-3-   crowd us into the limited space allowed us. We were so jammed that there was not enough room for everyone to sit down much less lie down. No air could get into the hold except through the small entrance hatch so the air rapidly became foul and hot. A meal of rice and fish sauce was lowered to us in buckets but no water was supplied. Due to the crowded condition in the hold men in the rearmost part of my hold received no supper as it was impossible to get a man forward to get the food buckets due to the crowded conditions. Similarly it was impossible to get near the latrine buckets which were in the forward part of the hold, which did not help sanitary matters any. The oxygen in the air was rapidly being exhausted and men were going off their head in large numbers. We tried to circulate air by fanning mess kit covers in unison which seemed to be of some help. Men began to die of suffocation and the insane were knifing anyone available to suck the blood of the victim to satisfy their thirst. By daylight there were several score dead either from suffocation or by murder. It was the most horrible experience imaginable and practically unbelievable to the civilized person. Thursday December 14, 1944 Early in the morning we were spotted by a carrier based scouting plane. As we were off the Zambales coast we were bombed and strafed all day long undergoing 17 attacks in 5 different raids. At the first attack many of the prisoners tried to climb the ladder to get above decks which caused the Japanese guard to empty his rifle in the hold wounding several of the prisoners. The screams of the women and children on the upper decks added to the confusion. An attempt was made to unload the women and children after the first attack. One of the life boats tipped in the process, spilling all the occupants in the water. The upper decks were covered with dead and wounded. The ship put about and returned to Subic Bay and proceeded to unload the Japanese during the night. All prisoners were left aboard however and the night of the 14th was a repetition of the night of the 13th in all its horror. Stennis, Neiger and Koster were among those who died of suffocation. MacNair was one of the insane that had to be killed by the prisoners themselves in self defense. We were told that we were to be unloaded in the morning and to be prepared to go ashore with what we could carry on our persons. It was a crime not to unload the prisoners that night.  Friday, December 15, 1944 Between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. before we were unloaded from the ship we were raided again with three passing attacks. This resulted in several bomb hits, one of which killed scores in my hold. I was wounded in the head and was left for dead when the evacuation of the prisoners began about 9:15 a.m. Some time later in the morning I regained consciousness when a gust of wind cleared some of the smoke from the hold. After pushing my way out of a pile of bodies and debris I found a bomb hold in the side of the ship and dropped into the water making my way to shore with the aid of a piece of hatch cover. Upon gaining the shore I was immediately seized by several Japanese soldiers and sent to join a large group of prisoners in the vicinity of the tennis court at Olongapo. There my head wounds were dressed by Captain Don Hanes and Major Glassburn who happened to have some sulfanilamide powder and a first aid kit. This was all the medical treatment I ever received for this wound; none was ever given by the Japanese. The ship was subjected to two more raids at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. during the afternoon setting the holds at the stern and amidships afire. We were not fed.  Saturday December 16, 1944 We were all assembled in the tennis court at Olongapo; about 1340 survivors of the 1626 that left Manila on the 13th leaving 286 unaccounted for. Conditions at the tennis court were so crowded there was not room for everyone to lie down, the majority were naked except for a single items such as a G-string, or a pair of drawers or some such garment. The sun was torrid and no shade available. Everyone had sore eyes due to manure in the holds and bomb dust.  There were many cases of blisters and sunburn in additional to the wounded; also many were covered with oil as a result of the swim to shore. Again we passed another day without being fed. U.S. carrier based planes bombed and strafed Olongapo and the 'Oryoku Maru'. A few prisoners were wounded slightly by stray fragments. Ineman died this date.  Ineman died this date??? Can’t find Ineman on manifest.  Sunday, December 17, 1944 The previous night was cold and rainy. Lacking adequate clothing and cover we all were extremely miserable and sleep was impossible for most. With the coming of the daylight the sun was terrific. The men were crying for food and an adequate supply of water. We were given 1 sack of uncooked rice amounting to 2 1/2 spoons of dry rice per man and also a little water. This was the first food issued since the 14th despite the fact that we were at Olongapo where plenty of food was actually available in the vicinity. The wounded had to be dressed using pieces of old stove pipe and rags for splints and dressing. Wounds were becoming gangrenous. Three men died.