USS PGM-3 - Service in The Philippine Islands

Service in The Philippine Islands

The ships of PGM Division One, PGM’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, departed the Treasury Islands on 24 February, en route to Hollandia, New Guinea. USS PGM-7, the remaining ship of Division One, was severely damaged in a collision in July of the previous year and never returned to active service. The ships arrived at Hollandia on 28 February and anchored in Challenger Bay. On 3 March the ships departed the harbor and joined a convoy headed for the island of Leyte in the Philippines. PGM-3 took its position astern of USS Anthedon (AS-24). The PGMs served as radar and sound screens, rear guard, and rescue ships for the convoy. The convoy arrived at Leyte on 10 March and the PGMs anchored in San Pedro Harbor. On 13 March the log of PGM-3 indicates that at 1833 hours, the ship was moored next to PGM-4 at Motor Torpedo Boat Base 5 in the San Juanico Strait, Leyte. PGM-3 remained at MTB Base 5 until 7 April.

At 1625 hours on 7 April, PGM-3 was underway from MTB Base 5, following in the wake of PGM-1 through the San Juanico Strait en route to Ormoc Bay, Leyte, and moored at the Ormoc wharf at 0700 hours the next morning. The PGMs departed the following day at 0645 hours en route to Camiguin Island. The ships tied up at the dock at Mambajao, Camiguin at 1430 hours and were underway again at 1745 hours, headed to their patrol area in Macajalar Bay, Mindanao. The PGMs commenced patrol of the area 1 mile off Salay at 1930 hours, and continued to blockade the Mindanao coast at Macajalar Bay into the morning hours, using radar to search for enemy traffic. At 0645 hours the PGM-3 commenced firing its 3-inch/50 and 40 mm guns at the mouth of Cagayan River. The ships departed the patrol at 0803 hours to return to Camiguin. After an hour-stay at Camiguin, the ships continued on to Iligan, Mindanao. The PGMs were underway from the wharf at Iligan at 1910 hours to return to their patrol area. At 0243 hours, one mile off Tagaloan River, the wake of a putative torpedo was observed to pass just ahead of PGM-3. Another wake passed under PGM-1. On 12 April at 0520 hours, the PGMs departed the patrol area, en route to Balingasag Bay. Guerilla Banca came alongside at 0704 hours to transfer four Japanese prisoners and captured enemy equipment. Afterward, the PGM-3 proceeded en route to Cebu City. At 1813 hours the four Japanese prisoners were transferred to the army stockade at Cebu City for the night. A half hour later the area came under enemy attack with shells exploding close to the PGM-3. All ships in the vicinity proceeded to get underway to avoid the shelling. Shells exploding in vicinity of the dock caused numerous personnel casualties. The PGM-3 sought safety by proceeding to the outer harbor at Cebu where it anchored for the night. On the morning of 13 April, the Japanese prisoners were brought aboard by military police and the ship departed for Ormoc. The ship moored in Ormoc Bay shortly before noon the same day and military police escorted the prisoners ashore. The PGMs departed Ormoc Bay the next day, 14 April, and arrived back at base at 1313 hours.

PGM-3 departed MTB Base 5 for its second patrol in the Philippines on 18 April in company with PGM-1. This patrol was similar to the first, with stops at Ormoc and Mambajao followed by patrols in the area of Macajalar Bay. After the last patrol the ships returned to base via Ormoc, arriving at MTB Base 5 on 25 April.

PGM-3 departed MTB Base 5 on 6 May, proceeding independently to Polillo Island, arriving there at 0812 hours on 8 May. The next day two officers and eleven men of the Philippine Army reported aboard and the ship departed at 0807 hours for patrol off the east coast of Luzon in company with PC-1123. In the hour before noon, PGM-3 fired upon the beach at Binangonan Point. At 1350 hours PGM-3 was closing towards the beach at Infanta to pick up civilian evacuees. PGM-3 and PC 1123 then returned to Polillo Harbor where, presumably, the civilians were set ashore. On the morning of 10 May, the two ships departed Polillo for another patrol of the east coast of Luzon. At 1010 hours the ships commenced a northward sweep at Gabriel Point, firing at an enemy encampment in the vicinity of Iloilo River at 1135 hours. PGM-3 moored alongside PC-1123 in Dingalan Bay at 1410 hours for the purpose of taking on ammunition and the ships then departed for Casiguran Sound. In the early morning hours of 11 May the ships put a guerilla landing party ashore 3 miles south of Calabgan. The ships then departed, arriving back at Polillo Harbor at 1540 hours, and moored to the pier at Polillo City. The two ships departed for another patrol the next morning, arriving back at Binangonan Point at 0725 hours for a northerly sweep of the coast. At 0945 hours PGM-3 commenced firing in the Port Real area and received return machine gun and small arms fire. Two Japanese Q Boats were believed to be destroyed. The patrol was terminated at 1903 hours and the ships returned to Polillo. The next morning the PGM-3 departed Polillo in company with PC-1123, PC-476 and PGM-5. The ships arrived at Mauban Harbor at 0805 hours and remained anchored there for about two hours. The ships then departed the harbor for a patrol of the coast which lasted the remainder of the day. PGM-3 then proceeded back to base in company of PC-1123.

On 20 May at 1733 hours, PGM-3 departed MTB Base 5 in company with PGM-6, en route to Polillo Island. The ships arrived there on 22 May and moored to the wharf at 0730 hours. That night the ships departed for patrol, en route to Casiguaran Sound. At 2135 hours the ships were in the vicinity of Marcelino Point, with PGM-6 putting a landing party ashore. The patrol continued and the ships arrived at Casiguran Sound at 0622 hours the next morning. Three hours later the ships were underway to pick up a scouting party in the vicinity of Colobgan. With the scouting party aboard PGM-3, the ships departed en route to a reported enemy encampment south of Dilalongan. After shelling the beach the ships continued to patrol along the coast and entered Dingalen Bay at 1550 hours. The PGMs then returned to Polillo, mooring at the wharf at 1936 hours, 23 May. PGM’s 3 and 6 departed Polillo at 1108 hours the next day for another patrol of the Luzon coast, returning at 2140 hours. The two ships conducted their last patrol on 26 May and departed from Polillo on 27 May en route to MTB Base 5.

During the month of June, PGM-3 was idle at MTB Base 5. The ship’s log entry for 25 June documents the presence of all PGMs of Division One at the base (PGMs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8). PGM-3 left MTB Base 5 on 6 July en route to MTB Base 17 on the south end of Samar Island and returned on 8 July. The ship made another trip to MTB Base 17 on 11 July and remained there until 26 July. Then PGM-3 returned to MTB Base 5, arriving there on 27 July, where it remained until 4 August.

4 August at 1151 hours, PGM-3 was en route to rendezvous with PGM’s 1, 2, 4, and 6, for a mission to Morotai Island. After rendezvous, the PGMs departed at 1317 hours with PGM-4 serving at OTC. The PGMs arrived at Morotai on 6 August and anchored in the harbor at the southern tip of the island. Four days later the PGMs departed Morotai, proceeding to MTB Base 17 on Samar Island, arriving there on 12 August. The following day PGM-3 returned to MTB Base 5 where it remained until 5 September.