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Post by batteryboy on Mar 19, 2018 6:44:26 GMT 8
I am currently doing a short presentation and a section covers the bombing of Manila in 1941 and the area where the Japanese bombs fell. (approximately). While Manila was not as destroyed like the 45 liberation, there were stories and reports that the Japanese indiscriminately bomb Manila at will in 41. Got to find out that some of the destruction that was attributed to the Japanese were actually caused by the USAFFE as they were withdrawing the capital for their retreat to Bataan. More later....
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Post by batteryboy on Jan 23, 2017 12:55:15 GMT 8
I think G/59th would have been at Fort Hughes during wartime.
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Post by batteryboy on Jan 23, 2017 12:52:32 GMT 8
Wow! Havent heard about it but thanks for bringing it up. Will see if I can snoop around for more info.
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Post by batteryboy on Sept 28, 2016 20:13:11 GMT 8
Fortman, Battery RJ-43 was mounted in a barbette carriage modified for railway use. It was bolted in a concrete emplacement in the vicinity of road junction no. 43 (hence the name RJ-43). It list the range up to 24,000 yards because its carriage allowed the gun to elevate further thus giving it a longer range. The 8-inch gun was part of the In Land Sea defense project. Seven were sent to the Philippines but only two were mounted. The original emplacement was at Saysain Point in Bagac Bataan. Two guns made there way there but there was a problem with one of the emplacements. One gun was mounted while the other one was sent to Fort Mills and became RJ-43. Here is an article I wrote about the 8-inch gun at Saysain point and it also mentioned Battery RJ-43. shellwings.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/the-big-one-at-bataan/ Cheers, B-boy
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Post by batteryboy on Sept 28, 2016 20:05:10 GMT 8
Reason why Fort Mills (Corregidor) could not upgrade their weapons to anything larger than 12-inch was because of the Washington Naval treaty of 1922 that prevented even overseas re-armament or improvement of existing defense installations. Fort Hughes (Caballo), Fort Frank (Carabao) and Fort Drum (El Fraile) main armaments were built with 14-inch guns on the on-set and way before the Naval Treaty.
There is a plan to convert La Monja Island into an ala Fort Drum set up but this time armed with two (2) 16 inch guns on a single turret. The plan was devised and a layout was out in 1919 but its execution was also shelved due to the treaty.
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Post by batteryboy on Aug 17, 2016 14:50:17 GMT 8
A number of US M3 light tanks were left abandoned when the Bamban bridge in Tarlac was prematurely blown up during the retreat as they could not cross. A number of them were captured by the Japanese and incorporated to the IJA 7th Tank Regiment and used in Bataan.
Wainwright's decision when he heard that Japanese tanks were in the island was a judgment call based on overall situation. It was a major factor for him.
The local field commanders should have been more creative in dealing with the tanks.
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Post by batteryboy on Aug 15, 2016 10:34:47 GMT 8
Conrad, the two M3 tanks even had to haul up the late Type 97 Chi Ha that was stuck. so if that happened, the tanks were not really a factor at all. And if every they were, the defenders could stop them with the weapons that they have.
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Post by batteryboy on Aug 14, 2016 12:15:22 GMT 8
But Rabaul and Truk although not invaded, were bombed repeatedly so as to lessen their capability to support the outpost garrisons and hamper Japanese shipping operations, maintenance and re-supply. It would be costly to invade both as joeconner53 has pointed out. The Japanese have built both them a "fortresses" that can really withstand a long siege but still the US paid attention to it.
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Post by batteryboy on Aug 14, 2016 7:43:28 GMT 8
The Japanese needed to secure the Philippines as it was vital to their operations to the other fronts. So if Homma could not do the job, he could be replaced by another commander in case he still failed.
As an additional trivia: the Japanese Army Air Force Heavy bomber, the Mitsubishi Ki-20, an adaptation Junkers G. 38 civilian transport (K.51 military version) was intended to be used by Japanese to bomb the Harbor Defenses of Manila Bay and for deep penetration flights to Siberia. This right after 1936, a few years even before the outbreak of war.
I will not dwell much on the Japanese spy efforts before but will share to this group of Japanese recon flights over the Philippines. Not much has been written about it but the Japanese made intensive recce flights over military and "special" targets over the Philippines. Now I wonder why the US Army Air Force (USAAC prior to renaming) where not able to detect these intrusion flights but this is the reason why the Japanese knew what to hit. Even when the air force in the P.I. was reinforced, the Japanese Army and Navy air forcer recce units continued to hold observation flights even up to the day before the attacks on Clark and Iba. One flight consisted of an unmarked Mitsubishi IJN C5M (Ki-15 "Babs" equivalent to the IJA) with the crews carrying cyanide pills or capsules with the intention to take their lives in case they would be intercepted and crash in Philippine soil.
In the book December 8, MacArthur's Pearl Harbor, Mac mentions that the location and distance of the Philippines is one of its "best defense". He was proven wrong on that day. You can sum it up that he (and his command staff) underestimated the Japanese to launch a capable offensive in both air and ground.
As for Malinta tunnel, it was constructed under the "DISGUISE" of a road work project to connect the tail of the island. Why?, because any military build-up or additional fortification was prohibited by the Washington Treaty of 1922. That was how to circumnavigate the treaty but the real purpose was military in nature and they built the laterals to house a command center, medical facilities and storage for materiel.
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Post by batteryboy on Aug 13, 2016 21:13:26 GMT 8
Another factor to consider was that Homma was also under pressure from his own superiors. He was given 60 days to conquer the Philippines which did not happen. Now they really wanted to secure Manila Bay because it was also vital to their operations to the southern Philippines as it was hard to support the southern front if your supply train would come all the way from Lingayen. The Japanese had luck on their side as when Wainwright surrendered he did not only surrender the fortified island but also the entire Philippines as well. That saved the Japanese from launching major offensives in the southern parts and shortened their time period. Homma could not afford any delays so Manila Bay had to be taken at the soonest.
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