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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2010 14:13:00 GMT 8
I've long wondered about the change in elevation and direction of the northeast most mortar of Battery Way. Photos of it in 1945 show it in the depressed or ready to load position and with the barrel angled to just in front of the southwest most mortar. Photos as far back as 1978 show it as it sits today, barrel at full elevation and barrel angled to just in front of the southeast most mortar. Anyone know when, why, or how this came to be? I thank you.
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Post by fots2 on Jun 16, 2010 18:46:11 GMT 8
I have a 1956 photo showing that barrel elevated but I have no idea of exactly when or why that happened.
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Post by okla on Jun 16, 2010 22:12:16 GMT 8
Hey Guys....Another little "Rock Riddle" to drive me up the wall. Items such as this seem more important than the location of the car keys or my social security number. Wife will be most happy to learn that I have another Corregidor problem to fret over. Postscript....We ain't talking about the "last gun", but the one in front of it, right? ?
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Post by batteryboy on Jun 21, 2010 9:12:12 GMT 8
The mortars although not in firing condition after the war could still be elevated and traversed. The aditional scrapping and the rust and painting of the mortars after the war years put them in their present positions.
HTH
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Post by okla on Jun 22, 2010 21:57:23 GMT 8
Hey Battery....We have now established that "Wild Bill" Massello"s last operational mortar was the one located in the lower, right hand corner of the Mortar Pit, with the magazines located just to the left rear of said gun, right? This is the one that I have taken the liberty to christen the "K" gun, in honor of Sergeant "K" whose son currently resides on Corregidor. I am going strictly on the photo that the good Sergeant's son kindly furnished, but what better authority could there be. Methinks, our good buddy Fots has bought in to this view also. Cheers. Postscript....Hope that southpaw arm is holding up these days.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2010 8:08:22 GMT 8
Oklahoma, I got this from the main Corregidor site regarding the numbering of the mortars of Battery Way:
"Of the four mortars, No. 1 (bottom left) was unserviceable, but 2, 3 and 4 (counting is done from the far right of a Battery, then to each row behind the front line) were all proof fired by 20 April 1942. On May 2, Numbers 3 and 4 were put out of action by direct hits on their barrels, leaving only No. 2 serviceable. After midnight on May 6, No. 4 went into action against the Japanese landing craft in the North Channel, and between 0400 and 0600 hrs, Way, together with the three 155mm guns still in action on Corregidor, and the four 14-inch guns on Fort Drum, they dispersed the attempted Japanese landing at North Dock. Way continued to fire all through the morning despite a number of shells falling into the pit, which severely wounded Massello and gave his crews an unenviable 70% casualty rate. At 1100 hrs, Number 4's breach block, warped by the tremendous heat of continuous firing, finally froze. Number 4 was the last concrete emplacement gun to fire, and within an hour of it's demise, surrender occurred at 1200hrs."
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Post by fots2 on Jun 28, 2010 14:07:48 GMT 8
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Post by EXO on Jun 28, 2010 19:47:26 GMT 8
Fots,
The paragraph should be changed. Would you like to come up with an appropriate correction and the address of the page to be corrected, and I will see to the amendment. PM me if nec.
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Post by okla on Jun 28, 2010 23:02:41 GMT 8
Hey Guys....I have bookmarked (on my PC) the photo of Sergeant "K" standing by "his" gun in order to view it whenever I start having new questions(or misgivings??) as to which of Way's mortars was the last one firing. As his son, Steve, stated, "why go half way around the world to pose by somebody else's gun" I gotta go with the good Sergeant. This touching photograph has to be the final verdict. Gotta always believe Sergeant "K" knew of what he spoke.
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Post by fots2 on Jun 29, 2010 1:05:53 GMT 8
EXO,
I believe we have learned which mortar was the last one to stop firing but we still do not know the exact numbering scheme used at Battery Way.
If you agree with the information presented in that thread then you can rewrite the text to reflect the changes. It may not be complete but at least it won’t be misleading.
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