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Post by okla on May 30, 2012 4:16:01 GMT 8
Hey Phantom...Methinks we must go to Battery Boy for a definitive answer to your query, but I am under the impression (due to something I read in years gone by) that there were no fortifications of any type located on La Monja. I may be hallucinating, but 'ole Battery can, I am confident, set us straight on this matter. Only birds were present, if memory serves, but these days there are instances where it doesn't serve as it should. Cheers.
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Post by munson on May 30, 2012 11:14:10 GMT 8
okla, you are correct. There were no fortifications on La Monja Island. However, in the early days there were plans to build a turret on it like on Ft. Drum. Of interest, there were soldiers on STA Amalia Rock (as named on the Fots2 hand drawn map). The Mine Command had some of their small boats anchored there along with the soldiers who manned them. They also had at least one AA machine gun. I need to dig through my interviews to refresh my memories.
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Post by chadhill on May 30, 2012 12:04:00 GMT 8
Hello munson, we would certainly appreciate hearing anything further you could share with us from your interviews. We are always wanting to learn new things here. I couldn't help but notice the generous information you provided to pow grandson about his grandfather in the 59th CA thread. Thanks, Chad
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Post by chadhill on Jun 10, 2012 6:38:21 GMT 8
Here is an article from the February 1952 issue of the United States Naval Institute PROCEEDINGS magazine. (Reprinted from Proceedings with permission; Copyright @ 1952 U.S. Naval Institute/www.usni.org) * * * * * * * * * * For the record, here is a link to the war diary of Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz, Philippine Navy. Locate the December 22, 1941 entry to read his account of speaking with Ensign George Cox. Cox told him he had been leading the SS Corregidor from PT-41. www.oocities.org/comralcaraz/dec1941.ppt
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Post by okla on Jun 10, 2012 9:43:35 GMT 8
Hey Chad....Very interesting story and information. I find it rather ironic that the S.S. Corregidor breathed her last under the very shadow of the fortress she was named after. If a dive is ever made on the wreck it would be great if that brass Royal Navy nameplate could be retrieved. What say you?
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Post by fots2 on Jun 10, 2012 18:46:11 GMT 8
Good stuff Chad, thanks for posting it. Hey, what do you suppose the full story about PT-41 was that night and why is it omitted from history? Your next challenge awaits.
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Post by chadhill on Jun 11, 2012 7:31:24 GMT 8
Okla, I hope the scavengers we've heard about haven't found that brass nameplate yet-
Fots, my hunch is that when Admiral Rockwell met with General Moore December 21st on Corregidor, one of the topics they discussed was this disaster. It was decided that the blame fell entirely on the ship's skipper. There was no time for an inquiry that might conceivably raise questions about a US role in the catastrophe by Colonel Bunker or any other US entity, including the USN. As innocent as Ensign Cox was in this, all recorded references to PT-41 were nonetheless dropped. Word had not filtered down to Cox the next day when he ran into Q-boat skipper Alcaraz, and told him what had happened. After that, the events of the war took center stage and this incident became a thing of the past. Just another SWAG...
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Post by sherwino on Jun 11, 2012 8:48:39 GMT 8
Attached is the plate of the later HMS Engadine. I'm wondering if the plate on SS Corregidor is the same. If it's no longer on the ship, it would be harder for us to find it. The metal scraps from the sunken ships are bound to Mariveles scrappers. It would be a surprise if it's still existing either on the ship or on somebody else's wall. Either way, I hope it still exists. It would be a treasure find to us. Attachments:
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Post by okla on Jun 11, 2012 9:17:13 GMT 8
Hey Chad....It is my impression that your, so called, SWAGs are more akin to reasonable assumptions based on logical assessment of what info is available,etc Cheers.
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Post by chadhill on Jun 11, 2012 12:35:05 GMT 8
Thanks, okie but too bad we'll probably never know for sure... Nice find, sherwino. Good question...I wonder if it's the same nameplate as the original, too. Gotta feeling it's identical or very similar.
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