GUN PIT A BATTERY KOEHLER, EX FORT FRANK ON CARABAO ISLAND.
This is the 2nd segment and shows Gun Pit A with 35 images in this same album as indicated in the beginning segment about Battery Koehler. These 35 new images follow the first 43 images, so you got click on later pages in this album.
Here are seventeen sample images:
X239-- This picture is the Gun Pit A of Battery Koehler, ex Fort Frank on Carabao Island in 1945. It came from Tony Feredo. This is the first of 35 pictures about Gun Pit A. I like this picture because it shows the real war, how would you have liked serving at this battery. If you look closer at this picture you can see that the left mortar got blown out of its well. You can see the gun pit control above was damaged and that allowed fireball and me to exit this battery to explore above. In the following picture you can see more damage from some terrific impact.
X240-- This is drawing of the Gun Pit A of Battery Koehler, ex Fort Frank on Carabao Island. It is marked up with the different spaces around the gun pit. Maybe my lines are a little too fine, look close. If you want to understand the following 33 pictures one got to refer back to this drawing!
X241-- When you enter Battery Koehler and come up the ramp this is what you see. Left is the rear wall of the battery with many spaces. That will be presented in a later segment. Right is an open space, then comes Gun Pit A shell magazine No.1.
X242-- This is the entrance to magazine No. 1, powder magazine No.1 and the north side of Battery Koehler Gun Pit A.
X243-- Looking back, where we entered, in the area of shell magazine No. 1, powder magazine No.1 and the north side of Battery Koehler Gun Pit A. In back is what I call the rear wall of the battery with spaces for the loading-carts, gasoline etc.
X244-- Entering the powder magazine No.1, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, and moving to the west side of the gun pit.
X245-- This is the NW corner of powder magazine No.1, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A. At right is where fots2 just entered in the last picture (in my album). Behind that wall is shell magazine No.1 Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, ex Fort Frank on Carabao Island.
X246-- This is the west side of Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, we are looking at the south end of powder magazine No.1. It has a door that connects to powder magazine No.2. On the wall at right is the Number 5, indicating -Zone 5- of powder charges.
X247-- Leaving powder magazine No.1, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A and entering powder magazine No.2. I wonder who made those chalk marks, a cleaning crew after the war?
(in my album) Looking into powder magazine No.2, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, at right one can make out the powder zone number 4 and 3. Bats showed up in that picture and they are everywhere. They can collide with your face, knock out your lights, so one got to be aware.
X248-- We are at the SW corner of Battery Koehler Gun Pit A and powder magazine No.2. Someone has done some serious digging here.
It is amazing but people dug a hole thru this very thick concrete wall and I am sure they done by hand, hammer and chisel. Don’t know what for but I know many people here believe in buried Japanese treasures.
Look at all that dirt, right and left of this dig, it was a lot of digging. And the dig seems to be collapsed or filled in. Remember they poured the concrete in the open and then filled in dirt, all around and on top, so the dirt was maybe easy to dig.
X249-- Looking back at the north end of powder magazine No. 2, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A. That is the door to powder magazine No. 1, we are of the west side of the gun pit. Note the powder zone markings for different charges to be called for when loading the mortars.
X250-- Behind the wall left is shell magazine No.2 Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, ex Fort Frank on Carabao Island. It seems the powder zone markings went up to No.10.
X251-- We are leaving powder magazine No. 2, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, ex Fort Frank on Carabao Island.
My two buddies are coming out of powder magazine No. 2, Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, left is the shell magazine No.2.
X252-- The smaller entrance into Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, I assume it was to pass the powder thru. We are on the south side of the gun pit, in the area of shell magazine No.2.
X253-- The larger entrance into Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, I assume it was to pass the shells thru. We are on the south side of the gun pit, in the area of shell magazine No.2. Notice the position of the overhead chain hoist track to move the shells.
X254-- Looking towards, what I call the rear wall (east side) of the battery from the area of shell magazine No. 2. In the rear wall of the battery were spaces for the loading-carts, gasoline etc.
X255-- We have completed the round walk, counter clock wise, around Battery Koehler Gun Pit A. We are looking back at the entrance of Battery Koehler where we started. Right is the battery rear wall with various utility spaces and left is the gun pit.
There was a very heavy explosion in Battery Koehler Gun Pit A, it could have been a US bomb in 1945. If you look at the earlier 1945 image one can see that the mortar was moved out of its well!!!!
