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Sisters of the St. Augustine | ||
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The chain rattling through the hawspipe and splash, the USS St. Augustine drops anchor in the peaceful waters of Manila Bay off the Cavite Navy Yard after escorting a small convoy from Pearl Harbor. The date: Sunday, December 7, 1941. In the wee hours of Monday morning came the shocking news that the Japanese were attacking Pearl Harbor. Later that morning the Japanese bomb the Clark Field Army Air Force base on Luzon and land troops in the northern Philippines. After the long voyage the St. Augustine needs time to replenish before getting under way and two days later was building up steam while the captain went ashore to get their orders. A flight of high level bombers fly over wreaking destruction on Manila and the navy yard, the captain’s launch taking a direct hit. Commander Sullivan Henry, the executive officer, has no choice but to give the order. Guns blazing, the St. Augustine navigates through erupting water spouts making way into the South China Sea. Their orders: search for enemy forces approaching Manila without engaging, a task well suited for the sleek, fast scout cruiser. As the Japanese advance south through Luzon Commander Henry receives orders a few days later to rescue twenty-three American nuns trapped at a convent near San Fernando. Two launches full of armed Marines go ashore under the cover of darkness to extract the nuns from behind enemy lines. With the sisters safely aboard, Commander Henry's orders are now to sail for Darwin, Australia; challenging enough without having women aboard, the biggest challenge being the Mother Superior, Sister Francis Collins. Steaming through Japanese infested water the crew of St. Augustine have their share of enemy encounters; the first resulting in heavy casualties. Being undermanned, the nuns step forward to fill the void, fighting along side the crew, barely making it to their destination. |