Exploring The War Tunnels of The BAMBAN HILLS
Sept 23, 2022 10:29:59 GMT 8
Karl Welteke, chadhill, and 1 more like this
Post by EXO on Sept 23, 2022 10:29:59 GMT 8
I have linked up with Rhonie Dela Cruz who is the spark-plug that drives the BAMBAN WAR MUSEUM.
Here's his first video for us:
He writes:
The Snake Mountain Hakozaki Bamban Hills became an important Japanese defense line of Clark area in 1945, where the Kembu Group composite division of army and navy forces fortified the hills and ridges overlooking Clark Air Center with the tunnel defense system emplaced with mortars, machine gun, automatic cannons, and light artillery. A total of 42,000 men under the command of General Rikichi Tsukada occupied these mountain defenses with tunnels that were used for troops shelter, military depot, defense positions, hospital, and field headquarters.
At the back of Clark Field, about 12,000 kilometers southwest of Bamban, the Japanese occupied a hill and named it Hakozaki-Yama, and fortified with numerous tunnels on east and west slope. From above, the hill looked like a snake, hence the Americans called it Snake Hill North, while to the native Aeta Indigenous People, the place which used to be forested, was a favorite place of the native owl, hence Buok Hill.
The 14th Naval Combat Sector of Hakozaki
In early January 1945, a mobilization order was issued by the Kembu Group commander, General Tsukada to occupy positions of the Bamban Hills with the southwest areas as reserved for the Naval Combat Sector. Hakozaki-Yama was occupied by composite auxiliary troops and men of the 201st, and 315th Kokutai air crews, as well as crews from the Mabalacat and Clark North airfields, and support personnel. Part of the naval force was ordered to occupy the Hakozaki, with about 600 men, under the overall command of Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto.
The Battle of Snake Hill North, February 1945
By late January 1945, the American 40th Division came down from Lingayen to engage the Kembu Group with its outpost line of resistance in Bamban. After the collapse of the line, the 3 regiments of the 40th attacked the other lines of the Kembu Group including the main line of the Takaya Shitai with devastating results. Heavy fighting from among the occupied mountain tunnels were encountered by the 40th with air support and tanks and artillery support. From the Takaya Shitai Mountain hold out on Matsuyama (Storm King), it was evident that the next battle will be on the Kembu naval combat sectors. By middle of February 1945, the 185th Infantry fought a vicious fight on the slopes of Hakozaki, with the field artillery firing from Storm King, while the 5th Air Force brought down their bombers and fighter-bombers and saturated the surface of the tunnel-holed hill. For several days of bombardments, the 185th scaled up the hill and the Japanese defenders fought for every ground, as long as they could, until ordered to retire into the rear.
Out of the strength of about 3,000 of Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto, only 60 naval personnel managed to survived.
Field Reconnaissance and Investigating History
Bamban Historical Society, led by its president, Rhonie Dela Cruz, and the Field Recon and Investigation Team, conducted the Operation Discovery WWII Tunnels on the eastern slope of Hakozaki, where several tunnels that more of troop shelter were surveyed. On the photographed taken in February 1945, the Hakozaki was pockmarked with numerous tunnels and at present, only a few are remains open. One tunnel was discovered on the western face of the hill. The Team conducted documentation and mapping survey to be included in the Data Base.
Search for Remains of War Dead
In the coming summer, BHS Field Recon Team will conduct a field survey on the western slope of the Hakozaki, where the concentration of tunnels was established during the war. A WWII Museum is currently established in the town of Bamban where many of the artifacts collected from the battlefield survey by the Team are in permanent display. Remains of war dead were also recovered and several sets of these were already handed over to the representatives of the Japan Embassy in Manila, and the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Welfare from Tokyo, in coordination with our National Museum.
BHS Field Recon and Investigation Team
Bamban Historical Society is an affiliate-member organization of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and accredited with the Local Government of Bamban, while the Bamban WWII Museum is recognized by the National Museum and is in technical partnership with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office – Department of National Defense.
