Fort Drum 1945 from CDSG & NARA

[Karl Welteke]

Fort Drum 1945, the first 12 of about 50 images.

This entry shows Fort Drum, in Manila Bay during WWII, the year 1945, under attack, recaptured and post battle. Fort Drum, on Fraile Island was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Command and was ordered to surrender in 1942 when Ft. Mills on Corregidor surrendered. These images were given to me by Karl Schmidt from the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG.org) who got the images from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Thank you Karl and all members of the CDSG. The image numbers V65 to V115 and 1a01 to 1a36 came from me, the other letters and numbers may be the NARA number and date of image or were given by Karl Schmidt in his files.



V65 (1a01) 300PC DRUM CROP. This is a pre war picture and I start out the album with this image/s to show you how it looked before the war. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V66 (1a02) 300PC DRUM CROPa. This is a pre war picture and I start out the album with this image/s to show you how it looked before the war. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V67 (1a03) 300PC DRUM B633043. This is a pre war picture and I start out the album with this image/s to show you how it looked before the war. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V68 (1a04) 300PC DRUM B633043a. This is a pre war picture and I start out the album with this image/s to show you how it looked before the war. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V69 (1a05) box1228 rg80022. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V70 (1a05a) box1228 rg80022. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.




V71 (1a06) 300pc drum airstrike box 292 2-21-45. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V72 (1a07) box1354 rg80024. This seems to be an intelligence picture of Ft. Drum in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V73 (1a08) drum357428 13april1945. This seems to be an intelligence picture of Ft. Drum in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V74 (1a10) box1354 rg80023. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V75 (1a11) drum357431 13april1945. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.



V76 (1a12) 357431 13april1945. This seems to be a picture of Ft. Drum under attack in 1945 before the assault. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt of CDSG.org and NARA.


Uploaded to Flickr in high resolution with the first 12 images to the album Ft. Drum 1945:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157672105677316



Here are more Fort Drum links:



Fort Drum, El Fraile Island links


Concrete Battleship, a new group of threads in our forum, dealing with Fort Drum aka El Fraile Island.
corregidor.proboards.com/board/10/concrete-battleship


On the 14th of August 2009 a friend and I visited ex Fort Drum, on Fraile Island, the Concrete Battle Ship in Manila Bay. Because the gun barrels on the after 14 Inch turret dropped down, in, out of sight there might be some renewed interest in the ex fort.

corregidor.proboards.com/thread/806/fort-drum-2009-august-14th


Karl’s group/set of Fort Drum albums, many sub albums:
s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Manila%20Bay%20Forts-Other/Fort%20Drum-Fraile%20Island?sort=9&page=1


If you would like the URL to the most outstanding web page on Fort Drum, this is it:

www.corregidor.org/drum/contents.htm


If you are interested in the history of the American and Philippine defense of Manila Bay and its glorious recapture in 1945, you want to look at this most outstanding webpage:

www.corregidor.org/


FRAILE ISLAND 1909, COURTESY OF THE MACARTHUR MEMORIAL. Sometime the MacArthur Memorial, hosted by the City of Norfolk in Virginia send me a snippet as a personal favor because of my great interest in our Philippine-US historical relationship. Here is an early image of Fraile Island in Manila Bay and I made two pictures out of it and posted them here in this album with the numbers M1 and M2:

s74.photobucket.com/user/PI-Sailor/library/Corregidor%20by%20subject/Historical%20Corregidor/MacArthur%20Memorial%20images?sort=9&page=1



Fort Drum, the unsinkable concrete ‘battleship’ of Manila Bay, from domack

corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1790/fort-unsinkable-concrete-battleship-manila


FORT DRUM, SCRAPPERS AT WORK:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/807/fort-drum-scrappers-work


El Fraile Island (Fort Drum) Trip report, 2 pages, from fots2
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/542/el-fraile-island-fort-drum

Two great WWII images from dmether:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/863/re-launching-concrete-battleship


Pictures of Fort Drum, post war, from fots2, excellent, 2 pages:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/863/re-launching-concrete-battleship




There is more, just search for Fort Drum, El Fraile Island

[Karl Welteke]

Fort Drum 1945, the second set of 13 of about 50 images.

