A Sailor's Story, Part 3

The commanding officer of the PT 373, Lt. Belton Copp, volunteered to lead a two boat squadron into Manila Bay to "test defenses" of the harbor.  Here is an excerpt of the report he filed with Navel Command:

"At 0030 after passing through enemy formation and coming right to retire, we were hit by enemy fire coming from the port quarter. We suffered numerous .51 Cal. hits on the stern which exploded a 40MM shell causing 3 men to be wounded by shrapnel, the port turret machine gun was hit putting it out of commission, two hits on the gas tank, numerous hits on the cockpit, severely wounding OTC, Lt  (lg) COPP, and causing fire in starboard 50 Cal. ready box in charthouse, and 1 hit on the bow causing instantaneous death to SENESE, A.O. slc."

Lt. Copp lost his left arm.  Even injured and under heavy fire he was able to lead his damaged vessel safely to Subic Bay.  A student of the classics, Copp's escape was inspired by Homer's Odyssey.  He maneuvered the 373 abreast of a large Japanese freighter just as Odysseus and his men hung under sheep at the entrance guarded by the Cyclops.  Being inches away from the big ship shielded them from mines, the guns from Corregidor, and the freighter's armament.

General McArthur honored Lt. Copp and the crew of the 373 by using it to carry him back to Manila Harbor one month later.

General McArthur on PT 373

AJ Cotten received the purple heart for service to his country