Miscellaneous travels on Corregidor

[fots2]

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For subjects in which I only have a few photos, I will post in this ongoing thread instead of creating multiple short ones scattered around the various sub-boards.

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Siege Material Storehouse #8 (SMSH#8)
Location: Cheney Ravine

Due to its location I am sure this place is rarely visited. I got there by following the ravine down to the coast but it was a hot and slow trek. There is an old road but it is too overgrown to walk on. Even where I was, I had to cut my path almost all the way.

I plan to visit Searchlight #3 in this area soon but next time I will try coming down from the Battery Hanna direction.




Early morning off shore view of Cheney Ravine. SMSH #8 is part way up the ravine on the right hand side.



As you approach the coast, here is the view from the bottom of Cheney Ravine jut before reaching SMSH #8. The south west coast of Bataan is in the distance.



Entrance to SMSH #8



Entrance to SMSH #8



SMSH #8 is a concrete lined tunnel. It looks like it originally ended here but part of the rear wall has been broken or blasted away. The hole is too low for a normal doorway. Further past here there is more concrete lining but it soon ends giving away to a bare rock tunnel.



Continuing in a short ways further, there is an upward slope to the right and blue sky can be seen. On getting closer you realize that this is an opening out to the cliff face.



View of the beach at Cheney Ravine from the cliff face entrance. Bataan is in the distance.



Back inside, a small rough tunnel has been dug on the inland side of the main tunnel. You can walk in it by leaning over a bit.



This small tunnel goes up and circles to the right. At the top is an even smaller dead ended tunnel to the left.



Continuing on the tunnel is a dead end also and you can see two drill holes where they may have planned to dig further.



This is a good afternoon view of the right side cliff of Cheney Ravine. Notice near the mid left there is a black triangle in the hillside. This is the concrete entrance to SMSH #8.

Now look straight across to just past the centre of the photo. Here you can see the rounded entrance in the cliff face.

[okla]

Hey Fots....Good stuff as per usual. This mini-Fantastic Fots Foto Tour hit the spot this Sunday morning. Just the right thing to get my
morning going. The 1937 construction date on the entrance portal would indicate that "digging" and "tunneling" was an ongoing thing on Corregidor during the 1930s. Some higher brass had an idea during these lazy days of peace that things might get a little hairy later on down the line, it would seem. Postscript....surely those beat up, decaying "flip flop" footwear don't belong to you. lol

[fots2]

You are very observant there okla, fortunately that footwear was not mine.

I expect it was the Japanese who decided to enlarge this tunnel. The side tunnel is certainly not ‘American” size and the way it winds up at an unusually steep elevation gives me the impression that it was never going to be any larger. One of those things we will never know for sure.

[batteryboy]

Fots,

Nice photos. Best way to SL # 3 is the same way rather than going down from Hanna. Just go to your left. You will also find another old land defense battery.

Cheers,
B-boy

[fots2]

Salamat batteryboy,

Good advise for SL #3.

I was going to go up to it that day but it was hotter than usual so I just went out to the beach. The breeze was great for cooling off.

I started walking and ended up at the cliff below the veranda. I got a couple photos looking up at it and Conchita Island then headed home. Enough for one day.

SL #3 and the other positions will wait for the next trip there.

[fots2]

Balloon Hangars
Location: north of Denver Ridge on Tailside.








This is the only photo that I am aware of showing one of the balloon hangers. The photo was taken from the Officer’s Quarters area in the 1920s looking east. Part of the north side coast between Infantry and Cavalry Points is visible to the left. The long building with all the windows in the background is a fabric and carpenter shop.

The 1932 map shows the two hangars still there but now labeled as storehouses. Perhaps obsolete balloons had been removed from Corregidor by then.

I wish I could show you more than concrete pillars in an overgrown jungle. Unfortunately, nothing of what I saw even remotely resembled hangars other than the sheer size of the ruins. Note the doorway on the left hand side of the hanger to give you an idea of how big these structures were.




Here is an enlargement of a section of the above photo. Behind the door are evenly space ‘H’ shaped concrete pillars around both sides and the rear of the hanger. These overgrown pillars are all you will see today.




View of the western balloon hanger.




View of the western balloon hanger.




View of the western balloon hanger.




View of the western balloon hanger.




View of the western balloon hanger. The rear of the hanger has a low wall between the pillars.

After wandering around here, I headed north to find the Hydrogen Plant (1921 map, building #69). Only the outer concrete walls remain.




Hydrogen Plant

Next of interest was the 1917 era machine gun position (III-M-1) a little bit east. Due to the grasses it was a little hard to find and I could only see the centre wall.




III-M-1 position above the north beach. (III-M-1 refers to Sector 3, Machine gun, position #1)

Just past here the going got difficult and slow. The vegetation was thick and the little flesh ripping vines were everywhere. It took quite awhile to get to the second hanger. I didn’t even walk completely around it due to the effort it would require.




View of the eastern balloon hanger. An example of how the vines and other vegetation have completely taken over this area. This photo was taken after I cut small vines out of the view.




Another view of the eastern balloon hanger.

Not wanting to retrace all those steps to get here, I headed out by going up straight up Denver Ridge, west of the anti-aircraft gun blocks and down the other side to the road. I did make one detour though, a quick stop to the Battery Denver Tunnel since I was in the area. Nothing has changed here.




The lower entrance to the Battery Denver Tunnel.

More photos of Battery Denver Tunnel are here: corregidor.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=threads&action=display&thread=410

This was my first visit to this particular area of Corregidor so it was a good day.

[okla]

Hey Fots....And thanks to another Fantastic Fots Foto Tour it was possible for me to make my first trip to this remote region of the "rock", and I didn't get cut up by vines and brush. I am in your debt. ;D

[The Phantom]

Looks very interesting Fots, look forward to retracing your "cut" path.
Will sharpen my San Fernando made Machete, my "SNAKE" stick and bring along my newly acquired, high quality, anti-vine snipers.
Looks like the old Hangers were along the road that went below Kindley Field to the north. Never been that way, except to go down to the invasion beach.
Would love to try and follow that around to the tail. Probably have to get into the tree line as any roads I've been on on the Tail are high in grass over your head.

Having trouble getting in my 5 miles a day walking in preparation for Corregidor walking, as it was in the teens here the last few nights, high of 35? yesterday and today, that's Texas!
Last month, November, it averaged 70 degrees , this month, below 40!

[okla]

Hey Phantom....Just a quick note of sympathy. Having lived twice at McAllen, Texas (down in the "Valley") for a total of 7 years, I know how miserable it can be when the temp drops below 50 degrees. It's a damp cold that penetrates to the bone, but that blast that hit Houston and the gulf coast had to be brutal. My sympathies go forth to you.

[fots2]

Phantom,

The old road starting from today’s Filipino Heroes Memorial and past the hangers does continue to north of Kindley Field. Karl and I walked part of it from near the end of Kindley Field back to the Memorial last month. It was surprisingly easy with only minimal cutting. The eastern hanger cannot be seen from the road and is quite overgrown. The western hanger can be seen from the road and this is the easiest way to get there.

In a few days I will post some east end photos. Two views are probably my favorites on all of Corregidor.

I hope the weather improves for you.