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Post by rlbj25 on Jan 31, 2015 6:03:07 GMT 8
As beirutvet said, the tall man firing the mortar in the LIFE photos most certainly is Steve's dad, Walter.
After living there for over 6 years, Steve and Marcia will be leaving Corregidor in May. They will be sorely missed. They have been extremely generous in sharing their time and knowledge with visitors (including me).
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Post by Karl Welteke on Oct 24, 2015 9:36:24 GMT 8
UPDATE VIEWS AND URLs OF BATTERY GEARY On the 17th of Sep. 2015 I investigated a project near Battery Geary and so I might as well get an up to date look of this battery. So these 7 images in the below album were shot of the battery on this date and are numbered G1 to G7. They just offer the latest view of this battery with a tragic history. s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Corregidor%20by%20subject/Batteries-Coastal%20Artillery/Battery%20Geary?sort=9&page=1In this forum I only present of those images and they are smaller here: W214 (G1) view of Battery Geary, Ft. Mills, on Corregidor Island, from the south road to and from Topside, this is a short cut way down to the battery. The battery was blown up by Japanese artillery on the 2nd of May 1942. W215 (G2) the right magazines of Battery Geary, Ft. Mills, on Corregidor Island, shot as I was walking down to the battery. This G1 to G7 group of images were shot on the 17th of Sep. 2015. On the 2nd of May 1942 some troops had to be rescued from those magazine by cutting thru those concrete walls. W216 (G3) a look back from the short cut down to Battery Geary, Ft. Mills, on Corregidor Island; I came down from that road above. W217 (G4) the right two barrels of the right gun pit of Battery Geary, Ft. Mills, on Corregidor Island. The far gun still has a life round in the barrel. W218 (G6) the left 2 guns of the left gun pit got blown into the magazines left of the left gun pit, when the battery was blown up by Japanese artillery on the 2nd of May 1942. This G1 to G7 group of images were shot on the 17th of Sep. 2015. W219 (G7) a final view of Battery Geary, Ft. Mills, on Corregidor Island, the middle magazines have completely disappeared from the explosion on the 2nd May of 1942. This G1 to G7 group of images were shot on the 17th of Sep. 2015. BATTERY GEARY URLs For your convenience Battery Geary Practice Fire: at Corregidor Forum corregidor.proboards.com/thread/247/battery-geary-practice-fireBattery Geary: forum from fots2, comprehensive, 6 pages already corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1012/battery-gearyBattery Geary-details: from Corregidor.org corregidor.org/ca/btty_geary/geary.htmAir Raid Shelter Collapse Jan. 06, 1942 Btry. Geary: forum fots2 corregidor.proboards.com/thread/993Photos of the 'missing' mortar of Battery Geary corregidor.proboards.com/thread/117/photos-missing-mortar-battery-gearyBattery Geary: Karl’s Photobucket album, very few pictures so far. s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Corregidor%20by%20subject/Batteries-Coastal%20Artillery/Battery%20Geary?sort=9&page=1Battery Geary part 1, Air Raid Shelter, Corregidor Field Note, from John Moffitt (fots2) corregidor.org/fieldnotes/htm/fots2-110711-1.htm Battery Geary part 2, Vintage Images, Corregidor Field Note, from John Moffitt (fots2) corregidor.org/fieldnotes/htm/fots2-110711-2.htmBattery Geary part 3, The Battery Today, Corregidor Field Note, from John Moffitt (fots2) corregidor.org/fieldnotes/htm/fots2-110711-3.htm
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Post by roland1369 on Oct 24, 2015 23:42:35 GMT 8
Great article. I would correct some erroneous info from page 1 The 12 inch mortars used a 75 mm sub-caliber tube which was a slightly modified 2.95 inch mountain howitzer barrel as used in the Phillipines. The 37 MM or 1 pounder subcaliber was used in the 6,10,12, and 14 inch M 1910 disappearing guns. The 12 inch M 1917 barbette guns of Batteries Smith and Hearn used an excaliber weapon of 75 MM which was mounted above the gun. This tube was a modified 75 MM m1916 field gun. One of these 75 MM subcaliber tubes is on display at the coast guard station on Corregidor. The 2 M1907 14 inch disappearing guns used a 75 MM tube M1916MIIA1 which was also a slightly modified M1916 field gun barrel. All of the projectiles fired from these were solid shot and contained no explosive or fuze. The reason for the shift to 75 MM was a constant complaint about the splashes of the 37 mm being to small to spot. One thing which I have noted is a reference to adapting the i pounder subcaliber tubes to beach defense by mounting them on .50 browning MG tripods. I find this questionable as the 1 pounder subcaliber had no breech ring or breechblock. In order to make use of them they would have had to fabricate both. The same would hold true about the 75 MM as well as a more substantial carriage.
In addition I want to thank Karl for his generous and knowledgeable help during the last CDSG tour.
