VISIT "THE ROCK" OF MANILA BAY: PAYING MY RESPECT TO OUR FALLEN HEROES IN CORREGIDOR

As we commemorate the fall of Corregidor every 6th of  May , it is just timely that this is my topic for today's blog.  I was always a great fan of  the great history of this island fortress during World War II.  "The Rock of Manila Bay" as the Americans call it, was the historic symbol of gallantry and heroism which my father always talked about all the time.  My father was a history expert on war.  He had amassed a huge collection of war books, documentary, novels and movies.  It is his passion for history that also instilled in me a deep knowledge of world conflict.  Now, I am on a journey back in time to see first hand the remnants of the glorious island of Corregidor.

It was a hazy morning that day in Manila Bay when we casted off for Corregidor.  We rode the Sun Cruises Ferry which was operated by the Philippine Navy for the Department of Tourism.  It is the only official ferry operations for Corregidor considering that the entire island is state property.  They already include a package consisting of island tour, lunch and roundtrip ferry.  They also provide overnight accomodations as well.  Although one can reach the island using other transport, the smaller type motorized banca may not be relatively safe since Manila Bay is a busy maritime route for large sea-going vessels.

As we headed out into deeper waters, one can see the apparent changes in Manila Bay where at the start floating trash seemed to be the dominant marine component while the color of the water is black.  The signs of pollution in the bay clearly shows the deteriorating condition of the bay and its surrounding provinces.  There will be a slight change in color and composition upon reaching deeper waters from black to deep blue-green and the number of trash becomes relatively fewer.  One will even be surprised to find city trash of Manila reaching Corrregidor's shores.

Finally we reached the Rock at around 8am.  A quick glimpse of the island shows thick vegetation and clear water showing that the place had undergone significant recovery and ecological succession  69 years after the war.  The place is already beautiful with its thick, green vegetation and good, paved roads unlike what my father described when they first visited the island right after the war.  The place was a desolate wasteland.  No trees were spared during the bombardment, relics of spent shells and artillery components still litter the place and all infrastructures were in very unsafe conditions for a tour.  There were no lights and sound show yet in Malinta Tunnel during that time and since there were no vegetation, touring the island under hot and humid conditions was not a pleasant experience for tourists.

This is the transport "Trambia" that the Sun Cruises Tour operator uses to tour guests in the island.  It was a nice ride because it gives a clear view of the many sites in the island.  What I don't like though is the short time for each site visit because there were just too many places to go and if tourists are not rushed by the guide, we wouldn't be able to visit all the sites before the ferry boat departs and return to Manila.

First stop was the famous Malinta Tunnel, the last bastion of freedom and home of the combined Philippine and United States Armed Forces in the Far East before we succumbed and surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army but not after delaying the enemy's time table for three months.  There was a lights and sounds show in the tunnel which gave tourists an educational tour complete with films, sounds, dioramas and effects.  It was indeed an educational experience for everyone!  This diorama depicts life of the soldiers of the Allied Forces during the Japanese Siege of Corregidor.

The next scene shows a Japanese officer demanding the unconditional surrender of Corregidor and all resistance all over the country.  With a heavy heart, General Wainright, the general designated by Gen. Douglas MacArthur  surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army to prevent unnecessary and further loss of lives.  Gen. MacArthur departed for Australia boarding a submarine and before leaving Corregidor promised to come back with a brief message now etched in the annals of history "I SHALL RETURN!"

One of the exciting part of the tunnel tour are the lateral tunnels which is only offered for overnight guests.  The lights and sound show are only confined within the main tunnel but lateral tours are done during the night where the having the thought of ghosts of the the past war haunting the place while venturing the deeper parts of the tunnel adds to the excitement of the tour.

Next stop was the "Mile-Long Barracks."  This is what was left of the USAFFE barracks after it was mercilessly bombed by the Japanese during the siege.  Only few remaining parts of the foundation are left and the interior of the building is not open for tours because of danger of collapse.  The place was called as such because the entire area covered by the buildings stretches as far as one mile.