This entry shows Fort Drum, in Manila Bay during WWII, the year 1945, under attack, recaptured and post battle. Fort Drum, on Fraile Island was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Command and was ordered to surrender in 1942 when Ft. Mills on Corregidor surrendered. These images were given to me by Karl Schmidt from the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG.org) who got the images from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Thank you Karl and all members of the CDSG. The image numbers V65 to V115 and 1a01 to 1a36 came from me, the other letters and numbers may be the NARA number and date of image or were given by Karl Schmidt in his files.


Dedication! I like to dedicate this entry to Joe Sherrill, he was a RM3 (Radioman Petty Officer 3rd Class) on the USS LSM-51 when they took the Army troops alongside the concrete battleship and recapture Ft. Drum. He is on my mailing list. Hello Joe, Hooya to you!




V77 (1a13) drum aerial 300pc box 293. Manila Bay Fort Drum is battered in US bombardment on the 19th March 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V78 (1a14) RG80G box220 48385. Manila Bay Fort Drum is battered in US bombardment on the 19th March 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V79 (1a15) 357425 Drum assault. Troops of engineers of the 113th Engineer Battalion and Company F., 151st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) board USS LSM-51. That pier looks like the Eng. Dock, North-Shore on Corregidor Island to me. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V80 (1a16) 357427 13april1945. The US Fort Drum Assault Task Force is underway to storm Fort Drum and eliminate the Japanese Forces on the Island Fortress El Fraile. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V81 (1a18) 357429 Drum assault 13 april1945. This is the stern end of concrete battleship. It seems the US Fort Drum Assault Task Force rounded the stern to make their approach to the Port Bow. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V82 (1a19) FOLDER 6 064. On this picture the USS LSM-51 is either landing on the Port Bow or is departing the Port Bow of the concrete battleship, Ft. Drum on the Island Fortress El Fraile. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V83 (1a20) SC205913. The description of this picture says: Engineers of the 113th Engineer Battalion took the island fortress of Fraile, Fort Drum, by pumping approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V84 (1a21) SC205913 FT DRUM. This inscription says: Engineers of the 113th Engineer Battalion took the island fortress of Fraile, Fort Drum, by pumping approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V85 (1a22) SC205915. The description says: Using a special built ramp, from the bridge of USS LSM-51 to the topside deck, Infantrymen enter Fort Drum to cover the Engineers during operations to eliminate the Japanese on the island fortress of Fraile. Approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture was pumped into the fort and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. Company F., 151st Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V86 (1a22a) SC205915 FT DRUM. The description says: Using a special built ramp, from the bridge of USS LSM-51 to the topside deck, Infantrymen enter Fort Drum to cover the Engineers during operations to eliminate the Japanese on the island fortress of Fraile. Approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture was pumped into the fort and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. Company F., 151st Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V87 (1a23) SC266259. The description says: Company F., 151st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) storm Ft. Drum on the Island Fortress El Fraile. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.






V88 (1a23a) SC266259 FT DRUM. The description says: Company F., 151st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) storm Ft. Drum on the Island Fortress El Fraile. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.




V89 (1a24) 13april1945. Men of the 1st Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 151 Infantry Regiment storm across a special built ramp from USS LSM-51 onto the concrete battleship, known as Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, Philippine Islands on the 13th April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt CDSG.org and NARA.






All the above pictures and the ones from the previous entry are also uploaded to this Flickr album in high resolution in the album Ft. Drum 1945 from CDSG & NARA. This is the URL:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157672105677316

[Deleted]

Here's some video of the recapture of Forts Hughes and Drum

[Karl Welteke]

Fort Drum 1945, the third set of 14 of about 50 images.

This entry shows Fort Drum, in Manila Bay during WWII, the year 1945, under attack, recaptured and post battle. Fort Drum, on Fraile Island was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Command and was ordered to surrender in 1942 when Ft. Mills on Corregidor surrendered. These images were given to me by Karl Schmidt from the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG.org) who got the images from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Thank you Karl and all members of the CDSG. The image numbers V65 to V115 and 1a01 to 1a36 came from me, the other letters and numbers may be the NARA number and date of image or were given by Karl Schmidt in his files.