To all those interested to join in our Battlefield Recon and Investigation on our Investigating History Series, you may contact the following:
Rhonie Dela Cruz
Bamban Historical Society
Bamban WWII Museum
Center for Japanese Pacific War Studies
rhonie.bamban@yahoo.com.ph, bambanww2museum@gmail.com
+63 9630861513
Here's his first video for us:
He writes:
The Snake Mountain Hakozaki Bamban Hills became an important Japanese defense line of Clark area in 1945, where the Kembu Group composite division of army and navy forces fortified the hills and ridges overlooking Clark Air Center with the tunnel defense system emplaced with mortars, machine gun, automatic cannons, and light artillery. A total of 42,000 men under the command of General Rikichi Tsukada occupied these mountain defenses with tunnels that were used for troops shelter, military depot, defense positions, hospital, and field headquarters.
At the back of Clark Field, about 12,000 kilometers southwest of Bamban, the Japanese occupied a hill and named it Hakozaki-Yama, and fortified with numerous tunnels on east and west slope. From above, the hill looked like a snake, hence the Americans called it Snake Hill North, while to the native Aeta Indigenous People, the place which used to be forested, was a favorite place of the native owl, hence Buok Hill.
The 14th Naval Combat Sector of Hakozaki
In early January 1945, a mobilization order was issued by the Kembu Group commander, General Tsukada to occupy positions of the Bamban Hills with the southwest areas as reserved for the Naval Combat Sector. Hakozaki-Yama was occupied by composite auxiliary troops and men of the 201st, and 315th Kokutai air crews, as well as crews from the Mabalacat and Clark North airfields, and support personnel. Part of the naval force was ordered to occupy the Hakozaki, with about 600 men, under the overall command of Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto.
The Battle of Snake Hill North, February 1945
By late January 1945, the American 40th Division came down from Lingayen to engage the Kembu Group with its outpost line of resistance in Bamban. After the collapse of the line, the 3 regiments of the 40th attacked the other lines of the Kembu Group including the main line of the Takaya Shitai with devastating results. Heavy fighting from among the occupied mountain tunnels were encountered by the 40th with air support and tanks and artillery support. From the Takaya Shitai Mountain hold out on Matsuyama (Storm King), it was evident that the next battle will be on the Kembu naval combat sectors. By middle of February 1945, the 185th Infantry fought a vicious fight on the slopes of Hakozaki, with the field artillery firing from Storm King, while the 5th Air Force brought down their bombers and fighter-bombers and saturated the surface of the tunnel-holed hill. For several days of bombardments, the 185th scaled up the hill and the Japanese defenders fought for every ground, as long as they could, until ordered to retire into the rear.
Out of the strength of about 3,000 of Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto, only 60 naval personnel managed to survived.
Field Reconnaissance and Investigating History
Bamban Historical Society, led by its president, Rhonie Dela Cruz, and the Field Recon and Investigation Team, conducted the Operation Discovery WWII Tunnels on the eastern slope of Hakozaki, where several tunnels that more of troop shelter were surveyed. On the photographed taken in February 1945, the Hakozaki was pockmarked with numerous tunnels and at present, only a few are remains open. One tunnel was discovered on the western face of the hill. The Team conducted documentation and mapping survey to be included in the Data Base.
Search for Remains of War Dead
In the coming summer, BHS Field Recon Team will conduct a field survey on the western slope of the Hakozaki, where the concentration of tunnels was established during the war. A WWII Museum is currently established in the town of Bamban where many of the artifacts collected from the battlefield survey by the Team are in permanent display. Remains of war dead were also recovered and several sets of these were already handed over to the representatives of the Japan Embassy in Manila, and the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Welfare from Tokyo, in coordination with our National Museum.
BHS Field Recon and Investigation Team
Bamban Historical Society is an affiliate-member organization of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and accredited with the Local Government of Bamban, while the Bamban WWII Museum is recognized by the National Museum and is in technical partnership with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office – Department of National Defense.
To all those interested to join in our Battlefield Recon and Investigation on our Investigating History Series, you may contact the following:
Rhonie Dela Cruz
Bamban Historical Society
Bamban WWII Museum
Center for Japanese Pacific War Studies
rhonie.bamban@yahoo.com.ph, bambanww2museum@gmail.com
+63 9630861513