The Philippines Operation Sandblast

captain beach @ periscope station



the memorial shrine of ferdinand magellan in mactan island, cebu.



off mactan island (1 april 1960)

a special water sample taken during triton s transit of surigao strait; recipient retired vice admiral jesse b. oldendorf, task force commander battleships had defeated japanese southern force during battle of surigao strait, history s last naval action fought between battleships, during world war ii. captain beach observed, think admiral oldendorf appreciate sample of body of water.

on 1 april, triton spotted mactan island, , shortly before noon, sighted monument (pictured) commemorating death of ferdinand magellan @ site, thereby reaching midpoint of circumnavigation.

ordinarily leader given meticulous preparations important undertaking, 1 checked every item , left no stone unturned in effort eliminate possible cause of failure, magellan s every action during entire episode ... might have been calculated intention of seeking defeat. such height of religious fervor divine intervention expected matter of course. god, having brought him far, not forsake him now. have thought magellan in height of exaltation, forgetting entirely god not bound conventions of man s thought.

later same day, april fool s day, triton sighted unauthorized person spot submarine during top secret voyage–a young filipino man in small dugout canoe (pictured) 50 yards (46 m) off triton’s beam, staring @ raised periscope. captain beach later recorded reactions unexpected encounter in log:

it ludicrous situation: on 1 hand impassive asian, staring curious concentration @ unusual object in water; on other, u.s. navy officer, equipped technical devices money , science can procure, looking equally studied concentration. on 1 end of periscope, outrigger canoe propelled brawny arms of builder; on other end, $100,000,000 submarine, newest, biggest, powerful in world, on history-making voyage. abyss — centuries of scientific development — lie between me , him!

the noted photographer joseph baynor roberts of national geographic magazine able snap several photos of unexpected interloper (pictured) through ship s periscope before triton moved out of range. november 1960 issue identified fisherman 19-year-old rufino baring of punta engano, mactan island, believed had encountered sea monster: frightened. tried away fast could.

later on afternoon of 1 april, triton proceeded through hilutangan channel sulu sea via bohol strait.

on 2 april, triton s gyroscopic repeaters, used maintain ship s navigational bearing, began experience sudden, severe oscillations, possibly caused malfunctioning synchro amplifier. helm shifted direct gyro input, synchro amplifiers checked out, , gyroscopic repeaters appeared return normal function. later, while transiting pearl bank passage, narrow channel lined coral reefs, periscope observation determined triton off course, indicating potentially hazardous helm error. steering control shifted control room, helm using master gyroscopic repeater. while malfunction detected in time , ship not in immediate danger, loss of navigational bearing have been catastrophic, captain beach noting episode had sobering effect.

triton proceeded through sibutu passage celebes sea, leaving philippine waters, , subsequently entered makassar strait, crossing equator third time, on 3 april, , then, during 4 april, transited flores sea, bound lombok strait, gateway indian ocean.