Corregidor map, WWII, the Japanese had one

[Karl Welteke]

Corregidor map, WWII, the Japanese had one

During the Siege of Corregidor in WWII by the Imperial Japanese Forces, they had accurate target maps, the best type money can buy, an US Army secrete one. The people of the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team found one in the Japanese archives! The Lt. Britt Team wrote this to us in the forum:

Came across the attached in the Japan National Archives! I'm sure you've both heard of PHOTO JOE the plane which came over Corregidor every day to do an aerial recon of the island. These maps may be the result of those photos in April, 1942. Sorry I can't do more to translate the actual maps, but I'm hoping with your knowledge of the island you can figure most of it out.

The Lt. Britt Team wrote, using Google, the translation of the SUMMARY block comes out like this "Enemy position number and position code Corregidor code No. 1 Corregidor No. 2 14th Appendix Aerial photogrammetry (Photographed in April of the same year) Issued in April of the same year Watari Group Headquarters @ Appendix 16 Corregidor Island Nikel Landing Defense Facility and Landing Support Shooting Results Summary (Sato)"

Note from Karl, my speculation as to how the Japanese got copies of these secret Corregidor and Caballo Island maps. Either thru intelligence work or they found copies as the American, Philippine Forces retreated into Bataan.

Here are just 3 copies from the Japanese National Archive File of the Corregidor WWII Map. This PDF file is available in the Corregidor.org web pages with this URL, click here:

corregidor.org/refdoc/Reference_Reading/Duresky/Japanese-Knowledge-of-American-Positions-on-Corregidor----April-1942/index.html



Zf118. SW section of Topside Corregidor Japanese WWII Map. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.



Zf119. Bottomside and Malinta Hill, Corregidor Japanese WWII Map. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.



Zf120The actual Japanes landing site/beaches on Corregidor from the Corregidor Japanese WWII Map. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.

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I thank the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team for sharing the valuable find with the English Speaking World!

The people of the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team are:

First are Dave Britt, LTC USAF (Ret), son of Chester K Britt, Vickie Graham CMSGT USAF (Ret), and John Duresky. They all graduated from Logan High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1967, and are doing it as a team. Chester Britt graduated from Logan in 1933 and his mother Grace in 1934. Dave wrote most of the manuscript, John editing what he wrote and doing most of the research, and Vickie is the final editor with about 20 years of professional writing in her resume, largely with Airman Magazine.

They are planning to write a book about Army Lt. Chester K. Britt soon!

Uploaded their intention to the forum, POW/MIA, Army Lt. Chester K. Britt, Hell Ship Oryoku Maru, click here:
corregidor.proboards.com/thread/2275/army-chester-britt-ship-oryoku

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Here are 3 translated sections of the important map. One member of the team, John Duresky, had experience of working in Japan and he asked one of his Japanese friends to translate these next three copies from the above PDF file which has 30 pages.



Zf121. One translated section of a Japanese WWII Corregidor Island, Fort Mills map, used by the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Siege of Corregidor. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.



Zf122. One translated section of a Japanese WWII Corregidor Island, Fort Mills map, used by the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Siege of Corregidor. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.



Zf123. One translated section of a Japanese WWII Corregidor Island, Fort Mills map, used by the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Siege of Corregidor. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team.

[chadhill]

This is truly amazing. Thanks for posting, Karl. Super job with the "flipping pages" book, EXO. Mega kudos to John Duresky and the Britt Research Team for this find in the Japanese National Archives.

[Karl Welteke]

1942 April Japanese Imperial Army WWII Corregidor invasion map.



Zf117. The whole Corregidor map, WWII, the Japanese had one. Picture courtesy, the Japanese National Archives and the Army Lt. Chester K. Britt Research Team. This picture may be downloaded in high resolution from this Flickr account, click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/51164259572/

[EXO]

There's been a bunch (a mass mess?) of private e-mail traffic about the various possible sources of the Japanese map of Corregidor, much of it speculation involving aerial recon over Corregidor.  As much of it was only speculation and opinion, we won't preserve it all here. What was worth the preservation, however, are the factual comments of Prof. Dr. Rico Jose, by way of background.  We have added his comments to our publication of the map. 

[beirutvet]

EXO

Another fabulous find!

Incredibly detailed, but one thing that jumped out at me was the depiction of Mile Long Barracks not as one long continuous building but 5 separate buildings.  If this was mainly from aerial recon, I think it would have been clear this was one building.

But then again, after some bombing it may have appeared to be a number of buildings in line.  Fascinating rabbit hole this entire thread!

[Karl Welteke]

DR. RICARDO TROTA JOSE is Professor of History in the Philippines.

He wrote several books about WWII and the Philippines, just do your search.

He is also my friend.

Friends and others discussed the Army Lt. Britt Research Team find that the Imperial Japanese Forces had a copy of the secrete Corregidor/Fort Mills facility map.

