The Blood Cost of Corregidor

[Registrar]

One of the projects that I work on from time to time, alone and in company with some others of our group, is to attempt to recover the true cost, in lives, of the retaking of Corregidor. I just found the following in the 38th Infantry Division narrative history, and felt that I should share it with our members, particularly those of battlefield archaeological bent who might be able to locate the area involved.

"On 8 March the 503d Parachute Infantry was withdrawn from the Rock, and the entire island turned over to the 2d Battalion 151st Infantry. They continued cleaning up scattered Japanese until relieved on 13 April. During this time they furnished the troops for the CABALLO and EL FRAILE operations, which are covered in separate sections of this report.

On 10 April activity was observed around a cave on Battery Point. A patrol investigating this lost a man to enemy fire from the cave. It was decided to pour oil down one of the ventilators, and on 12 April this was started. Just as the first drum was emptied the Japanese blew up the entire cave. The explosion was terrific, smoke, dirt and rocks being thrown hundreds of feet in the air, leaving a crater over 100 feet in diameter and thirty feet deep. Nine men were killed, thirteen wounded, and four missing as a result of this."

Just because the paratroopers were gone didn't mean Corregidor was benign.

Any assist in tracking down names of the dead and missing will be much appreciated, and will add to what we all know of the investment paid to retake Corregidor. 

[fots2]

Registrar,

I have read this before and always wondered if this “cave” was actually the Bombproof Infantry Quarters at Battery Point. The author of the 38th Infantry Division narrative may not have know what it actually was since I have read that the maps they used were not very detailed.

Why would a cave have a “ventilator” shaft? That term brings to mind something more substantial than a mere hole in the ground at the rear of a tunnel. The Bombproof Infantry Quarters (which was actually a long tunnel) had two concrete ventilator shafts. The Quarters is “missing’ today and is said to have been blown up in the fashion he describes.

Do we know from any other text exactly when the Bombproof Infantry Quarters at Battery Point was destroyed? Was it April 12th? Knowing that may solve this little mystery for us.

I have wandered around the Battery Point area several times and am not aware of any large destroyed caves. Actually, there are no natural caves on Corregidor that I am aware of excluding some wave induced erosion along the coastline.

[oozlefinch]

Like Fots, I have searched for said Infantry Tunnel without success. I also did not see the remains of a ". . . crater over 100 feet in diameter and 30 feet deep." That's also a lot of casualties for an action that most of the books seem to have missed. I agree with Fots that a "cave" would not have a ventilator shaft, so it must have been the Infantry Tunnel.

[cbuehler]

I am also still confused as to just where this explosion took place. Anything even close to crater over 100 feet in diameter and 30 feet deep would still be visible today, unless the area was filled in at some point after the war.

CB

[The Phantom]

I WILL ALSO CONCUR WITH THE REST THAT THE CAVE WAS ACTUALLY THE BOMBPROOF TUNNEL WITH IT'S PREPARED CONCRETE VENTS.
IT APPEARS BY THE ROADS HEADING IN THAT DIRECTION FROM THE NORTH SHORE ROAD THAT BULLDOZERS HAD PROBABLY GOTTEN DOWN TO THAT
AREA.
A 30 FT BY 100 FT HOLE WOULD HAVE MADE A READY, CONVENIENT, GRAVE SITE FOR THE THOUSANDS OF BLOATED AND ROTTING JAPANESE BODIES AFTER THE BATTLES.
I HAVE HEARD OF "SOME" BODIES THROWN FROM SOME CLIFFS, OR DID THEY COMMIT SUICIDE?
FOTS, HOW FAR BELOW THE ROAD IS THAT TUNNEL SUPPOSED TO BE?
NOT THAT FAR FROM THE TOP END BY LOOKING AT THE MAP.
THERE IS A STREAM RUNNING RIGHT BY THE FRONT ENTRANCE--- NORTHEAST.
MAYBE FOLLOW THE STREAM DOWN..............

[tmayer]

The below page was taken from a 41 page report detailing the action of Task Group Seventy-Eight point Three.  The task force was in direct support of the Mariveles-Corregidor Landings to retake "The Rock".

The mission was to transport, protect and land the landing force, together with its equipment and supplies at Mariveles Bay on D-Day, to make subsequent landings on Corregidor, on D plus 1, and to support both landings by close gunfire, in order to open the entrance to Manila Bay.

FURTHER READING: This document should be read together with CORREGIDOR'S OTHER CASUALTIES, which attempts to list the men from the other units involved in the retaking of Corregidor.  - Registrar