Private Ireneo Canales, Jr. U.S.

Army 1925 Killed in Action Feb 11, 1945 Aboard the USS Landing Ship Tanker #577

Ireneo Canales, Jr was born in Benavides, Texas in 1925.

His parents were Ireneo and Herminia Canales. His father owned a Grocery Store (own Proprietor) and was also a City Councilman in the 1950s. His siblings were: Aurora, Horacio, Englantina and Maria Olga. The 1930 Census shows that Ireneo, Jr was born about 1926, the 1940 Census shows about 1925. His enlistment records shows birth year 1925. Information on actual birth records could not be found.

Ireneo, Jr was a 1944 graduate of Benavides High School.

He was the Business Manager for the EL Cenizo 1944 (yearbook) Staff his senior year, he was a member of the high school band and played the drums. Ireneo was inducted into the Army a week after high school graduation. The (Ancestry.com) U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 show the following for Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr. Birth year, 1925; Race, White; citizen; County, Duval; Enlistment date, 6 Jun 1944; Enlistment State, Texas; Enlistment City, Fort Sam Houston; Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law; Education, 4 years of high school; Marital status, Single, without dependents. I could not ascertain when Pvt Canales got to New Guinea during the war, but the fighting in New Guinea was over by Dec 1944 and the Americans were amassing for the invasion of the Philippines from New Guinea. However, an entry on the World War II Honoree memorial, his sister Englantina Pena (RIP), made an entry that he trained at Fort Hood, TX for six months and then shipped to New Guinea. That would have put him in New Guinea around December 1944. 1. http://wikimapia.org/15380492/Wreck-of-USS-LST577#/photo/1096857 LANDING SHIP TANKER (LST) 577: Arriving off the shores of Leyte in November 1944 with the US Amphibious Force, the crew of LST577 got their first exposure to combat as Japanese aircraft made a concerted effort to disrupt the landings, and got more of the same when they sailed further north to land forces at Lingayen Gulf in January 1945. It withdrew from Lingayen Gulf for Hollandia, New Guinea to reload both supplies and troops.

Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr was an infantryman with the US Army's

279th Replacement Company, 21st Replacement Depot that boarded LST-577 on 9 February 1945, it also took aboard supplies and material as well as a group of US Navy personnel and put to sea once again bound for the Philippines in convoy. As her convoy proceeded through the open ocean south of the Palaus, it was sighted by the Japanese Submarine RO-50 which immediately began to stalk the Allied formation. Observing the convoy to be steaming in a single file line and flanked by Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts, the Captain of the RO-50 waited until dawn on February 11th and its foggy and rainy weather to make his attack, firing a blind four-torpedo spread into the convoys course and heading. With his sonar operator confirming the successful attack as the sound of an explosion rumbled through the sea, RO-50s crew had little time for celebration before they were pounced upon by the convoy's escorts and heavily depth charged for the next 13 hours. Aboard LST-577, the crew had been permitted to sleep later than usual as they would likely be awake for the next several days and at battle stations while the ship was in the Philippines and under near-constant threat of air and sea attack. Steaming in

the 21st position of the convoy through the foul weather, the crew aboard the ship were likely unaware of any danger to their formation until a torpedo was spotted by lookouts as it passed ahead of the ship. With barely enough time to pass the sighting back to the bridge, the crew located forward was thrown to the deck as a tremendous explosion on LST-577s Port Quarter shook through the ship. Wallowing to Starboard with the force of the impact, the heavily laden LST rolled back to an even keel as the weight of the inrushing water combined with her cargo load and began to wrench her compromised hull apart. Only seconds had

passed after the torpedo impact when LST-577s keel snapped and the ship split into two pieces, the Stern briefly floating free before it reared up and sank taking 166 Army, Navy and Crew with it to the bottom. Rescue efforts for those aboard the still-floating bow section began immediately, and within 20 minutes of the attack all of LST-577's remaining survivors were pulled off the bow by convoy escorts.
After determining that LST-577s bow and its cargo load was not worthwhile to tow to the Philippines and now posed more of a hazard to navigation than anything else, the Destroyer USS Isherwood (DD-520) sank the drifting hull section with gunfire at this location on the night on February 11th, 1945. USS LST-577 received two Battle Stars for her World War Two service. Millions of Heros served our Country Valiantly during World War II; Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr was one of those Heros that served and is among those so honored at the memorial at Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines. He was one of 16 Heros from Benavides that paid the ultimate price for their Country in World War II. His name is proudly engraved and displayed on the memorial along with his Brothers in front of the Guadalupe Ramirez American Legion Post# 405, Benavides, Duval County, Texas. Rest in Peace, Hero; Rest in Peace, Soldier! ================================================================ Information, pictures, maps, school memories associated with Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr; LST 577, etc., follows:

