▁United ▁States ▁Arm ies ▁under ▁one ▁command . ▁ ▁In ▁getting ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁Army ▁ready ▁for ▁war , ▁Mac Ar thur ▁faced ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁task . ▁On ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁Mac Ar thur ▁lo bb ied ▁the ▁Navy ▁Department ▁for ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁P T ▁boats — small , ▁fast ▁boats ▁armed ▁with ▁tor ped o es — for ▁which ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁ge ography ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁with ▁its ▁shall ow ▁waters ▁and ▁many ▁cov es , ▁was ▁ide ally ▁su ited . ▁The ▁nas cent ▁Philipp ine ▁Navy ▁acquired ▁three , ▁known ▁as ▁" Q " ▁boats , ▁after ▁President ▁Manuel ▁L . ▁Que zon . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁created ▁Motor ▁Tor ped o ▁Bo at ▁Squadron ▁Three , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Lieutenant ▁( j un ior ▁grade ) ▁John ▁D . ▁Bul keley . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁half - str ength ▁squad ron , ▁with ▁only ▁six ▁P T ▁boats ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁normal ▁twelve , ▁number ed ▁ 3 1 ▁to ▁ 3 5 ▁and ▁ 4 1 . ▁It ▁arrived ▁at ▁Man ila ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁understood ▁that ▁a ▁fleet ▁consisting ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁P T ▁boats ▁would ▁be ▁required ▁for ▁a ▁successful ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁ ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁U . S . ▁naval ▁and ▁military