Malinta Hill

[fots2]

Hi armyjunk,

Damn, all the photos that I post and you show me a much simpler way to do it. Thank-you for the information. If anyone reading this has not used Photobucket then armyjunk’s detailed steps will get you started.

Although my post above works, forget it and use either armyjunk’s procedure or my modified procedure.


How to post a large size photo in a Corregidor.org Forum:

(1) Upload the photo to Photobucket.
(2) Put your cursor over the thumbnail photo so a box appears below the photo. Note the text “IMG Code” and the code beside it (in a small box).
(3) Move your cursor down to the “IMG Code” code box and click it. (the code is highlighted).
(4) Hold down the “Ctrl” key and simultaneously press “C”. This pastes the code onto your Clipboard.
(5) Logon to the Corregidor.org forum and in the thread you want, click “reply”.
(6) Click in the text box.
(7) Hold down the “Ctrl” key and simultaneously press “V”. This pastes the code into the text box.
(8) Click “Preview” to see if the large photo displays ok. If yes, click “Post Reply”.


P.S. The “tinyurl.com” site that armyjunk uses is handy too.

[chadhill]

Hi fots2 and armyjunk,

Thanks for the tips on picture posting. I'll give it a go and try posting some Topside, Middleside photos and various other pics in the coming days. Appreciate it-

I helped in a homemade VHS interview with the late Max McClain from the 1980s. I'll try to dig it out and check what he said about his searchlight. Also, I remember that he mentioned that one of the three Japanese tanks which landed on Corregidor in '42 was a US M3 Stuart, captured on Bataan. It was the first time I had heard that.

[okla]

Hey Fots....You got that right!!!! I am drooling with all this excellent new stuff and the temp here in the "badlands" has dropped under 100 degrees. Is life great, or what??
Hey Chad....I am sure you are aware that the emperor's troops captured quite a number of Stuart tanks that were literally abandoned on the east side of the Pampanga River (guessing here about what river) when the bridges were blown by USAFFE Engineers. I have heard that they were out of fuel or some such thing, but it wasn't just two or three M3s, but a platoon or more. Just another one of many fiascos in the initial stages of that comedy of errors that took place during December 1941, though, the tankers did well at Plaridel holding off the Japanese advance whilst Genl Jones "side slipped" his South Luzon Force to Bataan. Cheers.

[chadhill]

Okla, what strikes me as ironic is that the captured M3 was apparently the only one of the three tanks that could scale the inclined terrain near the beaches. After doing so, it towed the two Type 97s up! I guess one could only speculate about "what if"" there had been no M3 that morning...

[okla]

Hey Chad....I have always had the impression that when word reached Malinta that "tanks were on the island" that our HQ folks seemed to think that it was something like a Panzer Division and not a rag tag, three tank unit. Surely there would have been some method that they could have blocked the east entrance to Malinta and those narrow defiles around the north and south sides of Malinta Hill. I realize that there was no anti tank guns as such or anti tank ammo, but dynamite, molotov cocktails,etc or something similar might have been utililzed. The ultimate result would have been the same, but maybe Homma would have had to try it again, some days or even weeks later. Hind sight, she be 20-20 as Truman once said. Cheers.

[chadhill]

Fots 2009 photos of the 75mm position on top Malinta Hill:






As seen in 1977:




From "Philippine Expeditionary Force", published by the Japanese in occupied Manila, 1943 (note second structure at left background). This photo isn't captioned and the earth bank looks steeper. Maybe it is one of the other two 75mm batteries on top of Malinta (weren't they destroyed on 4/29?). Or another position altogether?

[chadhill]

Fots photo looking east from on top of Malinta Hill:




From "Philippine Expeditionary Force", 1943 (note taped-in translation, translator unknown):

[okla]

Hey Chad....I've said it before and will again. What a tremendous defensive position the Corregidor defenders had in holding Malinta Hill. With the north and south shore roads made impassable and the east entrance of the Tunnel somehow blocked? It always brings a multitude of "what ifs",etc to mind when viewing the whole panorama of the eastern sector of "the rock" Fots and I have combed over this subject to the nth degree. Hindsight raises it's ugly head once again. Cheers.

[chadhill]

Okla, hindsight probably does raise its ugly head. The 4th Marines had two 37mm guns with armor piercing ammo stationed on a final defensive line outside the east entrance to Malinta Tunnel, according to USMC Platoon Sergeant Milton Englin in Howell's book, and 20 total such guns on hand across the island.

[fots2]

Hi Chad,

Great photos there. I have never seen them before.

If I had to make a guess I would say that this shelter is the one that still exists today. I agree it looks steeper today on the eastern side (foreground of the photo) but the terrain behind the shelter fits only this position. The uphill slope does not apply to the other one that is further south on top of the hill. The structure on the hill to the left may be the one that is totally destroyed now. There are large pieces of concrete and sections of the walls and roof still there.

In 1945 Malinta Hill would have taken another beating before and during the retaking of the island. Perhaps this is when the far left building was destroyed. Shell/bomb damage might have made the eastern side of the hill steeper in this location. Actually it is steeper on both sides than before the war.

I am sure you have seen the 1945 photos showing all the rubble on the mid to lower western side of Malinta Hill. Some people say it came from the top of the hill but I don’t believe they have studied the 1945 photos. (The few who say the hill is 6 feet or so shorter is bull crap, do they think the pre-war structures are now floating in the air?). A bit may have come from there but the top third to quarter of the hill was still tree covered. The rubble came from the sides after repeated pulverizing by bombs and shells.

This idea is not hard to prove today. Phantom and I noted the differences in pre and post war Malinta Hill. Using the 5ft contour maps we know quite well what the hill looked like pre war. When we decided to follow a relatively steep slope down, we came to near cliffs so the hillsides have been steepened by the war.

Thanks for the photos.