Photos of Lingayen Landing

[victor]

I've never seen these pictures before. Thanks Nowhere Man!

[EXO]

Fots is quite correct - there was no fighting inside Malinta.

Though it is logically impossible to prove a negative, my readings and contacts with paratroopers and a few men of the 34th indicate that NO fighting took place inside Malinta or Middleside Tunnels. The men learned early that there was no longevity in pursuing the Japanese into enclosed places.

They would be held there until a demolition team or the artillery could be brought in, the intention always to close all entrances - not just to keep whoever was inside inside, but to prevent new residents from entering later when the Rock Force withdrew to their static night perimeters. They learned this lesson at a cost - for instance, Battery Wheeler was taken three times.

This gives us an idea of how the fighting was not so much about obtaining geographical control so much as about clearing the former residents by all means possible.

Shallow caves were cleared by WP, which would usually drive the occupants out into the open. There was nothing civil about the process.

[okla]

Hey EXO/Fots....Has it ever been determined exactly which tunnel/cave that last batch of Japanese defenders exited from in order to surrender (early 1946?). It is my understanding that they stayed "holed up" in a particular complex rather than "flitting" around from one location to another. Am I correct in this assumption or off base as I find myself to be a lot of the time?

[EXO]

I have the correspondence between Don Abbott and some of the New Year's Day 20 at home, so can't access it now. It is very laborious to read, because it had to go through a translator, and thus everything becomes mired down in translation difficulties. Some of the exchanges take months.

My recollection of it is that the correspondence does NOT confirm exactly or specifically where the Japanese were hiding, and that the view that they were at Monja came through another means - the activity and statements of a Japanese who was caught 'bone' hunting many years later. At that time, it was either pre-CFI or early days of the Burgos ascendancy, and the local people did not take kindly to anyone with a shovel - they were considered treasure hunters, rather than bone hunters.

Abbott's view was that they were not ALL at Monja, but that the Monja area was the center of their hidden community, a meeting place, so to speak. They had divided into groups and had found various hides. They were cautious not to be thought of as being in any single sizable group, lest something be done against all of them at a stroke.

[fots2]

Good info EXO.




The last sentence of the newspaper article intrigues me. Battery Monja tunnel is not “hundreds of feet long” and no specific reference to Monja or any battery is made. Where would this “snug nest” have been? As you know, it is nearly impossible to just wander around here looking for another tunnel. This mystery will remain.

[okla]

Thanks Guys....Another "Rock Riddle" to ponder. I just can't feature that many Japanese "holdouts" making it that long without discovery, but if no extensive search was ongoing, I suppose it was possible. Well, it WAS possible since it did happen. Thanks again.

[westernaus]

Hey fots , The press article you have posted regarding the japs hiding out in a tunnel . This is a longshot . but could the last sentence have the clue ?. ( Americans who examined the cave ).
Could it be the nips were hiding in a natural cave of some length maybe at water level ?

Thanks for your explanation and EXOs explanation re the ventillation tunnel at the back of Malinta. Sorry for being off topic I am still learning to drive , and I am working off 2 lap tops
because one lap top won't allow me to sign in .

[Nowhere Man]

One of the errors we ALL make at one time or another is to use the word "cave" when talking about Corregidor. There are NO natural caves on Corregidor, they are all man-made.

Sometimes when a computer won't let you log-in, try your log-in using the "forever" option in the time to remain connected. If it doesn't work straight off, clear the cookies, and try again.

[fots2]

Yes, that article does call it a “cave”. Even today people on Corregidor interchange the two terms (cave and tunnel). To me, a cave is natural and a tunnel in man-made. Not everyone agrees with that.

Doesn’t really matter though. I think EXO is correct, at the moment I can’t think of any caves on Corregidor.

The 20 Japs who hid out for many months probably were in the Monja area. Even today it is safely accessible only by boat. Up from the rocky beach are steep slopes and cliffs plus thick vegetation now to make getting around difficult. Finding one or more tunnels here would involve great effort and lots of luck.

The last time I was at Battery Monja I went out to the end of Wheeler Point to see Searchlight #4. I did see one tunnel in the eastern side of the ridge but it did not go in very far.

Chances are there are more tunnels. Let me know when you find them… ;D

[okla]

Hey Fots...Seeing as how you have beat every bush, crawled into probably every tunnel, crevice, ditch, gulley,etc on "the Rock", checked every pile of rubble that once was a structure, I will go with your opinion of there being no natural caves on Corregidor. Maybe I am imagining it, but sometime back didn't a poster with a bit of Geology background state on this forum that the Geological rock,etc formation of Corregidor wasn't condusive for natural cave formations? Of course, this impression I have may be the result of my over active imagination running amok once again. Cheers.