V90 (1a25) SC374484. The description says: Infantrymen crouching by big gun on Fraile Island, P.I. “concrete battleship” keeping openings covered to prevent Japs from coming out. 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil were planted in the structure by troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion, and then detonated 13 April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V91 (1a25a) SC374484. The description: Infantrymen crouching by big gun on Fraile Island, P.I. “concrete battleship” keeping openings covered to prevent Japs from coming out. 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil were planted in the structure by troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion, and then detonated 13 April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V92 (1a26) sc374483. The description says: Ventilator with oil line going into Fraile Island, on the “concrete battleship” 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil were planted in the structure by troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion, then detonated 13 April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V93 (1a26a) SC374483. The description: Ventilator with oil line going into Fraile Island, on the “concrete battleship” 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil were planted in the structure by troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion, then detonated 13 April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V94 (1a27) SC205914. The description says: Engineers of the 113th Engineer Battalion took the island fortress of Fraile, Fort Drum, by pumping approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. The Engineers can be seen atop the fort during the operation. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V95 (1a27a) SC205914 FT DRUM. The description: Engineers of the 113th Engineer Battalion took the island fortress of Fraile, Fort Drum, by pumping approximately 3200 gallon of an oil and gasoline mixture and ignited with the explosion of a 600 pounds (300Kg) charge of TNT. The Engineers can be seen atop the fort during the operation. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V96 (1a28) SC274866. The description says: Smoke from the first explosion on Fraile Island, P.I. rises up in the distance. Troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion have planted 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil in the “concrete battleship”. 13th April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V97 (1a28a) SC274866 FRAILLE ISLAND. The description: Smoke from the first explosion on Fraile Island, P.I. rises up in the distance. Troops of the 151st Infantry and 113trd Engineer Battalion have planted 600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil in the “concrete battleship”. 13th April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V98 (1a29) SC266258. The description says: Giant columns of smoke arise in air from explosion of600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil and gas, and possible stores of munitions in and on Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, P.I. Notice falling slap of armor plate. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V99 (1a29a) SC266258 FT DRUM. The description: Giant columns of smoke arise in air from explosion of600 pounds of TNT and 3200 gallons of oil and gas, and possible stores of munitions in and on Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, P.I. Notice falling slap of armor plate. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V100 (1a30) SC212565. The description says: The rear turret of a gun, its right barrel destroyed, is examined by Tec 5 Henry, a member of the 102 Antiaircraft Battery at Fort Drum, Fraile Island, P.I. after reoccupation of that island by American troops. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V101 (1a30a) SC212565 FT DRUM. The description: The rear turret of a gun, its right barrel destroyed, is examined by Tec 5 Henry, a member of the 102 Antiaircraft Battery at Fort Drum, Fraile Island, P.I. after reoccupation of that island by American troops. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V102 (1a31) SC212566. The description says: GIs with the Antiaircraft Command at Fort Drum, Fraile Island, P.I. examine damage done to a forward turret battery, during fighting for repossession of the island by American troops. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V103 (1a31a) SC212566 FT DRUM. The description: GIs with the Antiaircraft Command at Fort Drum, Fraile Island, P.I. examine damage done to a forward turret battery, during fighting for repossession of the island by American troops. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.








All the above pictures and the ones from the previous entry are also uploaded to this Flickr album in high resolution in the album Ft. Drum 1945 from CDSG & NARA. This is the URL:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157672105677316

[fireball]

Really great pictures !!!!!

V98 - with the piece of debris flying off in the explosion - reminds me that on one trip to Fort Drum there was a Banca with divers collecting scrap from the waters around the fort. Foolishly, as I had a mask & fins with me, I never even thought of getting in the water with them. An opportunity lost.

[Karl Welteke]

Fort Drum 1945, the fourth set of 13 of about 50 images.

This entry shows Fort Drum, in Manila Bay during WWII, the year 1945, under attack, recaptured and post battle. Fort Drum, on Fraile Island was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Command and was ordered to surrender in 1942 when Ft. Mills on Corregidor surrendered. These images were given to me by Karl Schmidt from the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG.org) who got the images from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Thank you Karl and all members of the CDSG. The image numbers V65 to V115 and 1a01 to 1a36 came from me, the other letters and numbers may be the NARA number and date of image or were given by Karl Schmidt in his files.