1. Pvt Canales, Jr boards LST-577 with 270th Repl Company 9 Feb 1945 2. LST 577s convoy proceeds to Leyte through open ocean South of the Palaus 3. LST 577 torpedoed by the Japanese Submarine RO-50 11 Feb 1945. 4. Leyte, the original destination of LST 577.

http://wikimapia.org/15380492/Wreck-of-USS-LST-577#/photo/1096857

The following picture shows the forward section of the LST 577 after a torpedo attack on February 11, 1945 broke the ship in two. The other section sank immediately with heavy loss of life. This picture was taken from the front 40mm gun stations on the LST 574.

============================================================================================

MEDALS/RIBBONS AUTHORIZED Pvt IRENEO CANALES, JR.

RIBBONS: PURPLE HEART, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN, WORLD WAR II VICTORY, WW II AMERICAN CAMPAIGN

MEDALS: PURPLE HEART, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN, WORLD WAR II VICTORY, WW II AMERICAN CAMPAIGN

U.S. WORLD WAR II ARMY ENLISTMENT RECORDS 1938-1946

Name: Birth Year: Race: Nativity State or Country: State of Residence: County or City: Enlistment Date: Enlistment State: Enlistment City: Branch: Branch Code: Grade: Grade Code: Term of Enlistment: Ireneo Canales Jr 1925 White, citizen (White) Texas

Texas Duval

6 Jun 1944 Texas Fort Sam Houston No branch assignment No branch assignment Private Private Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law Selectees (Enlisted Men) Civil Life 4 years of high school Tinsmiths, coppersmiths, and sheet metal workers Single, without dependents 80 099

Component: Source: Education: Civil Occupation: Marital status: Height: Weight:

WORLD WAR II AND KOREAN CONFLICT VETERANS INTERRED OVERSEAS Name: Inducted From: Rank: Combat Organization: Death Date: Monument: Last Known Status: U.S. Awards: Ireneo Canales Jr Texas Private Infantry 11 Feb 1945 Fort William Mckinley, Manila, the Philippines Missing Purple Heart Medal

U.S. WWII MILITARY PERSONNEL MISSING IN ACTION OR LOST AT SEA 1942-1946 Name: Date of Loss: Branch: Rank: Service Number: Status: Ireneo Jr Canales 11 Feb 1945 0 U.S. Army PVT 38678105 Missing in Action

U.S. ROSTERS OF WORLD WAR II DEAD, 1939-1945 ABOUT IRENEO CANALES, JR. Name: Gender: Race: Religion: Disposition: Ireneo Canales Jr Male White Catholic Nonrecoverable

Service Army Branch: Rank: Private Service 38678105 Number:

Ireneo Canales, Jr.

ID: 38678105 Entered the Service From: Rank: Private Service:

Texas

U.S. Army, US Infantry

Died: Sunday, February 11, 1945 Memorialized at: Manila American

Cemetery Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines

Location: Awards:

Purple Heart

PVT Ireneo Canales, Jr.

ID: 38678105 Branch of Service: U.S. Army Hometown: Duval County, TX Status: KIA

Ireneo Canales, Jr.

BRANCH OF SERVICE

U.S. Army
HOMETOWN

Benavides, TX
HONORED BY Englantina Pena, Sister ACTIVITY DURING WWII TRAINED AT FORT HOOD FOR 6 MONTHS. SHIPPED OUT TO NEW GUINEA. AFTER A SHORT TIME THERE, WAS SHIPPED TO MINDANAO. HIS LST #577 SHIP WAS HIT BY A JAPANESE SUBMARINE ON FEBRUARY 11, 1945 OFF THE COAST OF MINDANAO.

Ireneo Canales, Jr.

BRANCH OF SERVICE

U.S. Army
HOMETOWN

Benavides, TX
HONORED BY Amando Gonzalez ACTIVITY DURING WWII LOST AT SEA. MEMORIALIZED AT MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY, FORT BONIFACIO, MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. PURPLE HEART.

