740.00117 P.W./1–1845
The Spanish Embassy to the Department of State 39
Ex. 150.000
Memorandum
The Spanish Embassy presents its compliments to the Department of State, and with reference to its Memorandum No. 245 of December 4, 1944,40 has the honor to transmit below a memorandum received [Page 445] from the Japanese Government through the “Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores”41 of Madrid, in which it complains further of the attack made on the Japanese hospital ship Tatibana Maru:
Memorandum—January 17, 1945.
“With reference to protest filed by Japanese Government with United States Government against unlawful attack made by United States Air Force on Japanese Hospital ship Tatibana Maru, on 6th November last off Capones Lighthouse in Philippines, Japanese Government inform United States fact established from detailed reports which have since been received from front, and in addition to their previous protest, hereby present protest to United States Government against same;—
As soon as United States planes appeared above Manila on 5th November, at 7:30, Tatibana Maru, which was then at anchor in port of Manila, sailed out to west to avoid any possible danger, and when she was sailing eastward at point sixteen (16) miles to west of port at 12:45 o’clock, two United States planes (single engined, apparently Graman [Grumman?] fighters), coming from direction of starboard side of ship, machinegunned from above stern towards portside upper-deck from altitude of about one hundred metres. As result of this attack man on watch duty at portside end of bridge was killed, and sixty odd bullets hit Red Cross marks, funnel, lifeboats, and bridge.”
- The Department made acknowledgment on January 24.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. v, p. 1164.↩
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs.↩