Recently a Manila Bay Minefield sketch was posted that showed the location of the Primary West (M’W) and Primary East (M’E) Command Posts associated with the Army electrical anti-ship mines. The East Command Post is noted on the 1936 map so was no surprise. It is labeled as the emergency back-up to the large East/West Mine Control Command Post just south of Battery James.
The new information is that the Primary West Command Post, a building whose purpose was previously unknown, has now has been identified. It is not shown on the 1936 map.
I have not posted photos of either Command Post in this thread so I thought I would do a little update to this report.
This part of the Manila Bay Minefields Sketch shows the M’W and M’E Command Posts. (The red square is the Mine Control Casemate in James Ravine).
The Primary East Command Post is a small reinforced structure just above the North Shore Road east of Battery James. It is circular in design, has rear steps coming down into it and no concrete roof. The remains of metal rods sticking out of the concrete indicate it probably had a wooden roof for weather protection. A concrete pedestal sits in the center of the floor. There is no damage to this structure.
M’E Command Post.
M’E Command Post.
M’E Command Post.
The more elaborate of the two structures is the Primary West Command Post. It is located south of Battery Hanna and high above the cliffs at the western end of the island. The field of view from this vantage point ranges from north (towards Bataan) to south (South China Sea).
This command post was a rectangular building of reinforced concrete. It had a concrete roof and observation window the length of the building. This command post was extensively damaged and is mostly collapsed today.
Below the North Shore Road, the hillside above the vertical cliffs is quite steep. There are three or four sets of concrete steps going down to M’W.
This is the front of the building just above the cliffs. The roof has collapsed inside the bottom section of the front wall. The flat concrete with the trim edge you see is the bottom of the observation window that was the length of the wall.
The south side of the building is heavily damaged also.
The observation window actually wrapped around the edges of the front wall to extend about three feet along both side walls. This photo shows the front corner of an inside wall. The horizontal part is the bottom of the observation window.
The rear wall and ceiling are undamaged.
From the rear wall, this is the view looking towards the front of the Command Post. The ceiling has collapsed down inside the front observation window. See the dark hole in the floor?
Yes, it is a tunnel going straight down.
Looking back up the same tunnel.
The tunnel turns and heads out toward the cliff face. You can see a few of the unhappy lizards I chased out of the way. The entrance is ahead.
Looking into the tunnel entrance.