The youngest son of Oscar Orland Baker (1883-1961) and Elizabeth Haylois Singleton (1881-1967), Walter M. Baker was born on May 1, 1916, probably in Springfield, Page County, Va. Baker (Service # 2563093) joined the Navy on February 5, 1936, well before the United States became actively involved in the Second World War. It is unclear which ships Baker served on, but by 1939, he had volunteered for submarine duty. He was listed as Ship's Cook First Class by 1943 during his tour of duty onboard the USS Cisco. Just over two weeks after arriving in Brisbane on 1 September 1943, the USS Cisco, with Baker aboard, departed from Darwin, Australia on her first war patrol with orders to patrol the South China Sea. However, not long after departure, she was forced to return with defects to her main hydraulic system. Repaired overnight, the Cisco got underway once again on 19 September on her original mission.
According to several websites, "Cisco's area was a large rectangular one in the South China Sea between Luzon and the coast of French Indo-China. In order to reach it, she was to pass through the Arafoera Sea area, the Banda Sea, Manipa Strait, Molukka Passage, the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Passage, the Sulu Sea and Mindoro Strait. On 28 September, Cisco should have been due west of Mindanao in the center of the Sulu Sea off Panay Island in position 09.47N, 121.44E. On that day a Japanese antisubmarine attack was made slightly north and east of Cisco's expected position. In reporting the attack the Japanese state 'Found a sub tailing oil. Bombing. Ships cooperated with us. The oil continued to gush out even on tenth of October.'"
According to Navy records, no submarine that returned from patrol reported having been attacked at this time and position, giving even more indication that the attack was made on the Cisco.
More records reveal that, in fact, Japanese aircraft from the 954th Kokutai probably made the initial bombing of the Cisco and then called in the depth charge attack from the gunboat HIJMS Karatsu upon the Cisco. Ironically, the Karatsu was formerly known as the USS Luzon (PR-7) which the US Navy had used in the Yangtze Patrols since 1928. Though scuttled (to prevent capture by the Japanese) by the Navy off of Corregidor, Philippines (in position 14.23N, 120.35E) on 5 May 1942, the former Luzon was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned as the Karatsu. On 3 March 1943, Karatsu had its first tangle with an American submarine when she was damaged by the USS Narwhal (SS-167) headed for Tawi Tawi. Though the Karatsu made it out of the scrap without being sunk, the Japanese "rewarded" the Narwhal with some heavy depth charging. While the Narwhal made it through the entire war, the Karatsu met her end on 3 February 1945 when, once again, she was scuttled, this time at Manila.
Nevertheless, again, most of the websites on the loss of the Cisco state that "nothing had been seen of or heard from the Cisco since her departure from Darwin, and on 4 and 5 November 1943, Headquarters Task Force Seventy-One was unable to make radio contact with her. At the time of her loss it was considered very unlikely that a recurrence of trouble with her main hydraulic system could explain her sinking, and the only other possible clue was the fact that a Japanese plane was reported over Darwin at twenty thousand feet on the morning of her second departure. The attack listed above is thought to probably explain this loss. No enemy minefields are known to have been in her area, or en route to it."
On November 18, 1943, the Page News & Courier reported among its front page stories that the Baker family had received a telegram from the office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, stating that Walter had was officially reported as missing "in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country."
Though lost between 28 September and 10 October 1943, the memorial headstone for Petty Officer First Class Baker in Beahm's Chapel Cemetery (near his parents' final resting place) records him as missing in action as of 15 November 1943. Baker is also one of 36,282 listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines (76 men were lost at sea aboard the Cisco). Baker was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. For her brief service, the USS Cisco received one battle star.
**His name appears on the memorial in the Philippines... see here http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10136428
According to several websites, "Cisco's area was a large rectangular one in the South China Sea between Luzon and the coast of French Indo-China. In order to reach it, she was to pass through the Arafoera Sea area, the Banda Sea, Manipa Strait, Molukka Passage, the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Passage, the Sulu Sea and Mindoro Strait. On 28 September, Cisco should have been due west of Mindanao in the center of the Sulu Sea off Panay Island in position 09.47N, 121.44E. On that day a Japanese antisubmarine attack was made slightly north and east of Cisco's expected position. In reporting the attack the Japanese state 'Found a sub tailing oil. Bombing. Ships cooperated with us. The oil continued to gush out even on tenth of October.'"
