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Post by The Phantom on Oct 15, 2010 5:37:25 GMT 8
It is hoped by this contributor that further passages / information described here and elsewhere on this site, will not be used to violate places described, as they are of historical value to all who appreciate Corregidor, as a singular historical site in the world today, and hopefully long into the future.
Politics and self aggrandizement will always be a part of life as we know it, but lets hope all can work together, or INDIVIDUALLY to look after our common treasure, Corregidor.
I will continue with more of Col. Bunkers War soon.............
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 20, 2010 6:31:03 GMT 8
(The last date entered in Bunker's Diary excerpts should have been Weds. 29 April 1942.)
The following is not written by Bunker but by the author of his book as Bunker stopped his Diary for a time as the battle raged and while in the beginning of his captivity.
(He had, in fact, lost his diary at one point and had it returned to him while in captivity by a soldier who found it.)
The author tries to bridge what occurred on Corregidor during the missing time when Bunker was not recording the events in his diary, as follows..........
" Adjustments were also necessary to keep Bunkers artillery effective on the islands after the intense shelling and bombing of April. For during that time the real destroyer, both mental and material, had been the Japanese artillery.
The Japanese had ideal conditions for their artillery. they could see accurately over all the islands with their observation balloon, (peeping Tom), and their observation planes. In addition they could move their field pieces freely at any time. Thus they were able to keep their battery positions hidden, while the battery positions of all U.S. batteries were known.
The Japanese divided Corregidor up into zones corresponding roughly to the beach defense sectors, and assigned a specific zone to each Battery.
In this way they guaranteed full coverage of the island. In addition they plotted each Battery on Corregidor as the center of a 200-yard-square, and then they put everything they had into that square. The batteries were fired on in succession and were gradually eliminated during April."
" During April, with more than 400 pieces of Japanese artillery firing at the fortified islands, the U.S. artillery losses were heavy.
Two of Battery Rock Point's 155's , 4 of Battery Sunset's 155's, 4 of Battery James' 3 inch antiaircraft guns, and 2 of Battery Hamilton's 155's were destroyed early in the month. In fact, by April 14th, all of the 155's and 3 inch batteries on North Shore had been destroyed or were out of action.
The following week Battery Morrison's 6-inch guns were out completely, and it's crew (C/91) was moved to Battery Grubbs, which by the 18th also had to be abandoned because of damaged guns. Also on the 18th, a 240 mm Japanese shell penetrated the magazines of Battery Geary. The resultant explosion picked up one of the 10 ton mortars and threw it 100 yards in the air. The explosion was so powerful that 2 and 3 ton chunks of concrete were tossed some 300 yards away."
( How far away from Geary is Battery Ramsey? It is a straight line on the map to that huge chuck of concrete in question. Some controversy, or not? If you have been to the island, chances are you have heard the story of the huge chuck of concrete by Ramsey and been told by someone, it's from Geary's explosion. Well? Is it?)
"On the other hand all was not bleak. the roving 155's had been brought on line, and after firing 20 rounds, were shifted to new locations. Numerous antiaircraft guns were salvaged, and with parts from Crofton, they were still firing at the end of April. Battery Way's 4 12-inch mortars, which had not been used in years, were reconditioned and put into action by the 28th."
"On 29 April alone Corregidor felt the impact of over 10,000 shells. But despite this pounding , roving Battery Rose set the Japanese ship APO on fire by pumping 4 rounds into her that same day."
"On one occasion in April, 42 Filipino gunners at Battery James were sealed in and smothered in an unreinforced cave when an overhanging cliff collapsed and sealed the entrance." ( This area is now uncovered but the tunnel is not open at this time.)
"Meanwhile, the siege of Corregidor was in it's last week. Because of the intense shellfire, the critical nature of the siege of Corregidor, and the rigors of the initial period of captivity, Bunker was unable to maintain his diary during the first 3 weeks of May."
Next.........