Battery Way was commissioned in 1904 and it was completed in 1914 at a cost of $112,969. It was named in honor of 2nd Lieutenant Henry N. Way of the 4th U.S. Artillery who died in service in the Philippines in 1900. Armed with four 12-inch mortars, it was capable of lobbing a 1000-lb deck piercing shell or 700 lb high explosive shell 14,610 yards in any direction. This gun emplacement was equipped with anti-personnel firepower. It was designed to penetrate the thin deck armor of warships and against any enemy entrenched on higher grounds in Bataan. Its firing elevation was from 45 degrees minimum to 70 degrees maximum. The length of its rifled bore is 10 ft. To fire each mortar, a standard crew consisting of 14 men were needed. Three of the serviceable mortars opened fire on April 28, 1942 and on May 2, 1942. After the 12 hours of continuous firing, the remaining mortar finally froze tight on May 6, 1942. It was the last of Corregidor's "concrete artillery" to cease firing before the surrender of Bataan.

 

The ammunition bunker beside each gun emplacment is protected from bombardment by an 8-foot thick solid concrete roof.  A direct hit would not even penetrate it. There are 2 doors with steel gates before reaching the interior to prevent any projectiles from accidentally hitting ammunition.  Picture shows the impact of a projectile in one of the steel doors.

Battery Hearn is my favorite.  This major league blaster took the Americans 3 years to complete it in 1921 at a cost of $148,105. This 12-inch seacost west-ranged guns had a maximum range of 29,000 yards and was capable of firing in all directions. It was one of the last major additions to Corregidor's defense system which was intended to defend the island against enemy naval threat from the South China Sea. Battery Hearn had been in action firing towards Cavite from February 1942 and on April 8 and 9, 1942, towards Bataan. This gun emplacement was captured nearly intact by the Japanese when Corregidor fell and it was subsequently repaired by them and put back into action. It was, however, completely neutralized by American aerial bombardment in January and February of 1945.  This gun was showcased in the famous Japanese photo when victorious Japanese soldiers all shouted "Banzai" in the fall of Corregidor.

Battery Crockett - This gun emplacement was initially constructed in 1905 and was completed in 1908 at a cost of $290,049. It was one of the six "disappearing" gun batteries that formed the interlocking field of fire which totally encircled the island. Some guns have been designed to conceal or hide itself before and after firing, thus the term "disappearing."  This makes it difficult for the enemy to pinpoint its exact location.  However, this evading mechanism was only applicable in the First World War when airplanes are not widely used during that time.  The fact is, the entire defense of Corregidor was based on a World War I scenario, therefore much of these gun emplacements were immediately knocked out of action by the Japanese air force due to their sheer size and lack of concealment.

 

This "disappearing" gun was armed with two 12-inch seacost guns mounted on disappearing carriages behind a concrete parapet. Its range was 17,000 yards and was capable of 170-degree traverse with overlapping fields or a total of 220 degrees coverage for the battery. The design of this battery was very similar to Battery Cheney and Battery Wheeler. It was located centrally on the island and firing basically south across the major southern channel into Manila Bay.

Battery Grubbs - Work on this $212,397 battery started from November 1907 and it saw completion early in 1909. It was named in honor of 1st Lieutenant Hayden Y. Grubbs who belonged to the 6th U.S. Infantry and who died during the insurrection in the islands in 1899. Battery Grubbs was armed with two 10-inch guns mounted on disappearing carriages and located well inland in the west central part of Corregidor. This gun emplacement was intended to fire to the northwest. At the start of the Second World War the battery was not originally manned. It was put into active service in early April 1942 but was quickly knocked out of service and subsequently abandoned.

Next stop was the Pacific War Memorial and the Eternal Flame Monument.  This memorial was erected in honor to the Filipino and American fighting men who gave their lives to win the land, sea and air victories which restored freedom and peace to the Pacific Ocean area. 

There is also a War Museum in the front showcasing a vast collection of military hardware for both Allied and Japanese forces.

 

The Eternal Flame Monument at the back was erected to symbolize the flames of freedom that was fiercely fought for against tyranny.  One can appreciate the spiritual presence of this monument when you are greeted by the rising sun in the morning.

 This is the old lighthouse of the island built over a small chapel.  It is no longer operational today but a new lighthouse beside it (photo below) was constructed and now contains both communications and navigational equipments.