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Post by batteryboy on Mar 16, 2012 7:31:59 GMT 8
During the siege of the Manila Bay forts, the Japanese placed their artillery in the Ternate areas near Barrio Sapang (Sapong) and Maragondon in the Halag areas in well defiladed areas. The 150mm and 240mm were emplaced in well built defiladed areas while the 75mm and 105mm a few 150mm howitzers were closer were moved from time to time to different locations so as to avoid being pin pointed.
By March just before the final battle of Bataan, they moved most of their heavy guns to the peninsula. By the time of the surrender, the moved it closes so they can concentrate on Corregidor. A few long range 150mm guns and a small number of 75mm - 105mm guns remained Cavite.
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Post by cbuehler on Mar 16, 2012 8:05:58 GMT 8
Salamat Pare. Well, the blast radius, pointing to the north east as it does, causes a problem here to my aging mind. The angle from Sapang or Maragondon does not match. The blast radius should point to the north west if eminating from these areas I would think. Could the Japanese heavy 240 have moved south of this area for awhile?
Conrad
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Post by cbuehler on Mar 16, 2012 8:08:36 GMT 8
One other thing! The blast radius marks are at a different angle to that of the hole. Note the lifted up ridge or lip that would indicate the trajectory closer to Ternate.
Conrad
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 16, 2012 8:44:23 GMT 8
I forgot to add: It was said two of the 240mm howitzers were moved closer in the areas between Patungan and Pico de Loro by mid March together with a couple of 150mm howitzer to lay down a more accurate fire at Frank and Drum. They were pulled back by March for the Bataan campaign.
On later years, new findings have shown that the Japanese had brought with them 320mm Spigot Mortars. They were used in Bataan during the 2nd campaign of 42 but doubt if they were used agaisnt Drum or Frank because of their limited range and ammo.
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 20, 2012 6:36:43 GMT 8
To add, here is a portion of the Japanese debriefing report on Col. Hayakawa's operation against Fort Drum and Frank: FWIW,
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Post by okla on Mar 20, 2012 10:12:09 GMT 8
Hey Battery....Correct me if I am in error, but the after action report of the good Colonel Hayakawa strikes me as a bit "too detailed". I know that the Harbor Forts, concerned in the report, must have taken a pounding, but how in Hell could he possibly know, so precisely, the exact toll his bombardments inflicted. I just gotta think that the report is "padded". It's almost like he had one of his guys "on the ground" and we know that ain't the case. Correct me if I am wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Cheers. Postscript...That is good stuff, as usual, dealing with the Artillery action,etc on Bataan. You are certainly a fountain of detailed, technical information.
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 20, 2012 10:35:57 GMT 8
Hi Okla,
The reports of Hayakawa are ofcourse his "own and his men's observations". Note that there are discrepancies if you match it with US records but they had some basis on making their report (or assumptions).
The Japanese had good visual of their targets with the aid of spotting aircraft, observation baloons and the advantage of high ground. As to the effect of their fire, the ones who can really verify it were the ones on the receiving end.
He does mentions "destroying" 8 of the "30-cm howitzers" of Frank (they are the eight 12-inch mortars of Battery Koehler) but we know that not all of them were knocked out as they were serviced back into firing action. He also mentions knocking out couple of more "30-cm howitzers" (again the 12-inch mortars of Koehler) a few days after and this is the result of the coast artillery guys putting them back into action.
But amidst the technical discrepancies, Japanese arillery fire was really effective in knocking out batteries and installations of the harbor defenses. It was their greatest weapon as it was to the USAFFE as well. Air power played its part but not as crucial as artillery during this part of the war.
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Post by wondrin on Feb 16, 2013 2:38:11 GMT 8
batteryboy, why do you know so much of these stuff? anyway they said theres a secret tunnel in fort drum... is it true?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2014 10:59:45 GMT 8
If I may....during the retaking in 1945, US B-24 Liberators were used to drop 1,000lb (and, I believe, also 2,000lb) bombs on Drum. Imagine a bomb this size hitting the top deck, it could cause that huge but shallow crater pictured above (Karl's photo)...and one hitting the lip of the fire control station and then instantly detonating above the deck surface, and you could have the asymmetric blast damage shown in the original pic in question (cbuehler's pic). Am attempting to verify the bomber unit/s in question as well as the actual bomb types used.
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