Transition: The Siege and fall of Corregidor
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Post by fots2 on Oct 21, 2010 0:20:26 GMT 8
Good Day Mr. Phantom, You ask about the large chunk of concrete near Battery Ramsay. The distance from the center magazine of Battery Geary to the large chunk of concrete adjacent to Battery Ramsay is 640 meters (2,100 feet). (The author says 300 yards or 900 feet to the farthest chunk of concrete blown there from Geary). How would “the author” know how far chunks of concrete were thrown? Even in 1942, how would anyone standing someplace on the island know where or how far concrete thrown in ALL directions had landed. The chunk of concrete near Ramsay is not any random piece of broken concrete. One side of it has a line of ornamental trim. It obviously came here from somewhere. Is it a piece of Battery Geary or a piece of Battery Ramsay? Both were blown up. I cannot say but someone who was there at the time knows. That person was Al McGrew. What better evidence than words from a man who was only 30 yards away when the concrete hit. He was a machine gunner manning a position to front (right side) of Battery Ramsay when the magazine of Battery Geary exploded. These are his own words: “One huge piece of the Geary parapet was blown down to our Battery area! I did not see it flying through the air, but I certainly felt the impact when it struck the ground! The great block hit just beside the road about thirty yards below my gun position”. Today, this huge block of concrete is about 30 yards from where Al’s gun position was. I have a photo of it but of course I cannot find it right now. I’ll get another photo someday and post it here. The author has also made an error in his description of Battery James. He mentions Battery James' four 3 inch anti-aircraft guns. This is incorrect. The guns were “rapid-fire 3-inch (76.2mm) M1903 Coastal Defense guns on M1903 Barbette (Pedestal) Carriages, and were intended for defense against small sea craft”. Captain Ames, the CO of Battery Chicago mentions Bunker twice in his diary after the surrender. Mr. Phantom, does the text you will soon post make any mention of these events to give us another side to his story? (1) May 8th, 1942 text of conditions at the 92nd Garage area: “High rank again demonstrates lack of leadership. Japs demand ranking officers take command. These officers vacillate, dodge, and try to crawl out. Many near physical collapse from first effort of war. EM break discipline. Hard to handle. Col. Bunker puts out dope which causes collapse of discipline”. (2) May 24th, 1942 text regarding the move from Corregidor to Bilibid Prison: “March to Bilibid. Civilians along the route. Some fall out. Col. Short, former next door neighbour dies. Col. Bunker collapses”.
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 22, 2010 4:25:26 GMT 8
Will have to walk off the distance between Battery Geary and its "flying" parapet now near Battery Ramsey.
Thanks to Al McGrew for his observation. No speculation there. Good that you posted it here for all.
Maybe from looking at the piece by Ramsey we can find what part of Geary it came from......
Will try to corroborate Captain Ames' observation.
I have read that somewhere for sure, few officers wanting to take charge in 92nd. And most soldiers not paying much attention to those who were trying to organize the prisoners.
The waters off the beach becoming the latrine for example.
Good pickup on the gun errors, continue to correct as you see fit. I will record as written.
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 28, 2010 4:10:20 GMT 8
Once again the following is not entered by Col. Bunker but by the author..........
"The final siege of Corregidor took place during the first week of May. It began with a heavy artillery bombardment that continued for 6 days; it ended with the surrender of the rock and all U.S. forces in the Philippines.
The shelling continued without letup, and on the second, Battery Geary was once again blown apart, thus ending it's firing days.
This same day the mine planter Harrison was hit by repeated bombing attacks, which set her afire, and eventually she sank in the oily bay.
The submarine , the Spearfish, was the last submarine to evacuate personnel from the island. On the third under the cover of darkness, she slipped between the Cavite and Corregidor.
Most of the passengers were nurses, but there were also several staff officers, including Wainwrights G3, who had bad ulcers. Others were Col. Hoyle, the former commander of the 45th infantry on Bataan; Col. Jinks, the finance officer; Col. Hill the inspector general; and Col. Savage the air officer. In addition there were 6 Naval officers, one navy nurse, and a reserve naval officers wife. Cap. Miehler; the chief nurse on Corregidor, had been scheduled to go, but she refused to leave as long as there was a single patient in the hospital.
On May 4th the enemy greatly stepped up artillery activity. During the morning the enemy artillery on Cavite ranged in on the mine sweeper Tanager, and within a few minutes she was on the bottom of Manila Bay. Within one 5 hour period later in the day, Gen. Moore and Gen. Wainwright calculated, one 500 lb bomb, 240 mm projectile hit Corregidor every 5 seconds. This amounted to some 1,800,000 lbs of steel exploding on the island during the 5 hours.
