This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Nicole Summers, MMFN
to remember
Branchaud, Fred Ervin, MM1.
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Casualty Info
Home Town Brainerd, MN
Casualty Date Nov 17, 1942
Cause MIA-Died in Captivity
Reason Illness, Disease
Location China
Conflict World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Philippine Islands Campaign (1941-42)/Battle of Bataan
Location of Interment Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Philippine Islands Campaign (1941-42)/Battle of Bataan
From Month/Year
January / 1942
To Month/Year
April / 1942
Description Battle of Bataan and Bataan Death March
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1942
To Month/Year
April / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories On 5 January 1942, Lt. Comdr. Hawes turned over command of Pigeon to Lt. Comdr. Frank Alfred Davis, USNR, and became first lieutenant of submarine tender Holland (AS-3). Under Davis, another leader of heroic stock, Pigeon continued her fearless struggle.
Since Japanese warships outside Manila Bay made it impossible for her to escape, Pigeon remained behind with Canopus, a few old gunboats, and small craft to fight with the Army of Bataan.
She again fought off enemy aircraft, towed between Mariveles and Corregidor; conducted diving operations for salvage, scuttled equipment and destroyed munitions that might fall to the enemy; and established a lookout station at Gorda Point, Bataan. On the night of 5 January 1942, she slipped off Japanese-occupied Sangley Point, Cavite, and snatched a barge of submarine mines from under the nose of the enemy. Men armed to the teeth stepped quickly and quietly from a whaleboat, made a towline fast, and returned to Pigeon. As an added act of defiance the landing party ignited several barrels of aviation gasoline.
Pigeon kept up her energetic pace of support in the Philippines defense. In February 1942 she deprived the enemy of two ammunition lighters and salvaged some 160,000 gallons (600 m³) of fuel oil from merchantman S.S. Don Jose enabling gunboats to stay on patrol. She also repelled 6 enemy dive bombers, knocking down one and crippling another which later crashed on Bataan. She set up a repair base at Saseaman Dock, using a submarine repair barge to tend small craft of the inshore patrol and for Philippine â??Q boatsâ??. She also fueled a submarine at South Dock, Corregidor.
