INTRODUCTION

Submarine Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare is no stranger to the world’s Second largest archipelago as its waters were witness to the various naval battles of the last Pacific War between Submarines of the United States Navy against that of Imperial Japan and/or the other way around with the former during the Battle of Palawan Passage in October 1944 with US Submarines sinking three Japanese Heavy Cruisers: the Atago, Maya and Takao; and the I-58 sinking the Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis in July 1945 in the Philippine Sea.

In this brief narration, I have compiled known anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations involving the Philippine Navy during the early years of the Cold War. A capability that we had once and is currently being revived with the commissioning of the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), and the arrival of the Augusta Westland AW-159 Wildcat Helicopters, and in the near future, the addition of a long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft will complete the Country’s ASW Trident.

OPENING SALVO IN LAMON BAY

In November 1952, at the height of the HUK Campaign,  relentless reports reached the authorities on the sightings of unknown submarines in the area of Polilio Island specifically in Lamon Bay, Quezon Province.

On 12-November-1952, the ships of the 1st Patrol Craft Escort (PCE) Division under LTSG Dioscoro Papa PN aboard RPS PANGASINAN (PS-31) along with RPS SAMAR (PS-33) commanded by LTSG Domingo Villamater PN and RPS CEBU (PS-28) under LTSG Alfredo Peralta PN set sail from the Province of La Union and positioned themselves at their designated patrol areas:  PS-31 at Casiguran Bay, PS-28 at San Miguel Bay, and PS-33 at Lamon Bay.

On 13-November-1952, RPS Samar (PS-33) detected on its radar two converging vessels. In order to intercept, RPS SAMAR positioned herself in the middle of the rendezvous point but lost contact with the submerged craft (a 100-footer Submarine) at the range of 2,000 yards.

Within a few minutes, PS-33’s sonar suite was able to regain contact and orders were made to drop depth charges, though no explosions were heard. Sonar contact was again made the following day at around 0530H 14-November-1952, where the intruder conducted evasive maneuvers and headed for deeper waters. Depth charges were again dropped with the last one around 0610H which resulted in an explosion.

RPS Samar’s (PS-33) ASW-TRR was examined and assessed by Officer’s and Personnel of the United States Navy at Subic Bay and at the Joint United States Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG),  and it was determined in the  pattern that the depth charge was dropped at beam aspect and could have damaged the submarine.

This episode marked the first ASW  operation conducted by the Philippine Navy in its history. No Submarine sightings were reported after this incident until 1955.

During this point in time, apart from the ASW capabilities of our Patrol Craft Escorts, 16 Submarine Chasers formed part of the Philippine Navy.

As the Cold War was taking shape in Southeast Asia along with rising insurgencies, the Philippine Navy’s mission was geared towards Anti-Submarine and Mine Warfare. Hence, the acquisition of two Patrol Craft Sweepers and Coastal Minesweepers during the Administration of President Ramon Magsaysay, himself a Navy Reserve Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

ABOVE THE WAVES

On 06-September-1955, a report reached the Philippine Constabulary (PC) unit in the Province of Batanes regarding the sighting of 3 unidentified submarines plying our Northern Waters from residents of Paganagan, Itbayat Island two miles off their coast.

The report prompted the Armed Forces of the Philippine General Headquarters (AFP-GHQ) and Headquarters Philippine Navy (HPN) to deploy two Anti-Submarine Patrol Craft Escorts from Poro Point, La Union to investigate the area.

An immediate sweep was made by the two warships on the said area and as of 2400H that same day. No sonar returns were reported by RPS Negros Occidental (PS29) under LCDR Federico Martir PN, and RPS Leyte (PS30) skippered by LCDR Dioscoro Papa PN.

Further coordination was made by CDR Ramon A Alcaraz PN Service Squadron Commander to the Batanes PC unit for the veracity of the report and to the United States Navy at Sangley Point, Cavite City if there were American Submarines in the aforementioned area. The US Sangley Point Command informed CDR Alcaraz and HPN that there are no American Submarines in our Northern Waters.

ROUND TWO:  SUB SUNK

Four years after the Lamon Bay incident,  RPS Samar’s (PS-33) record of success would continue as she would hold the record of finally sinking an unidentified submarine, with LTSG Burgos Baluyot PN as her skipper.

Their destination: Lubang Island Mindoro, where LT Baluyot ordered a sonar sweep of the waters off Calamian, Palawan.

As a geographical backgrounder, Calamian Islands in Northern Palawan comprises Coron, Culion and Busuanga. None however, were detected on those waters.