The rapidly deteriorating situation on Corregidor prompted Gen. Marshall in Washington to ask Wainwright for an estimate of the situation. After spelling out the details of the enemy bombardment, General Wainwright said, " In my opinion the enemy is capable of making an assault on Corregidor at any time. The success or failure of such an assault will depend steadfastly on the beach defense troops. Considering the present level of morale, I estimate we have something less than an even chance to beat off the assault. I have given you a very frank estimate of the situation as I see it."
By 5 May Corregidor had suffered 1000 casualties.
Planes now swooped low over the island with all the antiaircraft batteries silenced. Bunker commenced counter battery fire with everything he had left. This barrage destroyed 3 Japanese ammunition dumps, and silenced several batteries.
At 8:00 pm the Japanese shifted their fire to the beaches all along the north shore of the island, driving many of the defenders inland.
At 9:30 some of Col. Howard's sound locators heard the well known sounds of Japanese invasion barges starting up near Limay. A few moments before 11:00 the bombardment grew to it's highest intensity along the tail and north shore. Then at 11:00 it suddenly shifted to Malinta Hill.
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 28, 2010 5:36:19 GMT 8
"At 11:10pm troops at Cavalry Point noticed the barges approaching shouted, "Here they come!"
At 11:15pm Wainwright received the word about the landings.
The enemy could be seen falling like dominoes in the barges as the heavy automatic weapons fire poured from the beach defenses. One Japanese unit on the left flank was virtually annihilated because they had landed below, " low precipitous cliffs from which 25 lb fragmentation bombs were falling".
Prior to the attack, the troops overlooking these beaches had gerry- rigged metal chutes over the cliffs so they could utilize the aerial bombs stored at Kindley Field. Only 30% of this initial wave reached the shore. Most of these came ashore at North Point.
Shortly after the initial landing, Bunker sent the 59th CA personnel manning... Cheney, Wheeler, Crockett, and Geary to Col. Howard as beach defense reserves.
Dispute heavy loses the Japanese had gotten a foothold on the north shore.
The second wave also suffered heavy casualties. The pocket of U.S. troops, commanded by Army Lt. Ray G. Lawrence, on the tail of the island spotted the second group and opened up on the enemy. Later he said he doubted if any had reached shore.
At dawn he counted 20 half sunk craft; four others, containing at least 60 dead Japanese soldiers each, drifted slowly out to sea. Hundreds of bodies clad in orange...lift jackets floated in the water, giving sharks and barracudas a feast. The initial wave had consisted of 2,000, of those 800 made it to shore. The second wave totaled 10,000, of whom over 4,000 were lost.
Meanwhile, on Water Tank Hill , the remnants of the initial Japanese landing force held all but the forward slope. One of the periodic rolling barrages employed by the Japanese between Bottomside and Water Tank Hill, nearly decimated two attacking companies of the 4th Battalion, 4th Marines. The survivors of the barrage remained in C Battery and B Battery. As the sun rose, the enemy was still there.
Certainly Bunkers prediction of another Alamo was coming true.
At 4:40 am on the 6th, the reinforcing craft were spotted by observers on Topside. Probably under Bunkers cool, calculating direction, the heavy 14 inch guns of Ft. Drum, the one remaining mortar at Battery Way, the single 155 at Battery Stockade, and roving Battery Wright all took these barges under fire.
The Batteries were so enthusiastic that Bunker had to tell Battery Way to cease fire when it's firing had shifted to the Japanese beachhead at North Point, which was in close proximity to Lt. Lawrence and his men.
For the remainder of the 6th, Bunker had Battery Way fire almost continuously at Bataan or on the landing barges. The Japanese counter battery fire was devastating, many men were killed or wounded but replaced as the battle ragged.
At mid-morning Major Massello, commanding at Way, ordered the phone ripped out so he couldn't be given the order to surrender.
At mid morning he was severely wounded with a leg wound and an arm almost severed. Casualties at Way were now at 70%. They stopped firing for a time because of their leaders wounds. When the crew tried to resume fire the mortar was frozen up. Battery Way was the last big gun to fire at the enemy on Corregidor. It stopped firing just 1 hour before the surrender.
By this time Homma's surviving reinforcements arrived at Water Tank Hill. Howard then committed his reserve 4th battalion under Maj. Joe Williams; it consisted of 4 ragged companies Q.R.S.T., each of which was truly an inter-service team,"Coast Guard,Navy, Navel reserve, Insular force, U. S. Army, Philippine Army, Philippine Scouts, and Philippine constabulary. Before 10:00 oclock they forced the enemy from the north ridge and the west end of the airstrip, into the open.
