Post by cbuehler on Nov 29, 2012 3:17:34 GMT 8
While Karl and Fots have been doing their own contributions on areas outside of the normal Corregidor/Bataan subject, I thought I might start off with a little "left field" material myself.
Without getting into too much detail, in late February 1945 the US Army launched its offensive against General Yokoyama's Shimbu Group which retreated to the Sierra Madre mountain range east of Manila.
Approximately in the center of this defensive range lay Mts. Mataba and Pacawagan.
The initial task of taking the Mataba area fell to General Patrick's 6th Infantry Division.
The task proved more difficult than anticipated as the assault on the mountain went well into March.
Indeed, so difficult and hazardous was the fighting that General Patrick himself was killed (mortally wounded) by a dug in Japanese machine gun emplacement on the slopes.
The terrain in the entire general area consists of open grassy slopes and ridges with precipitous draws and ravines that are densly foliated.
Ideal for in depth defences which the Japanese took full advantage of.
The first picture is looking east up to the top of the Mt. Mataba ridge.
Access to this point is via Shotgun road which winds up the mountain from the foothills below.
To the best of my investigation, just over it and down somewhat lies Woodpecker ridge, the site of the most difficult portion of the battle in this area.
The new San Mateo landfill is being constructed here and I spoke with the security guard who said that much unexploded ordnance had been discovered in the area over the years, but he seemed to feel that little remains now.
Other than the landfill, the whole area is little changed from 1945.
Without getting into too much detail, in late February 1945 the US Army launched its offensive against General Yokoyama's Shimbu Group which retreated to the Sierra Madre mountain range east of Manila.
Approximately in the center of this defensive range lay Mts. Mataba and Pacawagan.
The initial task of taking the Mataba area fell to General Patrick's 6th Infantry Division.
The task proved more difficult than anticipated as the assault on the mountain went well into March.
Indeed, so difficult and hazardous was the fighting that General Patrick himself was killed (mortally wounded) by a dug in Japanese machine gun emplacement on the slopes.
The terrain in the entire general area consists of open grassy slopes and ridges with precipitous draws and ravines that are densly foliated.
Ideal for in depth defences which the Japanese took full advantage of.
The first picture is looking east up to the top of the Mt. Mataba ridge.
Access to this point is via Shotgun road which winds up the mountain from the foothills below.
To the best of my investigation, just over it and down somewhat lies Woodpecker ridge, the site of the most difficult portion of the battle in this area.
The new San Mateo landfill is being constructed here and I spoke with the security guard who said that much unexploded ordnance had been discovered in the area over the years, but he seemed to feel that little remains now.
Other than the landfill, the whole area is little changed from 1945.