CARABAO ISLAND - FORT FRANK - NO TRESPASSING

[Registrar]

This information just in, via Col. Art Matibag, Chief Administrator of Corregidor Foundation Inc.:

Carabao island (formerly "Fort Frank") has now been designated as part of Philippine Marines training ground and access is now restricted. Visitors now need the coordination and approval of the Headquarters Philippine Navy.

As far as we can ascertain, this change of jurisdiction has not been publicly announced in any press release. Hence, the Philippine Coast Guard were as much surprised as the recent CDSG Group who were temporarily detained and their names taken.  They were thereafter directed to withdraw from the island. 

[Deleted]

Interesting.

The tunnels all over Fort Frank are dangerous to be in, as all the rebar is gone from the tunnels, and liable to collapse at any time, and these tunnels are the best (easiest) way to get from place to place on Carabao Island.

I wonder what else is going on, government-wise. For decades under Marcos, Fort Hughes was strictly off limits. The official excuse was (in the 60's and 70's) variously (A)operation of a long-range navigation beacon (LORAN), (B)test site for missile systems (in my Dad's collection of pics are a couple of pics actually showing the smoke trails from 2 missiles fired from the area of Battery Gillespe), and (C)the presence of live ordnance (Caballo was a dumping ground for live ammo). Additionally, the area around Battery Gillespe was also used by the USMC as a training ground, and when I was there last (early 1990s) the ground was littered with fired 5.56mm casings. But in fact, the two modern (post-WW2) warehouse buildings near the dock area housed ballot boxes....not under the control of the Commission on Elections, but under military guard.

Makes me now wonder what is going on on Fort Frank.

[Karl Welteke]

CARABAO ISLAND, EX FORT FRANK, BUSTED AND EXPELLED FROM THE ISLAND 2014-02-28

On this date the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG) people visited the island and were ordered off the island by the Philippine Marine Corps. The Philippine Marines have their main Base in Ternate, Cavite and the base is practically next door to Carabao Island, the ex Fort Frank.



X114—Manila Bay and pertinent landmarks.

As in the past, I was able to go along with the CDSG people, we arrived at the “The Wall” entrance way in the morning and were able to explore the history on the island for about 2 hours. Then Philippine Marine crafts came (a rubber boat patrol craft and a local Banca boat) and told our boat crew that the island was now parts of the Marine training area and to get us off the island.

The CDSG people are an association exploring and maintain the history of Coastal Defense in the USA and all over the World. They organize tours to visit Coastal Defense sites all over the world and visit the Manila Bay Defense Forts every so many years. This group was 20 people + and was an international group! Here is their website:
cdsg.org/

After we were all back on our large banca boat the Marines on their banca boat took pictures of us sitting randomly in the boat and made a list with our names and nationalities. Then we returned to Corregidor, our main location of our visit to the Manila Bay defense fortifications.

Our visit to Carabao Island, the ex Fort Frank, was organized as usually with the help of the Corregidor Foundation Incorporated (CFI) which runs the island for the Philippine Government. We hired the large passenger banca (boat) available on the island. As required CFI notified the Philippine Coast Guard Post on the island and as usual they provide an armed one man escort.
It is noteworthy to say that neither us, CFI or the Philippine Coast Guard had any idea about the changes of authority over Carabao Island, the ex Fort Frank.

Here are some pictures of our encounter with the Philippine Marines and our forced departure from Carabao Island, the ex Fort Frank.



X113—The Philippine Marine rubber patrol craft which probably discovered us and called the banca boat in to execute expelling us from the island.



X115—The Marine banca boat which expelled us from Carabao Island, the ex Ft. Frank.



X116—The Marine who took our pictures and got our names and nationalities. Notice, his left hand is bandaged. I don’t think one would see that in my service, the US Navy. If one’s hand is bandaged like that, one would be excused of this kind of work, working on bouncing small water craft.



X117—The same Marine again, about to depart. Notice his bandaged left hand. The whole procedure went friendly enough. The Marines did not talk to us and just dealt with us thru our boat crew.



X118—The Marines are about to depart.



X119—The Marines are getting back on their boat. Notice the infamous “The Wall” Carabao Island entrance in the back at right. Notice further that scrappers in the last few years (like in the last three) have knocked out the bottom of the wall at the whole length of the wall. Before that there was only an opening at the right side.



X120—Good bye Carabao Island, the ex Ft. Frank, will we ever enter it again? What will happen to this historical Place now? The Military was in charge before and ALL THE GUNS DISAPPEARED FOREVER!!!

[The Phantom]

Nice job Karl.

Perhaps the "Old Manila Bay Forts" are once again gaining importance due to the current International tensions
in the Southeast Asian area.
Especially with Carabao island being so close to the Marine training grounds on the mainland as the map above points out.

