|
Post by joeconnor53 on Oct 12, 2013 6:44:29 GMT 8
Interesting, okla. That tank became very important. Its presence on Corregidor hastened Wainwright's decision to surrender because he envisioned the havoc it could cause if it got near or into Malinta Tunnel.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Oct 12, 2013 7:59:49 GMT 8
Hey Joe....Right on!!! Those three tanks, including the American Stuart, probably had more to do with the decision to make the trek to General Homma's HQ than did the presence of a considerable of Japanese Infantry, especially when the defenders still held a numerical superiority over the invaders. Of course, the tank strength wasn't the Afrika Korps, but on the narrow Corregidor front, a three tank force was, at least, a psychological advantage. It wasn't exactly "tank terrain", but three of those things advancing toward light machine gun and .03 rifle armed defenders would have been formidable, one would think. True, the majority of the Garrison (other than the 4th Marines) was Coast Artillery, but they still had the capacity to shoot an .03 rifle. Still. the outcome was inevitable, but expelling this initial Japanese landing might have caused the Japanese Commander to consider Hari Kari, not that this extreme action would have won the Campaign for the Amer/Fil defenders, but was a few additional weeks worth the price in blood and suffering???. All this conjecture is fun ain't it? Cheers.
|
|