Around 10:00 am Howard called Wainwright and said the Japanese were landing more tanks.
All tank barriers had been destroyed and there were no anti tank weapons on Corregidor. Wainwright thus made the decision to surrender not wanted to see the tanks enter Malinta tunnel with all the wounded, nurses and other personnel inside.
At 10:30am, Wainwright had Beebe broadcast the surrender message to Homma. At the same time he told General Moore to give the order to destroy all weapons and to fly white flags over all positions. Upon receiving the word, Col. Howard put his head in his hands and cried. He exclaimed, " and I had to be the first Marine officer ever to surrender a regiment."
General Wainwright issued orders to Col. Bunker to personally raise the surrender flag at noon. Precisely at 12:00 noon, despite enemy shelling, Bunker and Edison marched to the island's flagpole. Both of them stood ramrod stiff and taps was blown by a bugler. They lowered and burned the colors, which had been shot down 2 other times, during the siege. Saving one small piece of it, which Bunker had until he died.
A few men refused to surrender and fought on until their deaths. Finally at 5:00 pm, Lt. Lawrence surrendered his men on the north of the island.
It wasn't until 4:00 pm that Homma sent a boat to pick up Wainwright. And it was midnight before he returned to Corregidor for the last time. At midnight Wainwright released the futility of delay and drew up the surrender document for not just Corregidor, but all U.S.forces in the Philippines.
The gallant defense of the Philippines had ended, the long years of prison were about to begin.............
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Post by The Phantom on Oct 29, 2010 6:58:46 GMT 8
Prelude to Part II
" On May 8th the Japanese started ferrying U.S. troops from Fort Hughes to the Rock. By late that afternoon the island's prisoner population had swollen to 16,000.
For 2 weeks those Americans were to remain there as Homma's hostages under deplorable conditions until all of the surrender terms were met. Wainwright was trying to do what King had done on Bataan, not surrender all his troops in the Philippines but just those of the Manila Bay forts. Only this time Homma could guarantee total surrender with his hostages. By not accepting a partial surrender of the Rock, and by continuing bombardment of the island, he could in effect legally massacre the 16,000 captives.
Through this threat of massacre, Homma forced Wainwright " to broadcast... to General Sharp on Mindanao.... appealing to him to lay down his arms."
On the 11th Sharp was the last general officer to surrender his command. However it was not until June 9 that his last subordinate units surrendered.
Initially, the prisoners had been allowed almost complete freedom of the island. But to increase the threat they were all massed in the 92nd Garage area, an area 100 yards square.
Shade did not exit except in the shadows of the 2 blasted roofless hangers, one of which was set aside for Filipino prisoners who were segregated from the Americans.
(Fots some of your inquiries.........)
The other Hanger was reserved for 500 of the U.S. officers. These officers, including Bunker, were forced to fend for themselves on the open scorching concrete. Guam blisters developed and most of the men built lean to out of canvas or roofing materials.
There was no water except for that from a single spigot provided, from which individuals spent 12 hours in line to fill a single canteen."
( Where was this spigot located? a bone of contention for many years)
There was no food available the first week except what the prisoners had brought with them. The second week they were given rice with a tin sardines.
Initially the Japanese would allow no one to swim in the bay, but when they saw it was horribly polluted they allowed swimming.
No latrine facilities exited initially in the prison area; and with the breakdown in the normal chain of command and without the resultant supervision they should have had , the area became unbearably dirty. Only 10 to 15 % of the prisoners tried to rectify the situation."
(The next information varies widely in the various books I have read.)
"The Japanese in contrast, organized burial details from the prisoners. Their job was to gather all the Japanese bodies and pile them in massive funeral pyres on Kindley Field. Each Japanese corpse had to have one hand cut off for later cremation so the ashes could be sent home to the deceased family.
The American and Filipino bodies were hastily put in shallow graves dug out of the hard ground near where each body lay. Within 2 days all the burial work was completed.
The Japanese were not as brutal on Corregidor as on Bataan. Not one nurse was molested while taking care of the 1000 patients in their care. One Captain was executed for being, "anti Japanese."
Some men escaped captivity, the crew of the QUAIL, left Ft Hughes on the 6th, in a 36 ft motor launch and sailed to Australia at a speed of 5 knots. A few others made their escape and made it to Australia but several were recaptured.