What of Fort Wint in Subic Bay?
Also in a strategic location as tensions rise.
How many guns are still on Wint?
Get your pictures soon.............

And it's not about the oil..............

[Karl Welteke]

FIRST TRY TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE PHILIPPINE MARINE BASE AT THE PICO DE LORO MOUNTAIN TO VISIT CARABAO AND FRAILE ISLANDS.

On the 21st Jan. 2015 I traveled to the Philippine Marine Base at Ternate to present my letter requesting information how to do that. I did speak to the leaders at the Marine Base gate but was told I need to go the Philippine Marine Corps Head Quarters on Fort Bonifacio.

This was the letter:

Karl-Wilhelm Welteke
Address etc
21st Jan. 2015

To: Commanding Officer Philippine Marine Corps Base in Ternate, Cavite Province.

Subj: Request information to get permission to visit the islands of Carabao and Fraile.

On the 28th Feb. 2014 the international organization Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG) visited Carabao Island (the ex Fort Frank). Troops under your command directed us to leave the island, stating it was now part of your training area. We had organized the visit with Corregidor Foundation Inc. from Corregidor, notified the Philippine Coast Guard on Corregidor which provided an armed guard. The URL for the CDSG is: cdsg.org/

We did not know about this new arrangement and had visited Carabao Island and Fraile Island (the ex Fort Drum) several times before in past years. It was disappointing having spent much money to visit the Philippines to study the WWII Coast Defense of Manila Bay.

I am a friend of the CDSG, live as a permanent resident in the Philippines with my Filipino wife and child. With other people here and in the world we share a deep interest in the Philippine-USA History. As a retired US Navy man it is has become a personal hobby to study our history, to visit historical sites and share them with the public.

Corregidor.org corregidor.org/ is a world renowned web page of the coastal defense forts in Manila Bay and Subic Bay, I am proud to have contributed to it.

This is the forum URL for the above web page (http://corregidor.proboards.com/) and here are just three particular contributions by me:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/121/ex-fort-frank-carabao-island
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/806/fort-drum-2009-august-14th
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/295/fort-hughes-caballo-island-march

We have one more specific interest to find out from you and your command, if possible, whether the water source for Fort Frank on Carabao Island during the siege of the Manila Bay Forts came from a physical location on your base. If so would it be possible to visit and photograph that site?

Sincerely and with great respect
Karl-Wilhelm Welteke

After this disappointment I carried out my 2nd goal of walking up the Pico de Loro Peak in the Mt. Palay-Palay National Park. This mountain and its foot hills played important roles in the siege of Corregidor and the other Manila Bay forts.

My thoughts on this walk were about the Japanese artillery spotters on these ridges, the Japanese artillery placed behind ridges of the foothills of this mountain. The Japanese Imperial Forces cutting the water supply from this hill to Fort Frank on Carabao Island and the fort crew reestablishing that water line again was on my mind. That the American-Philippine Forces sent a detail onto these hills to spot the Japanese artillery but then were driven off. Another thought was that Capt Villamore flew a mission over here on the 9th of Feb, 1942 to spot the Japanese artillery; that action resulted in a dogfight over Mt. Mariveles with Lt. Earl Stone and his enemy crashing onto the Tarac Ridge on Mt. Mariveles.

Here are some relative images about this trip:



X33. The landmark Pico de Loro, it only can be seen from the top or from the SE to SW directions. People actually climb onto that peak, not me though. This is a popular hiking goal and there is much on the www about it.



X34. The landmarks of the trip and the GPS track to the Marine Base Ternate gate and the track to the Pico de Loro peak.



X35. The Marine Corps gate shack, they set me down and leaders of the gate came but said that I needed to go to the Philippine Marine Corps Head Quarters on Fort Bonifacio. On base is a public beach but they asked for a passport, my Philippine driver license and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority ID card was not good enough.



X36. At the Ternate Marine Base gate they have the decorative naval gun.



X37. This information plaque is also mounted outside the Ternate Marine Base gate to view.



X38. This picture came from US Government sources and shows US and Philippine Marines in training on the Ternate Marine Base. What was of interest to me, it shows Carabao Island. I wonder did the island and Ft. Frank get their water from near here.



X39. On top of the Pico de Loro peak, that young man is an in-law relative and was my partner on this trip. We met three groups of hikers coming and going on this Wednesday; all three were or are going to camp up there.



X40. This view from the Pico de Loro peak is in a west direction and shows the village of Santa Mercedes where John Moffitt and I rented a boat and visited Carabao and Limbones Islands in 2012.



X41. This view is in the north direction from Pico de Loro peak. It was a very hazy day and Carabao Island only can be partially seen. I am sure the Japanese spotters were in a better position.



