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Post by EXO on Jan 5, 2016 12:01:10 GMT 8
I repost the following e-mail I received from "Jungle Jim" Mullaney, "H" Co 503d PRCT.
Gentlemen, Have any of you read an article by a man named Pio Andrade about Fort Drum..... I came across it on Facebook awhile back... Fort Drum -- according our maps -- was just about a mile from Corregidor.The max range of the 60mm mortar at the time was about a mile.. During a break on the Ft. Drum side of the "Rock" I mentioned that the "sixty" should be able to hit Ft. Drum. The platoon leader said "let's try it"... The Nips were not visible on the deck of the Drum at that time and we would keep them below deck for a while.. Our shells performed as advertised and all fired hit the concrete battleship... When we left Corregidor the enemy still was on Drum. The article is the story of putting the Drum out of action, www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/fort-drum.htmlJim Mullaney
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Post by roland1369 on Jan 12, 2016 23:19:24 GMT 8
As I was not there I normally don't comment on stories such as this, but in the word of my former organization, I have to throw the Bullshit flag down on this one. As a former soldier with about 33 years experience, and quite a bit of time wth mortars, a lot with the 60 MM this is impossible. I have measured the distance from the nearest point of Corregidor, Geary Point, and it works out to about 9.34 kilometers. As the maximum range for a 60 mm is 1900 meters the rounds couldn't reach Fort Drum with a typhoon for a tailwind. The only weapon system which the 11th airborne which could reach Ft Drum were the 75 MM pack howitzers with a 9500 meter effective range. A more viable target is Fort Hughes which by my calculations is out of range also. While I have at one time in a very bad situation extended the range of an 81 MM mortar from 4700 to a little over 5000 meters by adding a tablespoon of gasoline before firing, I would not try this with a 60 mm.
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Post by cbuehler on Jan 14, 2016 2:56:14 GMT 8
Hmmm, this correct, the 60mm mortars could not possibly reach Ft. Drum from Corregidor. I wonder what Mr. Mullaney is referring to? Vet recollections are often mixed up and sometimes not the facts that many people hold them to be. This is particularly true with accounts made long after the war. I generally avoid books and other accounts written by vets about ww2 made in much later years and find the ones made shortly after the war to be more reliable. With the passing of 50 or 60 years, it is understandable that mistakes are made, but we as students are left to wonder what was true and what was not.
CB
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Post by EXO on Jan 16, 2016 7:20:34 GMT 8
I sent a gentle note through to Jim Mullaney about whether he was calling mortars or possibly a 75 pack howitzer, and received the following response:
Gentlemen,
I made a mistake. I found my tattered and torn map every line company member was issued prior to the ROCK jump.. It is very difficult to read at this late date - and not exactly with 20/20 eyesight -- but the island I thought was Drum could actually be Caballo..
After returning to Mindoro we survivors tried to get each and every "H Co." man to sign what maps remained. Mine is in poor shape but many names stand out...Many of the names on my "Rock" map were the names of great men who were horribly wounded or killed a few months later on Negros...
Sorry about the mistake.. I hope it is not the last one I make........
Hope someday soon to see each of you again.....
Jim
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Post by roland1369 on Jan 19, 2016 23:50:16 GMT 8
Jim, I did not mean to sharpshoot you, it was just that as an old mortar man myself it just jumped out. If the crew was firing on caballo is you must have done it from the extreme tail which would have put the fresh water lake area barely in range, if the wind was right. Incidently I understand the reality of the very hazardous low level jump you made on Corregidor, I once made a similar jump from 450 feet, fortunately without anyone shooting at me.
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