She then proceeded to the Municipality of Araceli, Palawan and dispatched a landing party to coordinate with the municipality officials on the veracity of reports concerning submarine sightings in the area in which the town officials and coastal residents informed them in the negative.

After departing Araceli, they sailed  towards Dumaran Island, on a Southerly course. The Skipper again ordered a sonar sweep and finally made contact. Immediately, battle stations were sounded, with every crew on alert from bow to stern.

Again as in previous encounters, LT Baluyot made the standard operating procedure of hailing the submarine in case it is an allied one (though at that period, most of the allied navies in the area informs the Philippine Government through their respective embassies and the United States Navy at Sangley Point and Subic Bay that their ships are transiting Philippine waters.

Without any response from the unidentified submerged contact via Gertrude, LT Baluyot ordered “Drop Depth Charges.” It was the midnight of 22-June-1956 after the drop, but contact was lost again.

ASW is a test of nerve and skill. RPS Samar (PS-33) decided not to leave the area and further stalked its quarry. Most of the officers and crew deduced that the submarine must have gone deep and was waiting for them to depart.

At 0518H 23-June-1956, sonar contact was again regained from the previous area were the contact was encountered, but was lost within a span of five minutes.

Despite losing contact, PS-33 continuously dropped depth charges in a pattern. The sonar contact was regained at around 0530H and three more depth charges were released. After the subsequent explosions, PS-33 departed the area and later returned to a site of floating objects and oil slick. The nationality of the submarine was never determined.

The then Defense Secretary Ramon Del Fierro Magsaysay, who later became President, lauded the Skippers of these warships for a job well done in preventing the re-supply of weaponry and ammunition to the HUK rebels.

FATE OF THE PROTAGONIST

These former US Patrol Craft Escorts (PCEs) were later designated as Corvettes and known as the Miguel Malvar Class in Philippine Naval Service.

RPS/BRP CEBU (PS-28). Photo Credit: Maximontero -Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20154637

RPS/BRP Cebu (PS-28) was commissioned in the Philippine Navy on July 1948 and served until 30-September-2019. She was decommissioned on 01-October-2019 after 71 years of service.

RPS Negros Occidental (PS-29) was commissioned in July 1948 and served for 62 years until 09-December-2010.

RPS Leyte (PS-30) was also commissioned on July 1948, PS-30 served for 3 decades until it was lost to grounding off Wallace Air Station in 1978. She was the Escort of the Presidential Yatch RPS Ang Pangulo.

RPS/BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) joined the Philippine Navy also on July 1948 and was decommissioned recently on 01-March-2021 after 73 years of service.

RPS Samar (PS-33) was one of the earliest PCEs of the Philippines with entry into service dating back to 24-May-1948 and serving the Navy and Country for 12 years until decommissioning in 1960.

RPS Samar was the Best ASW SHIP for three months during training exercises with the United States Navy at Subic Bay in Combat Training and Readiness in ASW in 1952.

The ships above were turned over by the United States Navy when they were still barely new with at most only 2 years in service and all were built around  1943-1944.

ASSESSMENT and CONCLUSION

This feat made the Philippine Navy  achieve the four vital parts of ASW in littoral waters that of Sea Control operation, Battlespace Dominance, Chokepoint Operations, and Area Denial.

Most Submarine transit areas at that time were from the South China Sea passing through the Calamianes, Sulu Sea to Mindanao Sea, Philippine Sea through Luzon Strait. South China Sea to Southern Palawan and Celebes to Sulu Sea.

Reported Submarine sightings all over the Philippines from 1957-1958 were in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Sibutu Bay, Northern and Southern Palawan, Sarangani Bay, Lamon Bay, Tonkil and Dirigue Bay in Ilocos Sur.

These unidentified submarines and infiltrators must have adeptly studied the Submarine Campaign of the Second World War as these aforementioned places were the landing points of delivering supplies or disembarking allied intelligence bureau agents during the war by allied submarines.

The biggest question whose Submarines were sighted by the civilian populace and those  engaged by our warships, to go into test depth in a submariners parlance, only two countries in Asia at that period possessed submarines… the rest, as we say, is history.

Sources:

• Commander Fernando Edralin, The Filipino Navy, Headquarters Philippine Navy, (1973).
• Professor (Commodore) Regino “Dodds” P Giagonia AFP (RES), The Philippine Navy 1898-1998, Centennial Edition. 
• Ships and Aircraft Book of the Philippine Fleet,  Headquarters Philippine Navy. 
• Navy is Checking Three Mystery Subs, Manila Times (07-September-1955).