Malinta Hill

[chadhill]

Hi Fots, check your e-mail. Let me know if it didn't come thru and I'll resend.

Okla, Fots ain't kidding about the tall, thick grass on that side of the island.

Friend Jerry near the end of North Shore Road, east of Kindley Field, 1986.


Friend Keith inland of North Point, 1987.

[okla]

Hey Chad...It would appear that the brush was a bit lush (did I make a rhyme???) back in the 1980s as your photos clearly depict. Cheers.

[fots2]

Got it Chad. Thank-you very much.

All those positions east of the concrete wall are in the grassy areas. The island is very narrow along the ridge but seeing anything of interest will be difficult. At least now I know there are few things to be found here.


(Great aerial photo of Middleside Barracks you just posted. I have not seen that before).

[armyjunk]

back for a day or so

[The Phantom]

So much history in your photo above Armyjunk.

The coal storage area below the cliffs, and the road going to Engineers ravine is interesting.

It has been stated here before-- all this area is fill from the cliffs behind it or from the quarry where west Malinta tunnel is now.

If you look closely can you can see what may have been part of the old Spanish road to Engineers ravine which went along the cliff face.

Because, until filled in, the area below the cliffs where the coal storage and distribution area are now, looked like the shore line, on the other side of the Engineers pier area, to the north of Engineers ravine.

By filling in this area it made for a deeper port to bring in the coal ships which was the islands chief fuel source.

In earlier times when ships ran on coal this area would have made Corregidor a major coaling station for the fleet which we didn't have in the Far East.

Other countries in the area like England, France and the Dutch were not to open to coaling American ships in their ports at the time.

A great picture of Corregidor past.

[fots2]

That is a great view of the north end of Malinta and west of it. Thanks for posting the photo.

Could you also post the southern end of the top of Malinta hill? There are structures along there, especially the south end which maps do not identify. I am just trying to make more sense of it all and a view without a lot of trees helps a lot.

[chadhill]

Armyjunk, thanks for reposting this terrific photo. Do you know when it was taken?


I've been playing with Photobucket enlargements and this is about the best compromise I can get between size and focus. I'll try to get my computer whiz 23 year old daughter to help me. She says there is another program that we can try. In the meantime:


Lieutenant Colonel E.L. Barr, in his history of Battery Mobile, said "The first platoon was emplaced on Malinta Hill with one section at the very top above the searchlight tunnel". Later, when writing of the 240mm shells that struck the hill on April 30th, he stated that "The pompom and the other machine gun pit were totally destroyed".

At the top of the stairs might be the "bathtub" supplementary command post. It seems to have a large object in it on the right side. To the left seems to be an even larger above ground object. I have used a magnifying lens and am not sure if there are barrels on them or not. There are also interesting objects in the near background. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I recently watched a 1988 VHS taped interview of the late Corregidor veteran Max McClain. He revisited the island that year and I was fortunate to meet him. It's interesting and I'll post notes on it before long. Max said that the pom-pom was then on display at Bottomside, minus one of its barrels. He said that an 8 inch gun which had been destined for the USS Houston was there also. I think I may have photos of them somewhere, possibly on VHS, but haven't found them yet.

[chadhill]

Fots, at the end of the dry season during one of the years I was based in Subic, the tail of Corregidor caught fire and burned the grass off almost all the way to Malinta Hill. Unfortunately, after all the smoke cleared I was unable to get there for an expedition. I've always wondered what I might have found...

[fots2]

Unfortunately after a fire is the only way you will find much in many Tailside areas these days.

That 8-inch gun barrel was Battery RJ43 and located directly east of SL #8 at the bottom of Malinta Hill. (so I have been told, I have not found the damn mounting bolts yet). The barrel itself guards North Dock these days.

[chadhill]

Fots, the more I look at this the more I think that oval looking pit at the top of the stairs is the "bathtub" command post that you took a photo of. There sure seems to be something inside it on the right side, but not a gun like I thought I saw before. (BTW, my computer whiz daughter tweeked the blowup photo of armyjunk's picture some, but she says it's limited by the resolution).

Enlarged photo with object at top of stairs.


Fots foto.