V104 (1a32 SC215846). The description says: This is the back view of a six-inch gun, lower casemate at Fort Drum, P.I. 9/13/45.
From Karl: this is Battery Benjamin K. Roberts, the port two (2) six inch gun battery (port, left side of the ship). Wow! It looks like some of the steel has melted; this is the side where the small explosion occurred and the oil and fuel mixture was poured in. All that melted metal has long been took, probably easier to break off. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V105 (1a32a SC215846 FT DRUM). The description says: This is the back view of a six-inch gun, lower casemate at Fort Drum, P.I. 9/13/45.
From Karl: according to the description the picture was shot 5 month after recapturing Ft. Drum, I guess that means it is from the Case Report. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.




V106 (1a33 SC216253). The description says: This is the interior of a burned out upper casemate on Fort Drum, P.I. showing the breech of a 6” gun 9/13/45.
From Karl, this is Battery Benjamin K. Roberts, the port two (2) six inch gun battery (port, left side of the ship). This gun is still there today, at least, it was there one year ago. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V107 (1a33a SC216253 FT DRUM. The description says: This is the interior of a burned out upper casemate on Fort Drum, P.I. showing the breech of a 6” gun 9/13/45. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.




V108 (1a34 Battery from the Case Report). This is how the top of Battery Tully B. McCrea on Ft. Drum looked like in 1945, this picture must be from the case report 9/13/45. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.



V109 (1a34a 090814a 096 Stbd 6IN, B-McCrea, look fwd). This is how the top of Battery Tully B. McCrea looks like today. This is my picture from the 8th Sep 2014. This is the best way to get on top of Battery Drum, coming from the interior thru this battery.



V110 (1a34b 05-01-21#14, B-McCrea, blown plate). This is my picture from the 21st Jan 2005 and shows two of the top cover plates from Battery Tully B. McCrea on Ft. Drum. The big or giant explosion on the 13th April 1945 seemed to have occurred in that battery. Note: on the left side of the picture one can see the tail end of Corregidor Island.



V111 (1a34c Welch,Drum,10,fire control plan). This is the fire control plan/drawing of Fort Drum (Manila Bay Defense Fort) and I put further descriptions on the plan. This picture came original from the previous Concrete Battleship web page (Welch and King).



V112 (1a35 SC297990). The description says: American labor leaders representing every major labor union in the U.S. get a good view of the newly captured Ft. Drum, El Fraile Island, Luzon, P.I., the concrete battle-ship shaped fort from which the Japanese had been burned out only a few hours earlier, during their trip to historic Corregidor, in Manila Bay, Luzon, P.I. The leaders are visiting here to obtain a firsthand study of Army and Navy supply problems14th April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.
From Karl: 14th April 1945? Is the date right? I think that I read that the fire burned a few days after the assault on the 13th of April 1945, where is the smoke?



V113 (1a35a SC297990 FT DRUM). The description says: American labor leaders representing every major labor union in the U.S. get a good view of the newly captured Ft. Drum, El Fraile Island, Luzon, P.I., the concrete battle-ship shaped fort from which the Japanese had been burned out only a few hours earlier, during their trip to historic Corregidor, in Manila Bay, Luzon, P.I. The leaders are visiting here to obtain a firsthand study of Army and Navy supply problems14th April 1945. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.
From Karl: 14th April 1945? Is the date right? I think that I read that the fire burned a few days after the assault on the 13th of April 1945, where is the smoke?



V114 (1a36 SC282341). The description says: Fort Drum, west of Corregidor, is part of Manila Bay’s defenses. Americans shaved the cliffs of the island and reinforced them with concrete until the result was a stationary battleship 1942. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.

Karl wonders why the photographer or the person who wrote this said 1942, it became a fort long before that, maybe his just grappled a figure out of the air and he also got the cardinal point wrong, Ft Drum is south of Corregidor. This picture must have been shot before the assault! The lower gun barrel of Battery Roberts must have fallen out or in from Navy ships gun fire! It was gone on the day of assault, the 13th April 1945!



V115 (1a36a SC282341 FT DRUM). The description says: Fort Drum, west of Corregidor, is part of Manila Bay’s defenses. Americans shaved the cliffs of the island and reinforced them with concrete until the result was a stationary battleship 1942. Photo, courtesy of Karl Schmidt from CDSG.org and NARA.

