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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2014 7:21:13 GMT 8
I came across a “trench” near Battery Cheney. According to the old maps, the Battery Wheeler command post was overlooking the cliff between Wheeler and Cheney, actually closer to Cheney. Close to the command post towards Cheney, and right against the cliff face, is a trench about 80 feet long, with a two-foot high wall on the south (sea) side and a six-foot high wall on the land side. I cannot think of a single purpose for this trench. If it were to channel water both sides would be equally high and it would have a terminus. If it were to be used to hide men so that they could shoot towards the sea, the seaside wall would be higher. Likewise, if it were to be used to shoot inland, the inland wall would be shorter. It is not on any old maps, and I am hoping to determine what it was used for.
The closest thing I've found on Corregidor that resembles this trench is the wall behind the 200-yard mark on the target range. There the wall is much higher, and was the butt area. "Butt pullers" would raise and lower targets from behind the wall, safe from the flying ammunition. However, the butt wall is much higher and the trench much wider, and, due to its location on the top of a hill overlooking a cliff, this area would not work as a rifle range.
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Post by oozlefinch on Apr 26, 2014 14:07:31 GMT 8
I haven't been by there for 20 years plus, but could it have been the entrance to Wheeler Tunnel?
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Post by oozlefinch on May 1, 2014 10:49:01 GMT 8
Doesn't anyone else have some thoughts on this thread?
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Post by Registrar on May 1, 2014 15:45:41 GMT 8
Others have ventured private opinions in an e-mail exchange, which encouraged me to ask Steve to post his question here to see if they would repeat their comments. Apparently not. This map of the trench, features in corregidor.org/503_fox/wheeler_02.htmlThe trench runs for 110 ft adjacent to the cliff. The road to Btry. Cheney did have a fork just at in line with Wheeler Pt., with one part of the road going down in front of Cheney and thereafter into the ravine. The other fork took the track down between Btry Cheney and the cliffs. Along this road, there was a vehicle turning loop, and the track continued to service ten or eleven Machine Gun bases, these being used for training purposes. At the end of the trail were two 155mm semi-fixed emplacements. Those who have the 1936 digital map are encouraged to have a look at it. For those who haven't acquired it, buy it. Although the trench isn't marked. My SWAG was that the trench may have been involved somehow with the MG practice sessions, perhaps as an area for command personnel and communication cabling involved during that training. With a canvas roof on top, instructors using field glasses who might score those shooting at targets could observe shot falls and not be stuck all day in the sun. That's guesswork.
No, the trench was nowhere near close enough to Wheeler Tunnel to be involved with it. There's nothing to suggest it. It's too far, and there's no suggestion that there is any construction or installation the cliff. The area around the trench was in the middle of a series of radio antenna and the bunker nearby probably had something to do with that antenna installation.
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Post by oozlefinch on May 2, 2014 2:16:40 GMT 8
Sounds like a good SWAG to me.
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