|
Post by fots2 on Aug 11, 2010 13:30:01 GMT 8
Other than gasoline and grenades being dumped down the south side air shaft then being ignited, I am not aware of any actual fighting inside the Malinta Tunnel. Lots of fighting on the sides and top of the hill though. The Japs set off a huge explosion inside the tunnel that resulted in US deaths on the outside. That is worth reading about.
I am not sure why but those tunnels really fascinate me. I have more tunnel photos from last months visit that I will post soon.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Aug 11, 2010 23:31:44 GMT 8
Hey Fots....I will await those other pics with baited breath. Should be about ready for another "fix" at that time. Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Aug 12, 2010 1:17:01 GMT 8
Speaking of Malinta Tunnel Hospital mysteries, here are three more for you to consider: (1) Why does one west-side lateral have a raised floor? It almost sounds hollow when you tramp on it. There is no opening or trap door so we can have a look inside. Did Yamashita have it built??? Notice the raised floor. Only one lateral in the whole complex has this feature. (2) The Army Corp of Engineers did an excellent job of neatly lining the tunnel’s laterals and entrances with concrete. So why is the concrete lining near the North entrance broken through to the rock and have a tunnel continuing on for a few feet? The edges of the concrete hole are rough and broken, not smooth like it would be if constructed that way. Tunnel plans do not show any addition would be dug here. This large hole looks like it was broken through the concrete at some date after initial tunnel construction. Why? View coming from the North entrance. The main tunnel turns right towards the hospital. Note the roughly constructed opening where everywhere else has well made concrete. The tunnel continues a short ways into the rock. View of the opposite direction coming from the hospital. The main tunnel turns left towards the North entrance. (3) In the ventilation tunnel that connects all east-side laterals is an interesting item. Facing east into the solid rock is what appears to be the start of an east-west tunnel. After two feet or so you see a steep slope of sand and loose broken rock that prevents going any further. This is exactly what other fully collapsed tunnels looks like. This tunnel is not on any map plus there is no outside entrance in the area that we know of. Start of a tunnel which is now sealed by loose material. Tunnel to where?
|
|
|
Post by okla on Aug 12, 2010 3:55:04 GMT 8
Hey Fots....You seem determined to push me over the edge, knowing my "delicate" condition,i.e., too vivid imagination. I LOVE IT. The crude, seemingly barely started mini=tunnels don't puzzle me nearly as much as that "odd" raised floor in the one lateral shown in example numero uno. There was so much digging being done on the "rock", especially toward the end, those smaller projects were being done for Lord knows what. For example, look at what was being done on Colonel Bunker's behalf alone. Now, that raised floor? Maybe it does hide a trap door,etc, but one would have to know just where to remove the concrete,etc to expose the actual door. All those folks, in on the know, might have fallen victim to American or Filipino gunfire,etc and the secret died with them. I realize that this sounds, probably, too exotic, but that aforementioned imagination never rests, just pauses to recharge, so to speak. This is good stuff, though. Always greatly appreciated as you must know.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Aug 12, 2010 10:55:27 GMT 8
Sorry okla, I underestimated the combination of your vivid imagination mixed with the 100+ degree heat in your part of the world. Hey, perhaps that is just the recipe for creating a genius!!! You will solve all of these mysteries.
That raised floor is indeed a mystery. Nobody would do all that work for no reason. I have never read of this raised floor being in the original tunnel construction so I am curious as to why it was put there.
I just thought of something. I don’t remember seeing a raised floor at the other end of that lateral. (I will have to check that out for sure).
Those laterals were known as the 1000 bed hospital. Would that one lateral have been a long skinny “Operating Room” that required a level floor? You wouldn’t want to be operating on someone and have the blood pooling downhill. Other parts of Malinta Tunnel are sloped slightly to help with drainage. The hospital is probably sloped too.
If it was me, I would just level the operating table… ;D
OK, now the heat is getting to me too. At least you have some company while standing on the “edge”.