Karl wonders why the photographer or the person who wrote this said 1942, it became a fort long before that, maybe his just grappled a figure out of the air and he also got the cardinal point wrong, Ft. Drum is south of Corregidor. This picture must have been shot before the assault! Four pictures came from me or other courses



V116 (1a37 05-01-21 #11, B-Marshall, Karl). Karl, yours truly, is sitting on the forward edge of a large bomb crater, we assume it was a bomb. Behind me is Battery William L. Marshall, the forward and lower turret on the foscle (forecastle) of the ship or fort.








All the above pictures and the ones from the previous entry are also uploaded to this Flickr album in high resolution in the album Ft. Drum 1945 from CDSG & NARA. This is the URL:
www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/albums/72157672105677316

[beirutvet]

Karl

Well done, as always.  Your chops as a historian are well deserved.

On my next visit to PI, I would certainly love to visit Fort Drum, even if it is to just sail all around it.  I have heard it is increasingly difficult to actually land there.  Are there restrictions or is it always open to the brave at heart?

[Karl Welteke]

AVENGERS OF BATAAN ASSAULT FORT DRUM 13th APRIL 1945

The 38th Inf. Div generated a report after WWII titled: “Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report”. It covers all their operations on Luzon Island during WWII. It includes the capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island in Manila Bay which is also called the Concrete Battleship. In this entry I am reproducing some of the interesting sections of this report. Because I am unable to copy text from that report, a PDF file, I got to do it with image files (jpeg). I only copied items that have not presented before in here! This is the URL, you got to flip pages to the pages #86 to #96. You can download the whole report as a PDF file!

Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report; available at Corregidor.org; this is the URL:
corregidor.org/refdoc/reference_reading/38th_inf_div_report/

This report also includes the Two Week Zig-Zag Battle of Olongapo, capture of Bataan etc. The below image names and numbers are mine because they had to be put in some kind of sequence.



V17 (D1) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, drawing. Fort Drum drawing from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report.



V118 (D2) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, text 1. This is the 1st of 5 text images from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island on the 13th April 1945.



V119 (D3) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, LCM for oil & pump. The LCM boat drawing rigged to pump oil and gas into Fort Hughes and Fort Drum for the assault and capture Fort Drum on El Fraile Island on the 13th April 1945



V120 (D4) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, text 2. This is the 2nd of 5 text images from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island on the 13th April 1945.



V121 (D5) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, LSM-51 Trojan horse. This is the drawing from Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report as to how the boarding ramp was built on LSM-51 to assault Ft. Drum on the 13th April 1945.



V122 (D6) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, text 3. This is the 3rd of 5 text images from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island in Manila Bay on the 13th April 1945.



V123 (D7) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, escape ropes. This is an image from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island in Manila Bay on the 13th April 1945. It shows Battery Roberts on the port side of the concrete battleship, it is pointed out that the boarding party rigged emergency escape lines. What is significant to me is that the heavy shelling by a Navy cruiser occurred the day before and apparently caused the lower gun to disappear. That has never been mentioned so far as far as I know.



V124 (D8) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, text 4. This is the 4th of 5 text images from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island in Manila Bay on the 13th April 1945.



V125 (D9) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, alongside Ft. Drum. This is the drawing from Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report as to how the boarding operation was conducted from the LSM-51 to assault Ft. Drum on the 13th April 1945.



V126 (D10) 38th Inf.Div. Rep.Drum, text 5. This is the 5th and last of 5 text images from the Avengers of Bataan, 38th Inf. Report, about their assault and capture of Fort Drum on El Fraile Island in Manila Bay on the 13th April 1945.
It is a testimony how the US Army and Navy team tackled a difficult task very successful without loss of lives. Tragically some time before a US Navy PT boat went along side, the crew entered via one of sally ports at the stern of the concrete battleship then advanced up the longitude center-line passageway and met machine gun fire. The crew suffered casualties, included KIA and retreated. Thus the Army and Navy developed this plan and executed it well.

[armyjunk]

[cbuehler]

As Karl mentioned, Ft. Drum is off limits and has been for several years. Fireball and I were apparently the last of the members of this forum to have visited and studied it back in 2012.
Again, it is in a perilous state and very unsafe, so perhaps it is best that access is restricted.

CB