-Dr. Ricardo T. Jose wrote this comment to the discussion group:

Thanks for sharing, Karl. Very interesting and exciting information here and in the discussion. The Japanese semi-official history, the War History Series (Senshi Sosho) states that the Philippines was included in Japanese war plans as early as 1919, and naval doctors came to the Philippines studying tropical diseases in the 1920s. We know that Masami Maeda, a young officer at that time, was sent to the Philippines c. 1927 to do intelligence work and get to know VIPs; he wound up as Homma's chief of staff in December 1941. I think Takaji Wachi, who took over after Maeda was relieved in 1942, was also sent to the Philippines in 1937 specifically to check on Lingayen Gulf, but according to an interview he gave in the 1970s, was unable to complete the work because the Sino-Japanese War broke out in July 1937. The same Senshi sosho volume prints a map of Bataan showing defense positions that had been captured either in Manila or in the front. And most of the Japanese male residents in the Philippines were reservists; many were taken into the Japanese army during the war as guides, interpreters, etc. Not all as regular officers but many as gunzoku = civilians attached to the army, who wore the same uniform as the Japanese Army did but had a different insignia of rank.

Jim Halsema, in an article on WWII Philippine maps, published years ago in the journal Filipinas, stated that the Japanese captured some US Army engineer maps in Manila.

The attached is a map showing Japanese aerial photo coverage of northern Luzon done by civilian Japanese aircraft before the war. This map was published in the Reports of General MacArthur, Vol. II Part I in 1966 (although the report was finished in the early 1950s).

The Japanese also had an observation balloon in Bataan, which enabled them to spot USAFFE lines in the front line and direct artillery; it was also used to direct artillery during the siege of Bataan.

The series of books, The Magic Background to Pearl Harbor, containing decoded and translated Japanese diplomatic intercepts, reveals a lot about the Japanese intelligence operations in the Philippines just prior to Pearl Harbor. Names of some politicians are even cited, among others, and the USAFFE build up is carefully reported.

Hope this is of some interest.

Rico Jose

Note from Karl: It certainly does, thank you Rico!

-This is the attachment Rico Sent.



U858. The attached is a map showing Japanese aerial photo coverage of northern Luzon done by civilian Japanese aircraft before the war. This map was published in the Reports of General MacArthur, Vol. II Part I in 1966 (although the report was finished in the early 1950s).

-Two photos of Dr Rico T Jose on a research expedition into the former Fort McKinley, then Fort Bonifacio Tunnel.



U859. Z387—The Tunnel Rats assemble/meet at McDonald's at the Market Market Mall. From left to right are Professor Rico Jose, Karl, Document Film Producer Lucky Guillermo and ladies from the Ayala Corp. Photo, courtesy of Businessman Leo D. Dominguez.



U860. Z399-- The three young people were from Ayala and BCDA, the elderly are from left to right, me Karl, Professor Rico Jose and Businessman Leo D. Dominguez. Photo, courtesy of Businessman Leo D. Dominguez.

If you are interested in our exploration, click this URL, 3 pages already:

corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1305/tunnels-fort-2

Note from Karl, a question: What would have happened had the Japanese occupied portions of the USA or the Germans, like those in the German Bund organization?
Read the Niihau Incident: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niihau_incident

[Karl Welteke]

Foreign Aliens helping an Invading Military Force!

Questions about Foreign Aliens helping, serving the Occupier, an Invading Military Force!

What would have happened if Imperial Japan occupied Hawaii or California in WWII?

What would have happened if Nazi Germany occupied parts of the U.S. East Coast?

Dr. Rico T. Jose states that during WWII that many Japanese residents in the Philippines ended up serving the Imperial Japanese Forces.
In many books about WWII in the Philippines, I have read numerous times, that Japanese prewar residents in the Philippines were met later again, during the war, in the service of the Imperial Japanese.

Another question, is there writing or even a book about the Japanese residents in the Philippines during WWII?

As a German American who immigrated into the U.S.A, served 30+ years in the U.S. Navy with many years of service in Hawaii or out of Hawaii, knowing about the Niihau Incident, I often asked myself the above questions.

For many years I have been aware of the WWII Niihau Incident (a special Hawaiian Island), quoted from Wikipedia and this URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niihau_incident

The Japanese pilot then sought and received the assistance of the three residents of Japanese descent on the island in overcoming his captors, finding weapons, and taking several hostages. Eventually, Nishikaichi was killed by Niihauans Benehakaka "Ben" Kanahele and his wife Kealoha "Ella" Kanahele;[1] Ben Kanahele was wounded in the process, and one of Nishikaichi's supporters, Yoshio Harada, committed suicide.



Zf124. The Niihau Incident!
This is a display of many in the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum about the Niihau Incident; this is a low resolution picture!

This picture can be downloaded in high resolution with this URL, click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/44567569@N00/51179837231/in/album-72157674621084888/

[beirutvet]

Thank you Karl, for for bringing up this rarely debated point.  For years we have heard of the tragic internment of Japanese Americans on the west coast.  And it was tragic that these presumably loyal Americans were stripped of everything they had and put into relocation camps.  But where exactly did their loyalties lie?

I have read of many accounts of occupying Japanese forces being led around by native Japanese residents being shown critical installations, being seen providing important intelligence about allied forces and dispositions and in general aiding and abetting enemy forces.  And of course, actually joining the occupying forces as members of it's military.

How many of us have questions to this day about Richard Sakakida?

Yes, at the end of the war these people should have had their property returned to them.  But after all, we were at war!

[fortman]

Thanks for very interesting posts.
Regarding spying by the Japs in the Philippines and elsewhere, I read in Prof. Jefferies' very interesting history of the British MI6 that in the 1930s their "Man in Shanghai" actually tried to recruit a US serviceman to provide him details of Corregidor's defences.
Whether he did this under his own initiative or was ordered to do collect such intelligence is not mentioned.

Fortman