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.)