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Post by batteryboy on Mar 8, 2012 21:03:30 GMT 8
Can anyone confirm identity?  Suspect is infantry tunnel at James Ravine or even at Battery Point. I am leaning towards the former but I can be wrong. B-boy |
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Post by okla on Mar 8, 2012 22:22:09 GMT 8
Hey Battery....I can't, of course, identify which tunnel is depicted in this photo, but I certainly identify those six legged, fold up cots the gunners are perched upon. Exactly like the one I was issued for use during my tour in frozen Chosen. The only difference was my cot only had five legs. When pointed out to the Supply Sergeant, he suggested that I jack it up with some foreign object. This I did, using a cement block for 12 months and did just fine by it. Cheers.
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Post by dmether on Mar 11, 2012 17:10:21 GMT 8
Okla:
You were in the Frozen Chosen? I spent 45 days in the workers paradise in 2005 when I was with JPAC. Not a fun place.
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Post by fots2 on Mar 13, 2012 0:36:58 GMT 8
Hi batteryboy, I was away for a few days so I can finally give you a few observations when I compare your photo to my photos of the 1918 James Ravine Infantry Tunnel.  Your tunnel photo. Your photo was taken looking at the rear of the tunnel. The upward slope is even noticeable. As you walk in the opposite direction from the rear towards the entrance, you can feel the downward slope of the floor which I assume was to assist in drainage.  At the rear of the tunnel, you can see two vertical lines at the middle third of the end wall. From my photos, I can see that this is where the large airshaft from the surface enters the tunnel. At the rear of the airshaft is a metal ladder. This one is a bit unusual for Corregidor in that not every step is anchored in the concrete. This is like a ladder that is anchored to the wall between every four or five steps. My photos show these anchor points where metal is now cut off.   I can see a row of holes for lights down the centre of the ceiling as seen in your photo. Notice the strip of dark paint along both sides at the base of the walls. Traces of them are in my photos also. The chains are suspended from loops in the ceiling. I see the same loops. Chains are hung in pairs and the three horizontal rows of hooks are placed in pairs below them. By zooming your photo closely, I can see the chains and hooks are in the same pattern as what we see in my photos. I would say that chances are quite good that we are looking at one of the two bombproof Infantry tunnels. If the Battery Point Infantry Tunnel was a twin of the James Ravine Infantry Tunnel as people tell me, then I cannot say which tunnel we are looking at. This is an interesting photo, thanks for posting it. |
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Post by okla on Mar 13, 2012 1:14:32 GMT 8
Hey Fots...Great detective work. You thrive at this kind of stuff in addition to your obvious talent with your little pocket camera.  Cheers. |
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 13, 2012 7:21:00 GMT 8
Hey Fots,
I would go the Infantry tunnel at James based on your assesment. I havent been able to find any photo evidence of the Infantry tunnel at Battery Point and can't ascertain if it was a "twin" in construction. Plus your photos show the remains of the mounting chains. I was there more than 8 years ago and did not have a digi cam so my photo could not show the ceilings. Thanks for posting your photos, I can see the similarity to the 1941 photo.
So far excerpts from the HD reports and Wainwright papers list three (3) infantry tunnels at 1) at James Ravine, 2) At "Breakwater point (sic) -- most likely an error as this was at Battery Point and 3) Malinta.
Thanks,
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Post by fots2 on Mar 13, 2012 8:50:38 GMT 8
Hi batteryboy, You are welcome. I have no definite information as to the infantry tunnels being constructed the same. It is just something I have heard and might not be a fact. One little piece of evidence that may support this idea though is that the 1936 map shows both tunnels looking nearly identical. For more photos of this tunnel, have a look here: corregidor.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=threads&action=display&thread=607 |
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Post by darthdract on Mar 14, 2012 2:13:46 GMT 8
I have a question about the Chains hanging in the Ceiling did become rigid already because of Time and the Rust? or is still Slinky and can sway like a normal chain does?
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Post by okla on Mar 14, 2012 3:09:27 GMT 8
Hey Darth...Whatever,...what amazes me is that the scrappers didn't devise some method to pull them down to add to their loot. Seems thatthey overlooked very little and most objects were not beyond their reach if not too heavy to tote off to the scrap dealers. Cheers.
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Post by fots2 on Mar 14, 2012 8:42:59 GMT 8
Hi Darth,
The chains are rusty today but they are not rigid at all.
Okla has a good point regarding them still being there. I can only suggest that in past years, there was no access to this tunnel that would allow scrappers to grab such easy targets. The entrance to this tunnel had to be dug out due to what looks like a landslide. Even today you have to slide in a narrow opening that could potentially close up again.
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Cheers.