Have a good day.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Aug 12, 2010 23:02:16 GMT 8
Hey Fots....I betcha you are on to something as per the raised floor thing. For some reason (maybe it was an OR) they wanted a perfectly level floor. No angle/slant/etc, no way, no how. I seriously doubt that this flooring hides "Yamashita's gold" (if there ever was any), but there probably is a fairly reasonable explanation for this mysterious floor layout. Maybe this 100 plus temp here in the "Badlands" will induce some type of "vision" for me. If so, I will immediately fire up a message on the forum.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Aug 13, 2010 0:07:59 GMT 8
I ended my recent visit to the Malinta Tunnel complex in the area of the gasoline tunnels. They are called “gasoline” tunnels but I expect most of the fuel stored there was diesel. Many damaged tanks still exist however a few of them are still in good shape. There were obviously very intense fires here in 1945. Huge fuel tanks are bent like aluminum beer cans. At what temperature would you say that concrete would melt? You could consider the type of concrete, rock type, density or any other factor but the simple answer is “DAMN HOT”. Look how this concrete tunnel ceiling was dripping liquid concrete. Here you can see that liquid concrete ran down the tunnel walls before hardening again. Finally, here is an overall view of this section of melted tunnel. There is no end to interesting places on Corregidor Island.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Aug 13, 2010 6:57:13 GMT 8
Hey Fots....Your final statement is 100 percent true and I, and other Corregidor "Geeks", I am sure, are depending on you and others to keep our addictions within reasonable limitsl. Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Aug 19, 2010 0:31:21 GMT 8
Here are some miscellaneous photos of Corregidor Island. Early morning shot of Battery Wheeler Gun #2. VIP arriving on the Topside Parade Ground. Today it was the head of the Australian Air Force. The Mile Long Barracks is in the background. Cloudy days are actually great for taking photos without capturing harsh shadows. Here is a view of Battery Smith not long after a light shower. An area on Tailside where officer’s quarters were located was cleared out last year. This new sign makes no mention of the controversy as to which house was actually occupied by General MacArthur. Outside a four entrance tunnel are two rock carvings made by US or Filipino troops. The date carved is Feb 1942. Note the small “V” under the date and the large double “V” on the outside. The second carving with a “V” and “1942”. As okla says, I wonder if whoever did this work survived the war. One of my favorite places is Battery Crockett. This late afternoon photo shows Caballo Island just above Gun #2. Last month many trees were cut around the C1/G2 Command Posts. For the first time in years, the South China Sea and the coastline of Cavite are clearly visible. Graffiti on old wooden tunnel supports. Malinta Tunnel. Nearby Caballo Island. Part of the Filipino Heroes Memorial on Tailside. PLEASE HOLD THE HANDRAIL The Spanish Lighthouse rebuilt in the 1950s. Morning view of the courtyard looking down from the Spanish Lighthouse. The Sun Cruises ferry from Manila arrives at the North Dock. It must be almost full of day trippers since six busses wait to show them around. Local fisherman come ashore beside two caves that housed the Japanese Shinyo suicide boats. The "Spanish" Flagpole on Topside. (which is actually a standard US Army flag pole, not from any Spanish ship) View of Corregidor’s tail (south side). Afternoon view of the North Shore Road as you come around Malinta Point on the way to Bottomside. Bataan is towards the right. Looking east from the Topside Pacific War Memorial. The Malinta Tunnel’s western entrance is clearly visible at the base of the hill. Battery Morrison 6-inch Gun #1. Scrappers have removed a lot of the disappearing gun mount at both guns. Battery Morrison 6-inch Gun #2. One of Phantom’s friends waiting for him to return. This photo probably means nothing to most people except to those who wander around remote areas. After a long hot sweaty day, having a drink so cold that ice is still on the top of the can is ‘icing” on the cake called Corregidor.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Aug 19, 2010 1:40:21 GMT 8
Hey Fots....Wife just asked why I have not fired up the lawn mower. I replied that a fresh supply of Fots Fabulous Fotos had just arrived from the PI. The yard must wait. You would think that by now she would understand my priorities. I also viewed the pics of the gasoline tunnel again. That melted cement/concrete is amazing, isn't it? I, honestly, have never heard of concrete reaching a temperature that induced melting. You talk about a heat wave. Lordy. As for the photos of grafitti,etc on "the Rock" and in its' tunnel complex, it does induce some degree of melancholy. Every time I view any of this type pics, especially the faces of the personnel, I can't help but wonder if they made it thru the fight, POW pens, "hell ship" voyages. I always wonder, on viewing photos of troops in the late 1930s, which ones might have reenlisted and were caught in that mess, and which ones went home for discharge and lived to maybe see their grandchildren born. One last thing. That shot of the north shore road around Malinta Hill shows just what I have spoken about pertaining to the extreme difficulty those three Japanese tanks would have had in negotiating a passage to bottomside (if the battle would have lasted that long). Pix of the South shore road depict the same possible difficulty for the enemy armor. Demolishing these narrow roadways would have been relatively easy, it would appear. That old 20-20 thing won't go away. I gotta do something about this imagination. I must go mow, I hear the duty sergeant coming. She completely ignores my former lofty rank. Says it went down the toilet back in 1955 and has absolutely no clout these days. Cheers.
|
|