USAT Don Esteban  Don Esteban, delivered in 1936, was the first and smaller of two Krupp built motor ships of the De La Rama Steamship Company, Iloilo, Philippines in inter-island service. The ship was under a bareboat charter by the United States Army as a transport on 30 October 1941 for use in pre positioning U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) fuel and munitions in the southern Philippines, Netherlands East Indies, Singapore and Australia. After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines she evacuated personnel from the Army headquarters, including General MacArthur, from Manila to Corregidor on Christmas Eve, 1941. The ship was lost off Mindoro on 2 March 1942 while continuing its supply missions. "Don Esteban" was constructed 1936 at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft A. G., Kiel, Germany for the inter-island passenger service of the De La Rama Steamship Company in Philippine waters. She was a diesel motor ship with two eight cylinder diesel engines driving two screws for a speed of sixteen knots. Along with the newer and larger "Don Isidro" the ship was noted as being among the more luxurious serving inter-island passengers. On 25 October 1941, with delivery for service 30 October 1941, the ship was bareboat chartered by the U.S. Army for its local Philippine fleet in support of a plan to establish pre-deployed fuel and munitions for use of a force of B-17 bombers being sent to reinforce the Philippines in the event of war with Japan. Dumps were planned for two mission's worth of fuel and bombs at Singapore and Darwin, Australia and one mission's supply at Rabaul and Port Moresby, both Australian controlled territories, with a depot at Rockhampton, Australia. The ship, with a capacity less than anticipated, only made initial deliveries to Rabaul and Port Moresby. The ship was returning to Manila, after orders to break from the mission due to the worsening situation in the Pacific, when news of the Pearl Harbor attack arrived. If already north of the Equator the ship was directed to continue to Manila, if still south of that line the ship was directed to return to Darwin. The ship was north and returned to Manila 9 December. By 11 December the Japanese invasion was developing with commercial ships evacuating Manila Bay. By 14 December most of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet had withdrawn and all heavy bombers of the USAAC had withdrawn to Mindanao and on the 17th to Darwin.