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Post by fots2 on Apr 16, 2010 14:43:14 GMT 8
The “Don Jose” was a cargo freighter in Manila Bay.
Good catch about the Lanai, we don’t know if anything remains of that. I expect it was not much anyway.
I wonder what happened to the three defeatists?
Two days ago I spent 2/3 of the day in this area again. I took more tunnel photos, some measurements and spent a lot of tunnel time just looking.
I’ll use my interior “paced off” measurements and the accurate GPS waypoints to create a reasonably accurate view of what the tunnel looks like plus the position of surrounding structures. That can be useful to us.
I have a “possibility” for you to consider. One lateral, which is actually a side tunnel off the main C1 east-west tunnel does provide visible evidence of what I will describe later.
To be continued…
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 21, 2010 4:49:09 GMT 8
That sounds intriguing Fots................
Got an idea where you are going but will hold back.
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 21, 2010 5:40:52 GMT 8
Saturday, 25 April 1942
"Awoke when the power from Wheeler ceased and our own AC came on at about 6:30. Crandell appeared, still shaken from the Crockett cannonade. I got my camera and Pvt. Derr and drove him down to Battery Geary, whence we walked to Battery Crockett and viewed the wreckage there.
No.1 gun and emplacement were completely wrecked and ruined. Elevation arm broken off and recoil cylinder punctured by 240mm shots.
Many came through openings and ruined shot hoists and even penetrated into powder room but without igniting the powder.
No 2 can probably still be used but there are no means of supplying guns with projectiles.
Took one picture but sun was to low for success. All is a scene of devastation around the battery.
Back to C1 and had breakfast, then to lanai for air raid alarm sounded but nothing happened."
(Lots of shelling back and forth described by Bunker here)
"Along after dark, the Japs lobbed a dozen near our target range and, sad to say, caught Sgt. Shumiack, our mess Sgt., injuring him but only scaring his 3 mess boys to death.
It is quite muggy in our tunnel now, so many men habitually in it. Must devise ways of running them outside.
Our barricade for our outside stove is almost complete."
(At western C1 tunnel exit?)
The baffles for our officers addition are all filled with earth and...
(baffles filled with earth?, So much earth inside tunnel today)
"Burns in moving his gun tonight to a position in front of H.D.H.Q., Farris is due to move tomorrow to a position unknown.
Japs put over a few at 10:00. They seem to resort to this harassing sort of fire about every even - numbered hour. So we had Drum put 2 into Cabcaben and 2 into No 151 area as retaliation. Sergeant Shumiack died of his injures. A great loss!
Later: "A couple of shells in the 10:00pm attack fell at the west entrance of Malinta Tunnel, where men had evidently congregated to smoke and chat before turning in for the night. Reports of the casualties vary, but it seems that at least 13 were killed outright, several more dying of their wounds later, and some 25 injured.
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 21, 2010 6:50:29 GMT 8
Above section mentions Bunker's camera in use.
He was to have taken many pictures during his time in Corregidor, prewar and during the war.
Previously one of his relatives mentions on this thread that they have many of his photo's.
Wondering out loud if any have been published anywhere?
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Post by fots2 on Apr 21, 2010 14:31:58 GMT 8
Bunker’s photos would be a unique view of war-time Corregidor. As an officer he would have access to almost anywhere and be able to photograph many things. I hope they surface someday.
I have been away for a few days. I'll get back to the photos etc recently gathered in the area. Posting will probably be in a few days.
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Post by okla on Apr 22, 2010 8:05:47 GMT 8
Hey Fots....Indeed, if Colonel Bunker's snapshots would eventually appear they would be priceless, but one has to wonder why these invaluable photographs haven't been published, turned over to some historical organization,etc by now. It would be tragic if they have just lain around till they ended up in a garage sale, garbage bin, or dumpster. I am still waiting for some Mount Everest climber to find George Mallory's camera, possibly having film taken on the summit of that peak in 1924. Fat chance of that ever happening, although they did find his frozen remains some years back, but no camera on his person.
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Post by fots2 on Apr 27, 2010 22:09:42 GMT 8
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 28, 2010 6:26:42 GMT 8
Go to fots trip reports as described above for answers to questions posed previously in this thread.......... Well done fots.
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 28, 2010 7:06:53 GMT 8
Tuesday, 28 April 1942
"Awoke at 5:30 and so up and around. After breakfast much truck traffic through Cabcaben observed and so we put Bryne to work interdicting it. He adjusted quickly and did good work starting a fire there. Then he went to west after the Arno River bridge, south of Cabcaben. "You can see timbers flying!" Gen. Moore dropped in during breakfast for a call.
While Bryne was starting the ball, I went up to my dugout and got a shave, and brought my toilet articles below. Welch cleaned out the rest of my plunder from my dugout, so that now it is well cleaned out.
Found to my disgust that a fairly new carton of Chesterfields has mildewed in my desk, so I wrapped my reserve supply in waxed paper."
( Now know where that desk was and it would still mildew if still in C1 tunnel today!)
"Enemy opened fire from Bataan at 10:50am. All clear at 11:30. Japs reopened fire on Corregidor from another battery at Gorda Point, and we sicked Monja on them---also Cheney.
At 1:10pm the Japs opened a 3 gun salvo from another battery. Cheney started firing at 1:10, short 400 yds and right about 20 degrees. the Japanese 3 gun salvo landed near Bryne's roving gun in front of H.D H.Q. Cheney fired 9 rounds into the Sisiman battery and Way gave them a good working over and very fine training.