X42. After the walk up the Pico de Loro Hill I wanted to check out the new and now opened tunnel from Ternate to Nasugbu. The Marines had a manned check point at the other side, the Nasugbu side; but we were not stopped.



X43. Carabao Island (the ex Fort Frank) from the new Ternate-Nasugbu Road, this is a 2012 picture. It is the object of all this effort to get permission to visit this historical island.



X44. Fraile Island, the ex Fort Drum. This is also a 2012 image; it was a hazy day then also. This image was shot from near the Ternate Marine Base.



X45. I continued to Nasugbu to stay there over night. Nasugbu is also a historical place, on the 31st of Jan. 1945, in a few days 70 years ago, the Allied Forces landed here and marched on Manila to liberate it. The people here built this Memorial on the beach in a form of a landing boat. Will they observe the 70 Anniversary of this landing here in a few days?



X46. I asked the student when the landing had taken place and had to direct him to the marker plaque to find out and he showed me the date.

Here is a link in our forum exploring the area:
History Trip 2012 Oct 14 to 16 to Cavite, etc

corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1321/history-trip-2012-oct-cavite

If anybody has a suggestion who and how to see to get permission to visit those two islands, please say so.

[batteryboy]

Well Karl, Sorry to hear about you being turned down by the Marines but protocol is protocol and the base commander at Ternate has to be instructed from their HQ at Fort Boni. In my experiences in visiting the island, the only time that I had to visit Frank with a permission was in 2006 wherein I was endorsed by ret Marine CG Maj Gen Millena to the active Philippine Marine CG at that time, Maj Gen Ladia (in person with an official letter) and we were allowed. Other than that, we can go to Frank anytime. In the recent CDSG trip at Frank, they did not seek permission because nobody knew that the island was already off-limits. Caballo is being used as a CQB training facility by the Marines.

As of Fort Drum no permission was needed before but now the Navy and the Coast Guard are said to have made it off limits as well. (except for fisherman seeking refuge from storms and surges). Philippine Navy Fleet HQ is at Roxas Blvd while Philippine Marine HQ is at Fort Bonifacio.

Getting an official permission takes time. You need to submit copies of your passport, IDs, etc and they will need to do some background checking (just like what we do when we visit Fort Hughes at Caballo, wherein sometimes I have to make personal appearance to vouch for the identity of the members). Then if you are allowed, then they have to provide for escort as part of security protocol. (If you noticed when I brought you guys to Fort Hughes, Phil Navy men were escorting us everywhere we go.)

However, no harm in trying. Address the letters to the incumbent CG for Marines and Fleet Admiral for the Navy.

HTH,
Tony

[Karl Welteke]

Tony

Thank you very much I will chew on that.

I am thinking about the rainy season and land on the east side of Carabao Island, at the rocks when the wind and swells come from the west, then climb over the concrete. Also I am thinking to go from the Sta. Mercedes village.

Karl

[batteryboy]

You can give my name if they ask for a reference.

[Karl Welteke]

AERIAL VIEWS FROM NARA VIA CDSG

Manila & Subic Bay Forts! These pictures were given to me by Karl Schmidt, a leader in the Coastal Defense Study Group (cdsg.org) who got these images from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This album contains aerial images of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Forts.

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157658661455655

These first two pictures show Fort Frank on Carabao Island and are presented here in a smaller size:



W113 (A1) image of Fort Frank on Carabao Island in Manila Bay, the original description said it was shot in 1923. (Photo credit: Karl Schmidt, CDSG and NARA)



W114 (A2) image of Fort Frank on Carabao Island in Manila Bay, the original description says it was shot prior 1932. (Photo credit: Karl Schmidt, CDSG and NARA)

Note 1:
Hello laustonrr28
You asked: “Do you happen to have photos for the other bridge on the Bottomside going to Malinta Tunnel. Thanks”.

I am sorry but I did not find a picture, keep in mind this bridge maybe got built in the mid 30s, the Malinta Tunnel job did not get started until 1932.
Note 2:
This may be my last entry until I return from Corregidor on Monday the 21st Sep. 2015

[Deleted]

In reference to the question about fresh water supply for Fort Frank:

Yes, Fort Frank obtained primary fresh water supply from the Cavite mainland via an underwater pipeline. My father has photos of the ruins of the water collection system on the Cavite side, as well as photos taken in the late 1970s of the steel-lined concrete pipe emerging from the jungle onto a beach, where the huge pipe (over 4 feet in diameter) terminated in a steel pipe maybe 10 inches in diameter (I could be wrong about the diameter) and going into the water, with Carabao Island in the background. The pipe ran underwater. We could not find any trace on the Island of where the pipe emerged from the water. This was supplemented on the Island by water from the seawater distillation plant on Carabao itself, and I presume the underwater pipeline emerged someplace close to the location of the distillation plant.

Hope that helps.