According to Navy records, no submarine that returned from patrol reported having been attacked at this time and position, giving even more indication that the attack was made on the Cisco.
More records reveal that, in fact, Japanese aircraft from the 954th Kokutai probably made the initial bombing of the Cisco and then called in the depth charge attack from the gunboat HIJMS Karatsu upon the Cisco. Ironically, the Karatsu was formerly known as the USS Luzon (PR-7) which the US Navy had used in the Yangtze Patrols since 1928. Though scuttled (to prevent capture by the Japanese) by the Navy off of Corregidor, Philippines (in position 14.23N, 120.35E) on 5 May 1942, the former Luzon was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned as the Karatsu. On 3 March 1943, Karatsu had its first tangle with an American submarine when she was damaged by the USS Narwhal (SS-167) headed for Tawi Tawi. Though the Karatsu made it out of the scrap without being sunk, the Japanese "rewarded" the Narwhal with some heavy depth charging. While the Narwhal made it through the entire war, the Karatsu met her end on 3 February 1945 when, once again, she was scuttled, this time at Manila.
Nevertheless, again, most of the websites on the loss of the Cisco state that "nothing had been seen of or heard from the Cisco since her departure from Darwin, and on 4 and 5 November 1943, Headquarters Task Force Seventy-One was unable to make radio contact with her. At the time of her loss it was considered very unlikely that a recurrence of trouble with her main hydraulic system could explain her sinking, and the only other possible clue was the fact that a Japanese plane was reported over Darwin at twenty thousand feet on the morning of her second departure. The attack listed above is thought to probably explain this loss. No enemy minefields are known to have been in her area, or en route to it."
On November 18, 1943, the Page News & Courier reported among its front page stories that the Baker family had received a telegram from the office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, stating that Walter had was officially reported as missing "in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country."
Though lost between 28 September and 10 October 1943, the memorial headstone for Petty Officer First Class Baker in Beahm's Chapel Cemetery (near his parents' final resting place) records him as missing in action as of 15 November 1943. Baker is also one of 36,282 listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines (76 men were lost at sea aboard the Cisco). Baker was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. For her brief service, the USS Cisco received one battle star.
**His name appears on the memorial in the Philippines... see here http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10136428
The youngest son of Oscar Orland Baker (1883-1961) and Elizabeth Haylois Singleton (1881-1967), Walter M. Baker was born on May 1, 1916, probably in Springfield, Page County, Va. Baker (Service # 2563093) joined the Navy on February 5, 1936, well before the United States became actively involved in the Second World War. It is unclear which ships Baker served on, but by 1939, he had volunteered for submarine duty. He was listed as Ship's Cook First Class by 1943 during his tour of duty onboard the USS Cisco. Just over two weeks after arriving in Brisbane on 1 September 1943, the USS Cisco, with Baker aboard, departed from Darwin, Australia on her first war patrol with orders to patrol the South China Sea. However, not long after departure, she was forced to return with defects to her main hydraulic system. Repaired overnight, the Cisco got underway once again on 19 September on her original mission.
According to several websites, "Cisco's area was a large rectangular one in the South China Sea between Luzon and the coast of French Indo-China. In order to reach it, she was to pass through the Arafoera Sea area, the Banda Sea, Manipa Strait, Molukka Passage, the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Passage, the Sulu Sea and Mindoro Strait. On 28 September, Cisco should have been due west of Mindanao in the center of the Sulu Sea off Panay Island in position 09.47N, 121.44E. On that day a Japanese antisubmarine attack was made slightly north and east of Cisco's expected position. In reporting the attack the Japanese state 'Found a sub tailing oil. Bombing. Ships cooperated with us. The oil continued to gush out even on tenth of October.'"
According to Navy records, no submarine that returned from patrol reported having been attacked at this time and position, giving even more indication that the attack was made on the Cisco.
More records reveal that, in fact, Japanese aircraft from the 954th Kokutai probably made the initial bombing of the Cisco and then called in the depth charge attack from the gunboat HIJMS Karatsu upon the Cisco. Ironically, the Karatsu was formerly known as the USS Luzon (PR-7) which the US Navy had used in the Yangtze Patrols since 1928. Though scuttled (to prevent capture by the Japanese) by the Navy off of Corregidor, Philippines (in position 14.23N, 120.35E) on 5 May 1942, the former Luzon was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned as the Karatsu. On 3 March 1943, Karatsu had its first tangle with an American submarine when she was damaged by the USS Narwhal (SS-167) headed for Tawi Tawi. Though the Karatsu made it out of the scrap without being sunk, the Japanese "rewarded" the Narwhal with some heavy depth charging. While the Narwhal made it through the entire war, the Karatsu met her end on 3 February 1945 when, once again, she was scuttled, this time at Manila.
