Dona Nati (1939)

Dona Nati

Company type	Cargo ship
Industry	Shipping
Founded	1939
Founder	De La Rama Steamship Company, Inc.
Headquarters	Iloilo City , Philippines
Products	Cargo transport

Dona Nati was among a trio of identical cargo vessels constructed in 1939 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico located in San Marco, Trieste, Italy. These ships were commissioned by the De La Rama Steamship Company, Inc. based in Iloilo City, Philippines, with the intention of operating routes between the western coast of the Philippines and North America. Prior to December 7, 1941, Dona Nati operated under routine commercial conditions but became significantly involved in Philippine events following the Japanese invasion. On December 4, 1941, she arrived at Manila as part of a convoy that included the ships President Grant, John Lykes, Cape Fairweather, and American Leader, escorted by the USS Boise (CL-47).</ref> Afterward, she successfully escaped to Australia and gained distinction as one of only three vessels to breach the Japanese blockade in efforts to deliver supplies to isolated Philippine forces.</ref> Remaining under Army jurisdiction, by April 28, 1943, Dona Nati was counted among twenty-eight ships assigned to General MacArthur's Southwest Pacific command fleet.</ref>

Pre-war

On July 29, Japanese military authorities in Shanghai, China, obstructed the loading of Japanese cargo destined for the United States aboard Dona Nati, marking Japan's initial retaliatory act following the U.S. trade freeze imposed on Japan on July 25, 1941. Subsequently, on November 17, 1941, the vessel departed from Hawaii as part of a convoy escorted by the cruiser USS Boise (CL-47), en route to Guam and the Philippines, ultimately arriving at Manila on December 4, 1941.

Wartime operations

Upon reaching Manila, Dona Nati commenced unloading cargo designated for that port. Around December 10, 1941, instructions from the owners directed the ship to also discharge goods intended for Hong Kong and Shanghai. Following Japanese landings on Luzon on December 12, the Navy commanded the vessel to depart promptly to avoid destruction. Consequently, on December 13, 1941, Dona Nati set sail for Fremantle, Australia, where remaining cargo was offloaded. By January, the ship was acquired for service by the United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA). Although the precise terms of this acquisition were initially unclear during early wartime conditions, by April the vessel was operating under a time charter with the War Shipping Administration.

USAFIA’s primary objective was to deliver aircraft and ammunition to the Philippines and, in coordination with U.S. naval forces, retain vessels long enough to unload cargo at any selected port accessible via any chosen route. Operating under this mandate and captained by Ramon Pons, Dona Nati departed Brisbane, Australia on February 18, arriving at Cebu City on March 10 with approximately 5,000 tons of rations destined for the Philippines. This mission made Dona Nati one of only three ships—the others being Coast Farmer and the Chinese vessel Anhui—to successfully breach the Japanese blockade and return. Another De La Rama vessel, Don Isidro, was sunk during a similar attempt between February 19 and 20. Collectively, these three ships delivered over 10,000 tons of rations, 4,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 8,000 rounds of 81-mm ammunition, along with various medical, signal, and engineering supplies; however, all cargo had to be transferred onto smaller fast interisland vessels—few of which completed northbound voyages successfully.

Departing Cebu City mere hours before a Japanese cruiser bombarded the harbor, Dona Nati evacuated civilian passengers escaping the Philippines—including individuals fleeing from as far away as China—and arrived in Brisbane after a twenty-two-day indirect journey on March 30.

In July 1942, records indicate that Dona Nati transported elements of the 91st Engineer Regiment to Cape York Peninsula to assist in constructing forward airfields. By March 6, 1943, she had been removed from the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) fleet roster. The ship later appeared at Guadalcanal on April 2, 1943, where it endured intense aerial assaults and claimed one enemy aircraft destroyed and another damaged before departing on April 7.

Postwar

In 1951, the vessel was sold and succeeded by a larger, faster cargo liner named Dona Nati, constructed earlier that year by Nishi Nippon in Nagasaki, Japan. This ship was transferred to Japanese ownership and underwent name changes, first to Asahisan Maru and later, in 1956, to Akakurasan Maru. In 1964, it was acquired by Wah Kwong & Co. and renamed Union Venture. Subsequently, in 1968, it changed hands again and was called Gelora under the Asia-Africa Shipping Company until it was eventually dismantled in Kaohsiung.

References cited

• Attempts to Supply The Philippines by Sea: 1942; Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson