|
Post by Larry Gundrum on Mar 25, 2009 7:25:47 GMT 8
(This thread has its origins in a letter sent to Steve and Marcia Kwiecinski, who presently reside on Corregidor on behalf of the CFI. Steve writes and distributes a newsletter of their experiences.)
Dear Steve and Marcia, I retrieved your names from The Quan as I am a member of the Descendants Group. My uncle, then Lt. Commander Fort H. Callahan, USN, was stationed at Cavite but had an office at Monkey Point with the Naval Radio Station. I have drawings of the station and I may have a picture from a Japanese photo book on the occupation of Corregidor of the station but the Japanese subtitles only indicate their "glorious victory". I wondered if you have current pictures of the station at Monkey Point or its environs? My uncle was allowed to stay on the Rock for about six months to run the air conditioning. Incidentally, he and Lt. McCoy sent the last Naval message in the clear before the surrender. Thankyou for your interest in this part of history. Larry Gundrum
|
|
|
Post by EXO on Mar 25, 2009 7:35:25 GMT 8
Steve Kwiecinski forwarded the letter to EXO and BATTERYBOY, and wrote: Can you guys tell me if there is more to this than the Navy Intercept Tunnel and Monkey Point itself??I am aware of Lt. Comm. Ford Hammond Callahan. corregidor.org/book_uno/chapter_uno_07.htm Vince Chamberlin also writes of him, and Corregidor's last days. I have had permission to reprint some NCVA articles - but as I never got much feedback, didn't place more on the site as the topic (on which I myself have written) is so esoteric. As you are surely aware, it's almost impossible to get a definitive photograph of a place which ISN'T there any more - only odd photos of the handball court wall and the bases of some of the poles from which the antenna web array were hung. I wouldn't expect any detail on the maps either, given that it was maybe Corregidor's biggest single secret and the Navy ran it and we have never seen any Navy maps floating around today. corregidor.org/heritage_battalion/abbott/navytunnel.html Being involved in this ultra secret stuff, I expect that it has never and won't ever be declassified. Thus drawings of the area would be worthwhile to have. I have seen a drawing in a book on cryptography that showed the layout of the tunnel, but have never reproduced it for copyright reasons. There were a number of IBM tabulating machines (essentially electro-mechanical card reading machines) inside the tunnel itself, and thus I would expect air conditioning and power plant installations to be associated with the installation. No one associated with the code breaking and traffic analysis was captured, as they were the only unit evacuated IN ITS ENTIRETY from the Rock prior to the surrender. I have a conflict in info as to the extent of the machinery which got off Corregidor. Some didn't, and a POW was indeed used during the war to reassemble some in working condition. (he managed never to make it operate adequately.) Some machines ended up in a garage at the back of a large house in Henry Street, Ascot Brisbane - and the house and garage are still there and none of the neighbours are even aware of it. Whenever dealing with this subject, be aware that as much valuable info was obtained by traffic analysis as by code-breaking, and that these are separate and distinct sources of intelligence. Corregidor was more involved in the former than the latter. The Navy used to refer some of it under the cover name Fleet Radio Unit.
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Mar 25, 2009 13:08:29 GMT 8
Hey Ex-O, any reply from Steve on what you said?
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Mar 25, 2009 16:48:48 GMT 8
When Steve forwards your information to Larry Gundrum, I hope he suggests to Larry that his photos and maps would be a much appreciated addition to Corregidor.org
If it is Monkey Point area info, that would be great.
If it is Navy Intercept Tunnel info, we know what it is like inside today but to know more about it during war time would also be great.
|
|
|
Post by The Phantom on Mar 28, 2009 5:03:27 GMT 8
SOME INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS SUBJECT FROM THE FOLLOWING BOOK I'M NOW READING
MACARTHUR'S ULTRA CODE BREAKING 1942 -1945 by EDWARD J. DREA
" BY OCTOBER 1941 FOUR (PURPLE) MACHINES REMAINED IN WASHINGTON, TWO EACH UNDER ARMY AND NAVY AUSPICES, THREE WERE IN LONDON, AND ONE UNDER NAVY CONTROL WAS ON THE ISLAND OF CORREGIDOR. (THE PURPLE SOLUTION ON AN "ANALOG" MACHINE THAT DECRYPTED MACHINE-ENCIPHERED JAPANESE DIPLOMATIC TRAFFIC.)
STATION 6, JUST OUTSIDE FORT MCKINLEY IN THE MANILA SUBURBS, INTERCEPTED JAPANESE RADIO TRAFFIC FOR THE ARMY. IT WAS ALSO KNOWN BY THE ARMY THAT THE NAVY OPERATED THE PURPLE MACHINE ON MONKEY POINT ON CORREGIDOR. STATION 6 WAS MANNED BY TWO OFFICERS AND 16 ENLISTED MEN.
THE U.S. NAVY OPERATED ITS OWN SIGNAL FACILITY IN THE PHILIPPINES UNDER THE COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT FABIAN, 10 OFFICERS AND 51 ENLISTED MEN ON MONKEY POINT, FORT MILLS, CORREGIDOR. FABIAN'S MEN BROKE JAPANESE DIPLOMATIC SYSTEM MESSAGES IN A SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED, AIR-CONDITIONED TUNNEL. ONLY MACARTHUR AND HART RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THIS SOURCE INITIALLY.
THERE WAS USUALLY A THREE DAY DELAY IN ANY INFORMATION FROM MONKEY POINT TO MACARTHUR DUE TO RIGID SECURITY PROCEDURES AS IT WENT THOUGH CHANNELS IN WASHINGTON THEN BACK TO MACARTHUR. AN IMPORTANT COMMUNIQUE 30 MILES AWAY MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN 30,000 MILES AWAY. AN EXAMPLE WAS THAT THE DECRYPTED JAPANESE MESSAGE BREAKING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. WAS DELIVERED TO MACARTHUR'S OFFICE 5 HOURS AFTER IT WAS IN THE MANILA PAPERS.
THE U.S. NAVY STARTED EVACUATION OF ITS MONKEY POINT PERSONNEL AND THEIR PURPLE MACHINE ON FEB. 4TH 1942.THE LAST OF WHICH ARRIVED IN MELBOURNE IN APRIL.
THE ARMY ACTED MORE SLOWLY BEGINNING AN AERIAL EVACUATION OF STATION 6 ON MARCH 27.THIS DELAY ALLOWED THE JAPANESE, WHEN THEY OVERRAN CORREGIDOR, IN MAY 1942 TO CAPTURE 6 ENLISTED MEN FROM THE INTERCEPT STATION. ONLY ONE LIVED THROUGH THE JAPANESE ATROCITIES METED OUT TO ALL PRISONERS. APPARENTLY THE JAPANESE NEVER KNEW WHO THEY HAD. ONLY ONE SURVIVED THE WAR.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Apr 18, 2009 15:05:59 GMT 8
Steve,
What was Larry's response to EXO's information? Is he willing to share any drawing and photos for everyone?
|
|