Bryne lost one man killed and and others injured by a shell of that 3 gun salvo. At this time a heavy truck movement was seen heading south through New Cabcaben and we put Rose onto it: right 900, over 300. Hard time getting him on.
At 2:05 the Japanese observation balloon went up, portending fire from 240mm guns, which did not occur.
Everything quieted down by 3:30. Then the Japs started shelling Fort Frank from Captutatan near Maragondon and shot 60 to 70 shells at Koehler.
After the usual delay, we got Craighill shooting at 7:00 pm and also told Rose to sink the APO, the P.I.'s government revenue cutter anchored near Cabcaben. The Japs at Cabcaben ceased firing as soon as Craighill opened up on them. Rose got 4 direct hits on the APO and started a fire aboard that burned nicely until 9:30 pm, so I guess the Japs won't get any good out of her!
Of the 59 shots fired at Frank by the Japs, 13 were hits, but there was no damage or casualties. Way got off 21 shots and did well.
At about 9:30 pm I was starved. The rice diet fills you up TEMPORARILY but it doesn't stick to your ribs. So I went to the Kitchen and retrieved a piece of my Edam cheese."
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Post by The Phantom on May 6, 2010 5:01:05 GMT 8
Wednesday, 28 April 1942
"The birthday of Landon (his wife) and the Japanese emperor!
They awakened me by turning on the alternating current lights. Went to the Lanai to enjoy the freshness of the morning for awhile, then to C1.
Aussie broadcast says Corregidor has had its 250th air raid.
Inspected C1 entrance to our tunnel and found the camouflaging lacking, so told McCarthy to get busy with camouflage. At 7:25am our first air raid and at 7:30 the Japs bombed Hughes and the south harbor. At the same time the Japanese observation balloon went up in Cabcaben.
The APO is still burning and the fire has reached aft: the ship is now listing badly. At this time the Japs opened up with one gun against Corregidor. they sure are starting early. We all predicted this was the way they would celebrate the emperor's birthday and it will probably be plenty before the day is over.
Broke out my french drip coffee pot and the remnants of a can of Maxwell House and brewed a pot of it. A fine treat but not as good as if it were fresh.
At 7:51 more bombs arrived: they sounded distant, but our observers say they landed on topside, much smoke near Cheney.
By 8:04 one of our ammunition dumps was exploding and several guns were firing at Mills, mostly light caliber. Many of them started landing close to us, in our tunnel and they felt fairly heavy to.
At 8:20 Fort Hughes was being shelled from Bataan; and by 8:25 the Japs were firing 240mm at our Batteries Geary and Crockett; we ordered our stereotyped retaliation shoot but, at this time, most of our batteries were under fire, so we were slow in getting started.
Edison and I lost out on batter cakes for breakfast because the Japanese shells hit to close to our outdoor stoves, where the cakes were being made and all the cooks beat it into the tunnel; no damage however." ( Stoves outside the western entrance / exit?)
" At about 9:00 am there was a TEMPORARY lull. planes overhead at 9:15; heavy string of bombs at 9:16, CLOSE to us--- can smell dust in the tunnel though the bombs hit near Battery Monja--HEAVY!
By 9:30 our turrets had fired 20 1660# shells at various Bataan points. At 9:37 more bombs, some hitting in the water near Ft Hughes. Ft. Frank under fire from the direction of ternate, about 105 mm.
All clear 10:08.
Geary had finished 10 shots and Way had finished 12 on enemy OP's. Another raid with all clear at 11:00 am; no bombs, only planes. 2 gasoline fires at Kindley Field; smoke 3000 ft high. Things calmed down for awhile at 11:30 am.
12:30 bombers dove on Drum and bombs missed; then attacked Drum again with 4 planes, missed both times. (At spot 7 one man was killed by bombs and Lt. Erhart was wounded.) Planes also flew over Hughes and bombs or shells hit. Things again calmed down at 1;00 pm--Japanese siesta?
Looks like B-pit of Bat. Geary is permanently out; power plant blown up; many hits on mortars and emplacements; pit full of debris, etc.
A big bomb, 500lb, hit the tube of one gun at Battery Marshall about 3 ft from the turret, BUT DID NOT EXPLODE. it smashed, scattered powder all over the deck, but did not damage the gun!
General Wainwright sent word to fire like HELL or words to them effects. We used Monja as range finder to find alleged Batteries for major caliber guns It was a failure! F4 observers failed to identify!
A shell caved in the power plant at No. 8 light on Malinta Hill, and set fire to gasoline. First report; 8 or 9 killed; others injured including 60th CA men.
Heavy truck traffic reported between Niac and Maragondon, we put 1 shot from Wilson into Niac and 6 from Koehler at various points, 3:00pm.
Air raid at 3:00 pm, bombs immediately and plentiful; perhaps near B/60. At 3:19 our AA opened up and immediately many bombs fell nearby shaking us up a bit. They fell near Crockett and a fragment entered C1. A dump was exploding near Crockett trail....
Pie for dinner.
Byrne shot some more and a Japanese Battery shot at us a bit. I read a bit of Sherwood's " Petrified Forest".
At about 11:00 pm 2 Navy flying boats flew into south harbor, landing at 11:20 and leaving at midnight. They unloaded 1500 lbs of 31-second time fuses for our AA plus some medicine. They took a load of passengers but who they were we don't know. Some of us think they were aviators especially Navy aviators, and all of us hope it was Admiral Rockwell. The operation was skillfully and quietly performed. Bright full moon added hazard to the work, as did the noise of their motors.
Rest of the evening and night was quiet.
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