Landing ship tanker:

http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos/images/ww2-151.jpg

"Two Coast Guard-manned LST's open their great jaws in the surf that washes on Leyte Island beach, as soldiers strip down and build sandbag piers out to the ramps to speed up unloading operations.

http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/wwii/reports/all_m_c.htm

Service Personnel Not Recovered Following WWII

5634 U.S. Personnel with Last Name beginning with C

Person's Full Name

Service Number 2625778 37212015 367000 32794860 38678105 38027163 33947333 10302045 6167242 35487964

Service Name USN USAAF USMC USAAF USA USA USA USA USNR USA

Service Rank MOMM1 T SG PFC SGT PVT TEC5 PVT PVT S2C PFC

Date o

CANADY, EDWIN CANADY, KENNETH E CANADY, MORRIS E CANALE, LOUIS J CANALES, IRENEO CANALES, REIS CANALICHIO, JOSEPH M CANAMAN, ALFONSO M CANARD, JAMES COLLINS CANARY, WILLIE O

08/13/1944 01/22/1945 09/24/1942 04/20/1944 02/11/1945 05/25/1944 03/13/1945 03/31/1946 11/30/1942 06/24/194

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaich%C5%AB_type_submarine RO-50 Submarine Japanese

Kaich VII (Sen-Ch, Ro-35 class)[edit]

Ro-50 in 1944

Boats in class Laid down Launch Compl Results ed eted

Boat Boat No.

Builder

Fate

390

MitsuiRo-49 Tamano Shipyard

16-111942

03-081943

19-051944

Sunk by USS Hudson .

391

MitsuiRo-50 Tamano Shipyard

18-021943

27-111943

31-07- Sank USS LST-577 11-021944 1945

Decommissioned 30-11-1945. Sunk as target off Got Islands 01-041946.

http://www.skylighters.org/troopships/1945.html

1945 World War II Troop Ship Crossings

During World War II, LST 577 was asto the Asiatic
Phttp://standrewsalbany.org/wordpress/?page_id=483ahttp://standrewsalbany.org/wordpress/?page_id=483cific Theater and participated in the Leyte landin Embarkation Convoy Debarkation Arrival Source of Departure Date Vessel Units on Board Place Number Place Date Information SS Goodhue 132nd Infantry Regiment and other units of the Americal Division mostly infantry replacements of the 270th Replacement Company (21st Replacement Depot) Leyte, Philippines torpedoed off New Guinea by Japanese submarine RO 50 (Capt. Kimura) D. Cooper, whose father was aboard (more) Individual Deceased Personnel File of an officer aboard, via E. M. Rucks (more)

45-early??

Bougainville

???

45-early??

45-02-09

Hollandia, New Guinea

LST 577

???

45-02-11

COMMENTS ABOUT TROOP REPLACEMENT DEPOTS-LANDING SHIP, TANKER Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr was assigned from the USA to New Guinea to a replacement company within a Replacement Depot. The Depots acted as clearinghouses for soldiers being sent to the front lines. Soldiers fresh from the United States were matched with companies in need of their specific training skills (though often basic infantry training was all that was called for). The replacement soldiers were designated a company for the duration of their travel and then reassigned upon arrival to their new divisions. Pvt Ireneo Canales, Jr would have been assigned to an Infantry Division if hed reach the destination of Leyte. This situation made it difficult to research since Depots were not part of a Battalion, Regiment, or Division where unit movement and musters are maintained as part of that Unit. After the war replacement depots were done away with! Landing Ship, Tank. The Landing Ship, Tank (LST) was designed to carry tanks in amphibious landings (thus the name LST landing ship, tank). Navy sailors joked that the initials stood for large slow target. Though not designed as troop carriers, LSTs were pressed into service to ferry both men and supplies during the war. One month into the conflict replacements were sorely needed and the LST had to be put into service for not only the movement of materiel/supplies but also for troops.

IRENEO CANALES, JRs HIGH SCHOOL DAYS

14. Caption El Cenizo 1944: Our hide beater. 19. Caption El Cenizo 1944: you down? Is the Annual getting the both of

9. Caption El Cenizo 1944: Your hair needs combing. 10. Caption El Cenizo 1944: Dont crowd her Gante.

El Cenizo 1944

El Cenizo 1944 Autograph Page of Mrs A.N. Saenz annual

1944 El Cenizo