From: Manila
To: Tokyo
15 November 1941
(Purple)
#767
We are retransmitting our
machine telegram of the 14th with indicator 97720 because of a mistake on the
plug board, as follows:
The following is from a
report of a Japanese resident in Cebu.
1. At present there are
about 300 American and 2,500 Filipino soldiers stationed there. (There are four
barracks each with a capacity of about 500 or 600 soldiers.
2. The airport has an area
of about 196 acres but is being enlarged (by use of convict labor). About 12
planes (of medium size) used by the Philippine Army, have been transported to
Java by air, and 12 or 13 American Army planes, (monoplanes-whether they were
scout planes or pursuit planes was not clear), are now stationed there. In
addition to these there is one large bomber in the hangar (double type, capacity
40 planes).
3. The headquarters of the
former patrol force are being used as the commisariate storehouse and all sorts
of provisions are being stored there.
4. On the 22nd of
September, about 20 American warships anchored on the northwest coast of the
Sulu Archipelago. Around the middle of October two destroyers and one cruiser
entered Cebu harbor and early this month, one oil supply ship of the 20,000 ton
class, and a camouflaged cruiser of the 10,000 ton class, entered port and
anchored for two or three days. It has been recognized that occasionally two or
three American ships anchor around the south of Mactan, Bacol, and Panglao.
5. There is an open
drydock at MAKUGAA (operated by Chinese) capable of handling ships up to 10,000
tons.
JD-1: 6587 24983 (H) Navy Trans. 11-18-41 (S-TT)(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 2 JAPANESE MESSAGES CONCERNING MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, SHIP MOVEMENTS, ETC.)