the day General Wainwright surrendered to the Japanese at Corregidor in the Philippines. Most of the surviving ships made it to Australia and safety. COMMANDERS IN CHIEF, ASIATIC FLEET SEE ALSO
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