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Post by steveontherock on Feb 21, 2011 10:32:44 GMT 8
On page 240 of Flanaghan’s book Rock Fortress Assault, he describes a concrete bunker with one door and one window near Battery Wheeler where 85 Japs were holed up. The only building in the area which seems to possibly fit the bill is the building that was flattened and is at the intersection going to Wheeler and Cheney. To be honest, I’m not even sure which building this is on the 1935 map, if it’s even there. Anything else in the area is not concrete and the description seems to mostly fit a lookout post like C1, which is probably not the case since it could be seen from Topside Barracks. Any ideas?
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Post by EXO on Feb 21, 2011 19:20:11 GMT 8
On the 17th Feb, the daylight ops for all the 503d was characterized by a systematic reduction of what they were referring to as bunkers, pillboxes and underground installations. The stronger ones mentioned on this date were HMG pillboxes located 200 yards east of Battery Cheney, 300 yards NE of Battery Cheney, and 500 yards north of the hospital, each of which was said to have been knocked out after heavy fire fights. A map I have (redrawn based on a plastic overlay of the 17th) shows "E" Company being north of the Hospital, due west of the most northerly of the Middleside Barracks, attacking East-North-East towards Morrison Hill. Placing "E" Co where Flanagan does, is inconsistent with "E" Company’s sector of responsibility. On the 17th, it was "D" Co who were attacking Wheeler. "E" Co was Hudson Hill’s Company and I am critical of Flanagan’s blind acceptance of Hill’s Advanced Infantry Officer’s Course paper as the basis for writing his accounts. John Moffitt has a view also, though I should allow him the opportunity to express it rather than me. My view on Flanagan's treatment of Hill's paper has been published some years back at 503prct.org/admin/caution.htm and corregidor.org/BEA503/features/lostroad.htmlYes, the account does build around a statement by ‘Hoot’ Gibson, though. Hoot was from the 462nd and could be called into any sector anywhere at any time, as required. (He died Jan 2008.) But my point is that we may be thinking entirely in the wrong area, because we can’t rely on Flanagan 100%.
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