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Post by batteryboy on Dec 17, 2008 17:20:08 GMT 8
I agree wth you that if Wint was held then it would have delayed the use of Subic as a Japanese staging area for the Battle of the Points. They can still mount a landing on the Points via Lingayen but this would require the use of more than just landing barges and craft but transports and even light cruisers and destroyers. However the use of such force will alert the USAFFEE and be waiting for the Japanese.
Subic was a convenient way to launch an attack in the Points mainly because of the short distance thus they can easily achieve surprise which was the key element why the Japanese attempted this. They had no real plans of invading Bataan by sea as they know that USAFFEE artillery can wreck havoc. The only way to do so was by a small landing force and by surprise.
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Post by batteryboy on Dec 17, 2008 11:37:46 GMT 8
Phantom,
I think I have a blurry photo of Japanese guns stationed at Bo. Sapong in the Cavite area but I need to search for it.
Some of the 150mm and all of the 240mm came from the Cavite side and were brought to Bataan when the Japanese occupied it. There were emplaced in defilades so as not to be spotted by CA units. The Japanese tried to use as much as possible smokeless and flashless charges. However, some were spotted by the island's gunners and took them under fire mostly from the roving 155mm batteries and some salvos from Geary and later on Way. Battery Wheeler (gun no. 2) and the two guns of Cheney still retaliated together with Monja. Batteries Morrison and Grubbs were knocked out and so was James by Japanese gunners from Bataan. Hearn and Smith never really (on record) fired back at Bataan after the 9th of April.
Regards,
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Post by batteryboy on Dec 16, 2008 8:14:31 GMT 8
WWII in Europe often gets more attention than other theatres of that war. Here is some interesting reading focusing on the Philippines. Philip’s additions; The first Tank to Tank battle by American Armor in WWII was fought in Bataan. The tank to tank battle (during the liberation of the Philippines) was the largest ever fought in the Pacific. The above post is from Philscout at www.ww2f.com/war-pacific/25913-war-philippine-islands.htmlI would disagree with the first tank vs tank battle in Bataan. There were two tank vs tank engagements before the USAFFEE units made it to Bataan. One engagement up in Northen Luzon in Damortis on Dec. 22, 1941 when a platoon of tanks from the B/192nd was pushing to Agoo, they ran into an advancing Japanese armoured column. Platoon leader Lt. Morin's M-3 tank was hit and burned while evading an envelope trap manouver from Japanese tanks. This was the first US tank lost in WWII. Morin and his men became the first armoured personnel who became prisoners of the Japanese. The other four tanks in the engagements were hit and retreated back to Rosario. The first armoured personnel to die in a tank vs tank engagement was Pvt. Henry Decker an assistant driver in one of the tanks mentioned above. Decker, a former Chicago Policeman was decapitated when by a driect hit penetrating the ball and socket joint of the M-3's bow machinegun. The next major engagement happened on December 30, 1941 when two tank platoons of C/192nd held of a Japanese armoured advance in Baliuag, Bulacan. The M-3 tanks tangled with Japanese Type 89s and Type 95s in a street to street and house to house engagement and held back the Japanese and destroyed eight (8) enemy tanks thus allowing the full retreat of the PA 's 91st Divsision to the Calumpit sector. The tanks were also aided by a number of 75mm SPMs led by Major Babcock. FWIW,
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Post by batteryboy on Dec 15, 2008 21:41:56 GMT 8
If Fort Wint was not abandoned then it would have shared the same fate as the other harbor forts but only quicker. It was easy for the Japanese to come in from the rear and take the fort EVEN if the 155mm were not evacuated, then Wint would have been subjected to relentless Japanese attacks. The CA did the proper job of moving out of Wint and bringing those 155mms to better use in Bataan.
On a trivial note, Japanese shipping to Subic Bay came under harrasing fire form a single 8-inch gun located at Saysain Point in Bataan. In early 2000 some of us 'coasties' visited the place and went to the location of the gun emplacement but it was already buried under earth when the area was bulldozed. Originally, there were suppose to be two guns but the other placement had a problem in the mount so the other 8-inch gun made its way to Corregidor and becamse the armamament of Battery RJ-43. That 8-inch gun barrel is still present today at the North Dock.
FWIW
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Post by batteryboy on Dec 15, 2008 21:29:21 GMT 8
I have the entire Jpanese newsreel on Bataan and Corregidor that shows all of the captions you guys hae just posted. Its a full 2 21/2 hours (edited). Its in VHS format. Lots of interesting stuff incuding captured weapons in Bataan and General Homma touring both Caballo and Corregidor. Now the funny part is that I know that tape is somewhere in the "boxes" that are still stashed and havent been able to retrieve them since I moved houses.
FWIW,
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Post by batteryboy on Nov 27, 2008 8:21:18 GMT 8
Yes there is. If you are coming from Caylabne or Ternate, you can hire a banca to bring you there. However, I would suggest that you bring along someone who has been there and who knows how to get in and out. Its no cakewalk.
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Post by batteryboy on Nov 13, 2008 17:18:09 GMT 8
Hi Sealion,
Here is a background about the battery:
Battery Corckett did not fire aainst any Japanese or enemy targets during the as its field of fire was directly towards the entrance of Manila bay and thus the guns could not be traversed to hit Japanese batteries or positions in Bataan and it did not also have the range to hit Japanese batteries in Cavite due to the limited elevation of a disappearing carriage mounted barrel. It did fire experimental "chilean" fuses in order to speed up the detonation of armor (deck) piercing shells when used against land targets. This was done by removing the delay pellets in the shell so that the charge would explode upon impact.
If you are facing the battery from the rear or at the BC station facing the sea, Gun No. 1 should be at your right side and gun no. 2 at your left.
Damage to the battery was brought about during the early days of May 42 when Japanese artillery from Bataan were shelling Battery Geary (which was close by). At one point in time, 3,600 shells were hitting the Geary and Crockett area.
Some say that the barrel at the rear of Crocket belonged to another battery. So far we have accounted two gun barrels per 12-inch DC battery except for Cheney which does not have one. However, there is a 12-inch barrel at bottomside near the Church. This could have been the Cheney spare (or even the original barrel from Crockett) and the barrel at the back of Crocket may have been a spare from Cheney. I need to check on the serial numbers in my files back home to determine the exact relation of gun barrels to the battery.
I cannot comment much on the action of Battery B but recent finding have refuted some of the official reports. I will check my files when I get home. One such report was the destruction of the gun emplacements. Debriefing papers even mention that the crews alleged removed the breech blocks on the guns but most of them still have them in their barrels at the time of surrender (and even up to now). If fact, the Japanese had one of the guns of Crockett repaired back to firing condition with spares coming from diffferent batteries and with the help of the POWs.
FWIW,
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Post by batteryboy on Oct 30, 2008 7:55:50 GMT 8
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Post by batteryboy on Oct 27, 2008 11:15:42 GMT 8
Guys,
The photo of the "mortar" barrel are actually 8-inch Spanish muzzle loading guns from the old Batteria Puerticillo emplacement
The photo of the gun at topside is a Spanish 6 inch Spanish rifle.
The 12-inch mortar pictured is an M1912 Mortar at Battery Craighill at Caballo Island.
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Post by batteryboy on Oct 23, 2008 16:59:10 GMT 8
Geez,
American sources report 10 torpedo hits to her port side, 9 to her starboard side (that's 19!!!) + 17 bomb hits, and 18 near misses
Japanese sources report 11 total torpedo hits, 10 bomb hits, and 6 near misses
I suggest they call Neptune and Poseidon as well to help them locate and re-float on what's left of this ship.
Happy hunting!!!
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