Nevertheless, again, most of the websites on the loss of the Cisco state that "nothing had been seen of or heard from the Cisco since her departure from Darwin, and on 4 and 5 November 1943, Headquarters Task Force Seventy-One was unable to make radio contact with her. At the time of her loss it was considered very unlikely that a recurrence of trouble with her main hydraulic system could explain her sinking, and the only other possible clue was the fact that a Japanese plane was reported over Darwin at twenty thousand feet on the morning of her second departure. The attack listed above is thought to probably explain this loss. No enemy minefields are known to have been in her area, or en route to it."
On November 18, 1943, the Page News & Courier reported among its front page stories that the Baker family had received a telegram from the office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, stating that Walter had was officially reported as missing "in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country."
Though lost between 28 September and 10 October 1943, the memorial headstone for Petty Officer First Class Baker in Beahm's Chapel Cemetery (near his parents' final resting place) records him as missing in action as of 15 November 1943. Baker is also one of 36,282 listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines (76 men were lost at sea aboard the Cisco). Baker was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. For her brief service, the USS Cisco received one battle star.
**His name appears on the memorial in the Philippines... see here http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10136428
According to several websites, "Cisco's area was a large rectangular one in the South China Sea between Luzon and the coast of French Indo-China. In order to reach it, she was to pass through the Arafoera Sea area, the Banda Sea, Manipa Strait, Molukka Passage, the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Passage, the Sulu Sea and Mindoro Strait. On 28 September, Cisco should have been due west of Mindanao in the center of the Sulu Sea off Panay Island in position 09.47N, 121.44E. On that day a Japanese antisubmarine attack was made slightly north and east of Cisco's expected position. In reporting the attack the Japanese state 'Found a sub tailing oil. Bombing. Ships cooperated with us. The oil continued to gush out even on tenth of October.'"
According to Navy records, no submarine that returned from patrol reported having been attacked at this time and position, giving even more indication that the attack was made on the Cisco.
More records reveal that, in fact, Japanese aircraft from the 954th Kokutai probably made the initial bombing of the Cisco and then called in the depth charge attack from the gunboat HIJMS Karatsu upon the Cisco. Ironically, the Karatsu was formerly known as the USS Luzon (PR-7) which the US Navy had used in the Yangtze Patrols since 1928. Though scuttled (to prevent capture by the Japanese) by the Navy off of Corregidor, Philippines (in position 14.23N, 120.35E) on 5 May 1942, the former Luzon was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned as the Karatsu. On 3 March 1943, Karatsu had its first tangle with an American submarine when she was damaged by the USS Narwhal (SS-167) headed for Tawi Tawi. Though the Karatsu made it out of the scrap without being sunk, the Japanese "rewarded" the Narwhal with some heavy depth charging. While the Narwhal made it through the entire war, the Karatsu met her end on 3 February 1945 when, once again, she was scuttled, this time at Manila.
Nevertheless, again, most of the websites on the loss of the Cisco state that "nothing had been seen of or heard from the Cisco since her departure from Darwin, and on 4 and 5 November 1943, Headquarters Task Force Seventy-One was unable to make radio contact with her. At the time of her loss it was considered very unlikely that a recurrence of trouble with her main hydraulic system could explain her sinking, and the only other possible clue was the fact that a Japanese plane was reported over Darwin at twenty thousand feet on the morning of her second departure. The attack listed above is thought to probably explain this loss. No enemy minefields are known to have been in her area, or en route to it."
On November 18, 1943, the Page News & Courier reported among its front page stories that the Baker family had received a telegram from the office of the Chief of Naval Personnel, Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, stating that Walter had was officially reported as missing "in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country."
Though lost between 28 September and 10 October 1943, the memorial headstone for Petty Officer First Class Baker in Beahm's Chapel Cemetery (near his parents' final resting place) records him as missing in action as of 15 November 1943. Baker is also one of 36,282 listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines (76 men were lost at sea aboard the Cisco). Baker was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. For her brief service, the USS Cisco received one battle star.
**His name appears on the memorial in the Philippines... see here http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10136428
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