WWII Japanese Guns at Iba, Zambales
Two friends and I took a field trip to some spots in Zambales Province on the 8th of May 2017. We looked at the WWII Japanese guns in the Philippine National Police Camp next to the Iba Airfield, had a look at the Iba Airfield. Then we drove to the beautiful landscaped Aussie compound at Pundaquit and enjoyed the nice view of the Capones Islands from the beach. We stopped at three watering holes to eat, rest and have a refreshment.
So far only the pictures of the guns have been put into a Flickr album, there are 15 images in this album:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157681103933174For this forum presentation I uploaded the same 15 images but they are much smaller.
V950. C-0a). The Philippine National Police, Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap gate; the camp is located next to the Iba Airfield. Just inside the gate, at left, are two Imperial Japanese Navy guns located.
V951. (-0b). This is the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap gate at Iba, Zambales. We asked the gate for permission to look at the guns. While they called to get permission, they told us to park at left, just inside the gate. The guns are located at left, just past that red car and that signpost. The camp graciously gave us permission to look and take pictures.
V952. (0c). This Google Earth picture could be better but it is better than nothing. I marked up this image to indicate the geography (location) of the two WWII Japanese Guns at the Philippine National Police Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap.
V953. (0d). We are standing at the north end of the Iba Airfield and are looking at the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. When we were driving along that wall we spotted the guns and noticed that they are located near the gate. So we said, let’s try, they only can say no and no harm is done. We asked, the guards were very friendly; they got permission from higher-ups and bingo.
V954. (0e). The two Imperial Japanese guns located in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap; we are looking from east to west. In this Corregidor Proboard Forum thread, a member and expert on the Japanese Hell Ships presented a lot of research findings, above in this thread, as to where these guns came from.
V955. (0f). This is a close-up view of the east gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. In this Corregidor Proboard Forum thread, a member and expert on the Japanese Hell Ships presented a lot of research findings, above in this thread, as to where these guns came from.
V956. (0g). This is a close-up view of the west gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. It was presented to the Zambales province by the US Navy in 1956, on the then 10 year anniversary of Philippine independence.
V957. (0h). The guns and these frames were presented by my old and last command, the U.S. Navy Ship Repair Facility (SRF) in 1956. That is 71 years ago, I guess these frames, maybe, never got a 2nd coat of paint, but they are still looking pretty good.
V958. (0i). This is a close-up view of the east gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. In this Corregidor Proboard Forum thread, a member and expert on the Japanese Hell Ships presented a lot of research findings, above in this thread, as to where these guns came from.
V959. (0j). Both Guns have a dedication plaque, both plaques say the same words but the plaque on the west gun is the easiest to read:
Dedication:
This cannon was recovered from the Japanese ship NISSYU MARU, which was sunk on September 17, 1944 in Subic Bay and symbolizes the gallant fight of Philippine and American forces in a common cause against the invader that sought to destroy the freedom of a people.
This cannon is presented to the province of Zambales whose people bore the brunt of battle, through their Governor, the Honorable Manuel D. Barretto by the personnel of the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility, on July 4th 1956, the tenth anniversary of independence.
Randy Anderson says that: The information on the plaques conflicts. The Nissyu Maru wasn't sunk, doesn't appear to have ever been in Subic Bay, and finally I can't find another Japanese ship sunk in Subic Bay around that date.
Above, in this thread you can read all the research he has done about the ship and the guns.
V960. (0k). This is a close-up of the last image. Both Guns have a dedication plaque, both plaques say the same words but the plaque on the west gun is the easiest to read:
Dedication:
This cannon was recovered from the Japanese ship NISSYU MARU, which was sunk on September 17, 1944 in Subic Bay and symbolizes the gallant fight of Philippine and American forces in a common cause against the invader that sought to destroy the freedom of a people.
This cannon is presented to the province of Zambales whose people bore the brunt of battle, through their Governor, the Honorable Manuel D. Barretto by the personnel of the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility, on July 4th 1956, the tenth anniversary of independence.
Randy Anderson says that: The information on the plaques conflicts. The Nissyu Maru wasn't sunk, doesn't appear to have ever been in Subic Bay, and finally I can't find another Japanese ship sunk in Subic Bay around that date.
Above, in this thread you can read all the research he has done about the ship and the guns.
V961. (0m). The two Imperial Japanese Naval guns located in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap; we are looking from west to east. In this Corregidor Proboard Forum thread, a member and expert on the Japanese Hell Ships presented a lot of research findings, above, in this thread, as to where these guns came from.
V962. (0n). This is a close-up view of the east gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. It was presented to the Zambales province by the US Navy in 1956, on the then 10 year anniversary of Philippine independence.
V963. (0o). My two mates, as EXO calls his friends, it is he, Paul Whitman, web master of Corregidor.org and friend Gary, a history buff from Texas. They are standing next to the east gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. It was presented to the Zambales province by the US Navy in 1956, on the then 10 year anniversary of Philippine independence.
V964. (0p). Yours truly and Paul Whitman, web master of Corregidor.org are standing next to the east gun (WWII Japanese gun that came from a Hell Ship) in the Zambales Police Provincial Office, Camp C. Yap. It was presented to the Zambales province by the US Navy in 1956, on the then 10 year anniversary of Philippine independence.