U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Faces Last Battle
Leyte Fisherfolk Want U.S. Navy Sunken Ship Preserved for Life

Battle-scarred U.S. Navy warship carrier St. Lo (CVE 63) was attacked by Japanese aircraft and sunk off the coast of MacArthur, Leyte 60 years ago. Now it is figuring in what may turn out its last battle: whether to be salvaged or not.

By Gerardo Albert Corpuz
Bulatlat

MACARTHUR, Leyte - Fisherfolk in this sleepy coastal town of Leyte are opposing the salvaging of a 61-year old U.S. Navy ship which sunk in the municipal waters of MacArthur on Oct. 25, 1944 during the imperialist war between the American and Japanese invading forces.

A fisherfolk alliance in Region 8, Pamalakaya-Eastern Visayas, said “There is a paramount need to save St. Lo (CVE 63) from vested interests. The sunken ship will never be the same to Leyteńo fisherfolk if the government insists in pulling out the sunken ship.”

Pamalakaya-EV is leading the campaign against the salvaging of the 61-year old sunken ship off the coastal barangay (village) of San Pedro in this town.

The alliance of small fishermen kicked off its year-round campaign against the salvaging of St. Lo last month with a fluvial rally in MacArthur last Sept. 27 participated in by fisherfolks from eight coastal barangays of the fishing town.

Having been under the sea for 60 years, the sunken ship has turned into an artificial reef and a sanctuary hosting and breathing life to a variety of fishes and seashells and rewarding livelihood to subsistence fishermen surrounding Leyte Gulf.

In 1996, local executive signed a resolution declaring the sunken ship a tourist spot and a fish sanctuary. But incumbent Mayor Leonardo Leria this year nullified the resolution and allowed La Naval to salvage the ship despite protest lodged by fisherfolk and residents in nearby coastal barangays.

Class escort carrier

The St. Lo (CVE63), a class escort carrier and a veteran of World War II, was lost during the Battle of Samar after Japanese suicide planes attacked the ship. U.S. authorities remember the attack as one of the most memorable engagements in the history of U.S. naval battle.

The 10,400-ton full load ship carrier was traveled at the speed of 19 knots and carried 28 fighter planes. Built by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, the navy carrier measured 512.5 or approximately in length with flight deck width of 108 feet. The U.S. naval ship was laid down as Chapin Bay 23 in January 1943 and was renamed Midway on April 3 of the same year.

As an escort carrier, St. Lo used to carry replacement aircraft and participated in a number of U.S. air strikes. It was instrumental in the U.S. invasion of Saipan in the Pacific on June 15, 1943. St. Lo also played key role in the U.S. military invasion of other territories occupied by the Japanese imperial forces.

On Oct. 12, 1943, the ship sailed to the Philippines to participate in the “liberation” of Leyte from the Japanese occupation forces. The ship provided air coverage and close air support during landings of U.S. Ranger units in Dinagat and Homonhon islands in the eastern part of Leyte Gulf arrived off Leyte on Oct. 17.

US. Navy ship St. Lo (CVE 63)

It was finally stricken off from the U.S. navy list on November 1944 following its defeat from the Japanese invading forces in the Philippines.

Object of salvaging, retrieval of operation

The sunken ship is now the object of salvaging and retrieval operation of LA Naval Commercial Diving and Marine Services Cooperative, a certified salvor company based in Dasmarińas, Cavite. The firm is headed by Ricardo Asis, a retired high-ranking official of the Philippine Navy.

On Aug. 23, 2004, Commodore Alejandro N. Flora, district commander of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) signed the permit allowing LA Naval to salvage the wrecked ship.

Pamalakaya-Eastern Visayas assailed the ongoing retrieval operations demanding the salvor group to quit from extracting whatever is left in the sunken ship. The group said the salvor company could only proceed with the extraction activity only if such permit is granted and signed by the Office of the President and if requirements are met to make the retrieval operations legal or in accordance with the Salvaging Law or Republic Act 5173 and PCG Memorandum Circular 06-96.

Under the Philippines' salvaging law, the World War II carrier could only be retrieved if the sunken ship “obstructs the navigational line,” “is hazardous,” the “area is used for any port development” and it is “proven dangerous to marine and human lives.”

Pamalakaya-EV secretary general Albert John J. Mańa said it is impossible for the sunken ship to obstruct navigational activities in Leyte Gulf since St. Lo (CVE63) is only a kilometer off the shoreline. Mańa also rebuked claims that the sunken ship was hazardous to people's health adding no fish kill took place or no account of human or marine lives died or injured due to chemical poisoning in the area.

Mana also invoked the importance of national heritage and historical value of the sunken World War II naval vessel in arguing against the salvaging of St. Lo (CVE63).

"The World War II ship is now part of the country's national heritage. This ship will remind us of the cruelty of the imperialist war between the United States and Japan. Perhaps Washington and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo want to erase this ship from the memories of the Filipino people and the global community that is why they want to take this ship out of Leyte Gulf,” Mańa said. Bulatlat

BACK TO TOP ■  PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION  ■   COMMENT

© 2004 Bulatlat ■  Silang Publications

Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.