For those who failed to escape Corregidor was a deplorable place. However after 2 weeks the leadership within the POW's came to the fore and latrines were dug. Some semblance of order returned to their lives.
Bunker's keen attention to detail brings this to light in the pages to follow."
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Post by The Phantom on Nov 4, 2010 4:34:22 GMT 8
Bunker is in the 92nd Garage area prisoner of war camp when he restarts his diary.
Sunday, 17 May 1942
" Awoke at 2:00 am and intended to stand in line for water, but Mr. Green said our cans were full. At dawn went down to the beach for plunge but water was full of Filipino feces. Before breakfast Menzie sent for me in a hurry---but it was about nothing, so I returned to bakay for breakfast of rice and coffee and 2 flapjacks.
Then walked out to inspect the latrines , which are in better shape than before, managed a tiny hard movement, first in 3 days.
To bata to help supervise furnishing work details.
Last night they marched Lt. Thompson in here bound and with a pistol in his back. Offense unknown. Later they took him elsewhere. Yet today they ask us to produce him.
It is very hot and the flies are so thick we nearly breath them.
To Julian's Co at 12:30 for a cup of hot water.
Am so weak I feel giddy when walking around the camp in the sun. Am wearing the same uniform I was wearing when I came into camp, man it sure is ripe.
In evening, after chow, went in swimming as usual at sundown and found it refreshing.
One day followes the other without change. A brassy hot sky and a crushing sun, with 2 faint breezes. Heat , heat, and still more HEAT."
Monday, 18 May 1942
" Early morning swim. Washed my clothes in sea at noon. Nothing new happened. Victory Parade in Manila so they say. Of course rumors are rife.
Received 40 more convalescents from hospital for McCarthy's Co. Tonight they shot JoJo the Battery A dog and everybody wondered about the shooting. Nobody knows what has happened to Lt. Thompson A.C., some say he has been shot. A solder reported that our C1 Tunnel in not destroyed, that 12 japs are living in it.
Since the Japs are scrapping our big guns, I am going to try and get an audience with the Japanese C.O. with the view to letting the 59th to move to Topside to do this work.
Maybe I can save some of my records in C1 Tunnel.
Another swim at sundown--felt rotten and got 2 aspirin from Rutherford. Verde came around tonight, feeling fine."
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Post by The Phantom on Nov 5, 2010 4:33:07 GMT 8
(This passage was not written by Bunker but is in his book. It was entered in the book by the author before proceeding back into the diary when Bunker was in 92nd Garage. It related to a similar passage from "Captured on Corregidor" just entered.)
Transition: Captured by the Japanese.
"A few days after Bunker was captured, he was questioned by the Japanese about defenses. Angrily they took him back to his former command post that had been destroyed. They interrogated him concerning the reason for the destruction. Bunker shrugged his shoulders, smiled, and said something in Spanish. The enemy staff did not bother him again.
Again he demonstrated the same spirit that made him a 2 time All- American. On this occasion a Japanese guard at night saw Bunker's gold watch chain hanging from his pocket. The guard grabbed it. In turn Bunker seized the guards arm, cursed him and took him outside, telling him he would take him to his superiors. Naturally the guard did not understand Bunker. The guard was terrified by this imposing, powerful American. He broke free of Bunker's grip and slunk away like a punished boy, dragging his rifle behind him."
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Post by The Phantom on Nov 5, 2010 5:11:13 GMT 8
Tuesday 19 May 1942
"Flies got busy at early dawn, before sunup. Breakfast of rice and coffee. To latrine without success. To HQ and soldier gave me a big cup of hot tea. Col. Menzie collapsed on a stretcher and they took him away about 11:30 am Rigged a paulin over opening in roof office. Hawes, men kicking about digging latrines 2 nights in a row. Schneck doing good work in digging latrines. Dysentery does not seem to be increasing excessively.
Hung around HQ and then back to our shack. No rations issued for the last 2 days. Filipinos stole food so they have gone hungry for 48 hours. Usual swim in evening. Wright is sick: bloody feces and vomiting. (This our Wright?)
Our neighbors reconstructed their shack this evening. Our only surcease starts about 7:00 pm when the darkness makes the flies go to roust.
Wild rumors. Congress appropriates 20 million to repatriate us through Geneva.
Meanwhile General Moore still in tunnel. I got Pvt. Deer detailed as chauffeur, among 5, to his delight. Couldn't get Pvt. Welch on.
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