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Post by batteryboy on Oct 25, 2015 8:31:07 GMT 8
Thanks Danny for the clarification on the sub caliber guns especially on the 37mm. Here is a 2.95-inch (75mm) subcaliber for the 12-inch mortars for Way just right after the war. (photo credit Karl Schmidt via Glen Williford) Cheers,
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Post by fortman on Oct 25, 2015 14:05:04 GMT 8
Gentlemen,
Thanks for the very interesting thread. In the lower right-hand corner of the photo of Battery Way there appears to be another sub-caliber gun but without the front adapter.
fortman
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Post by roland1369 on Oct 28, 2015 14:32:41 GMT 8
i failed to elaborate in the descriptiom of the subcaliber and excaliber reasons for the lack of breech rings and blocks on the tubes. The 1 pounder used in the 6 tru 14 inch disappearing guns and the 75 MM M1916MIIA1 utilized in the 14 inch M 1910Mi gun, as well as the 75 mm tube used in the 12 inch mortars utilized a cartridge case which did not use a percussion primer but one which was activated by the standard seacoast primer in the firing mechanism of the parent guns breechblock This breech block, breech plug in US Coast Artillery nomenclature, became the breech block and firing mechanism of the subcaliber weapon. The exception of ccourse was the excaliber weapon of the 12 inch M1917 barbette carriage which had its own recoil system, breech ring,breech block, and firing system. Its ammunition was percussion fired. The most likely candidates for the subcaliber weapons mounted on the 50 caliber mounts for beach defense would be the 37mm subcaliber gun M1916 mounted above the tube on an M1 subcaliber mount om the 155 MM M1918 GPF, an on an M5 subcaliber on the M 1917 field guns also used for beach defense on Corregidor. As These excaliber guns each had a recoil system, breech ring, breech block, and a relatively low muzzle velocity of 1276 fps and a low weight of 88 pounds a modified 50 caliber mount could handle it. As the standard 37 MM M1916 gun on the wheeled carriage was in use in the Philippines at the time standard HE was available in quantity. Please note that in my previous post It stated the the 75 MM subcaliber was used with the M1906 gun. The correct use was with the M1910 MI. My error, the pitfalls of relying on a 69 year ageing memory.
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Post by roland1369 on Oct 29, 2015 23:03:17 GMT 8
At the risk of continuing my boring technical briefings I noted a statement about the number of rounds which could be fired by the mortars before replacement so I thought that I would clarify and correct information on this subject. First the concept of tube life is based on trial firings and was arrived at using service rounds and max powder charges. The use of smaller charges at shorter ranges and the CI, Cast Iron, practice rounds caused considerably less wear on the tube. In annual practice firing the majority of the rounds fired consisted primarily of these practice rounds and thus the wear was less than the number of rounds indicated. While the I have no doctrinal evidence of the frequency, at certain periods the Ordinance Department would measure the actual as opposed to the theoretical wear on the tube and adjust the records of remaining tube life based on a wear chart. The measurement was conducted tru the use of a "Star Gage". The general rule was that the tube would be replaced when the number of remaining rounds on the tube dropped below the number of projectiles stored in the emplacement magazine. At this stage the gun tube would be replaced and, baring any other damage, the old tube would be sent to a ordinance depot in the US to have a new liner installed. It seems to be that a tube could be relined for at total of two more times, plus the original liner, prior to being scrapped. The projected tube life for the weapons present on the forts in Manila Bay is as Follows: 3 inch M1903 gun-2600, 6 inch M1905 gun-2600, 6 inch M1908 gun-2600, 8 inch M1888 gun-900, 10 inch gun M1895-800, 12 inch M1895 gun-350, 14 inch gun M1907-300, 14 inch gun M1909-250, 14 inch M1910-250, 12 inch mortar M1890-1500, 12 inch mortar M1908-1500, 12 inch Mortar M1912-1000, 155 MM gun M1918-3000. The Above figures were taken From Table 1, 4-210 COAST ARTILLERY WEAPONS AND MATERIEL, 1940. Due to the fact that Manila was so far from the nearest Ordinance Depot Fort Mills had spare gun tubes on site. As of 1928 the following spare tubes were stored on Corregidor: 3 inch gun M1903 1-tube; 6 inch gun M1905 -2 tubes; 10 inch gun M1895-1 tube; 12 inch gun M 1895-4 tubes; 12 inch Mortar M1890-1. I hope that this "Techie" post has not bored too may readers.
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Post by fots2 on Oct 30, 2015 6:39:04 GMT 8
Hi Roland,
That is good information, thank-you.
I have a few questions for you if you don't mind.
The 3-inch guns are all gone so not much to say there.
(1) Today there is one spare 6-inch gun tube at Battery Morrison but there are no more on the island. Would the second one have been at Battery Ramsay? If so, was it stolen or buried like Gun #2 when the battery was bombed? (2) You say there were four spare 12-inch M1895 gun tubes. Wheeler and Crockett still have their spares, the spare for Cheney is supposed to be the tube on Bottomside near the church. Where was #4 and what happened to it?
(3) Where was the spare 12-inch mortar tube and what happened to that one?
(4) Unrelated to the gun tubes, in your past research, have you ever come across any maps, photos or other details of the Malinta Navy tunnels? A paragraph or two in some books seems to be the only information about them and they often conflict.
Thanks again for your contributions here.
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