|
Post by batteryboy on Mar 13, 2010 10:30:32 GMT 8
Other than coast artillery stuff, I am an avid fan of WWII military aviation history in the Philippines. Just recently, someone just asked me about the condition of the Kamikaze airfield at Mabalacat (Mabalacat East A/F) after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. So I decided to share it here as well. Here are some photo taken when they rebuilt the memorial in early 2000. Then I promised take photos of the airfield and the memorial in its present state today. The area has been fenced of and a statue of a Japanese airman is now the centerpiece of the memorial In front of the statue is an offering area. The airfield was a former sugar cane plantation at Baranggay Cacutud, Mabalacat Pampanga, located at the island of Luzon. A recent construction of a major highway has taken over the former runway. Compare this with the photo taken from the view of the airfield in early 2000 below Good thing that the highway was built to avoid the landmark. The markers were rebuild so that passing tourist can view them on the highway. I am still at Clark Airfield and will try to visit the Mabalacat West Airfield and possibly swing by Bamban A/F within the day. Cheers, Tony
|
|
|
Post by okla on Mar 13, 2010 22:43:54 GMT 8
Hey Battery....Very interesting stuff. Realizing that the Kamikazi operations were a significant part of the history of the Pacific conflict, I am just not ready for a memorial that to me seems to glorify the suicide pilot(s). A monument denoting and describing the tactical operations that took place from this airfield is one thing, but the rather heroic statue of the Japanese suicide pilot "turns me off" If this monument was at Iwakuni or some such ex-kamikazi base in Japan it would be an intirely different matter in my view. The proclamation attemps to explain the project, but I just find something lacking. Am I just an old geezer with too long a memory? I do hope you see where I am coming from, but I betcha I am not alone in my view. From a strictly historical angle this is, evidently, an interesting place and worth a visit by anyone interested in Philippine World War II history.
|
|
|
Post by okla on Mar 13, 2010 22:54:10 GMT 8
Hey Battery....while we are hitting on Philippine Airfields,etc, do you know if there is anything remaining down at Del Monte that would indicate that it was a key installation for a short time way back in 1941-42. I realize that the field wasn't as developed as Clark, but there had to be some facilities in order to serve a flock of B-17s and other aircraft hopping up to the PI from Australia and vice versa. Even if there is nothing left from that era, I betcha some of us "buffs" would still find some shots of the place interesting. I am sure that my too vivid imagination would take off for the wild blue to just see a photo of the old base. Just wondering, as per usual. Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Mar 14, 2010 9:25:00 GMT 8
Hey Okla,
Nothing wrong with your opinion. In fact I have received more nasty emails from other foreigners. I told them that I just study the military aspect of it. They were requesting me to tear the place down. (hahahaha)
In 1998, I had the priviledge to visit the Del Monte Plantation and went to the three main air fields. Nothing much to see except that its a big wide and flat areas by a plateau with the Agusan River splitted the area. No hangars as the B-17s were left in the open or were concealed with camo nettigns and foliage. The officeers and the creas as well as General Sharp and his command were billetted in the 1920s style homes built for the company executives and their families. Some of the crews were in tents and other housing near the wooded areas. There was even an incident where an LB-30 (early version of the B-24 Liberator) landed and evacuated a number of personnel. During the Royce misison a number of B-17s and about ten B-25A (yes the early version) used Del Monte during the famous Royce Mission. There were also a number of sattelite fields like Valencia, Maramag, Malaybalay and Dalirig located a few miles from Del Monte.
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Mar 14, 2010 9:54:12 GMT 8
Okla, here are some markers that I will know you will appreciate: Cheers,
|
|
|
Post by okla on Mar 14, 2010 11:08:08 GMT 8
Hey Battery...Thanks for responding to my query about Del Monte and also respecting my view on the Kamikazi Pilot Statue. You obviously are pretty well up to snuff on air operations,etc in the PI in early 1942 as you so obviously are on Coast Artillery matters. I learn something, it seems, everyday on this website. I had no idea there were landing fields,etc in support of Del Monte. I had also forgotten about the staging of a B-25 raid out of Del Monte. Yes, those type memorials/monuments you posted are my kind of monuments. The stone honoring the 26th Cavalry reminded me that the Officer, Ed Ramsay, who supposedly led the last mounted Cavalry charge in US Army history attended ROTC Military School at Oklahoma Military Academy in my home town of Claremore. The institution is now a coed, liberal arts, regional college, but only last year Edwin Ramsay was in attendance for the school's 100th aniversary. It wasn't always a military academy, but was such from the early 1920s till 1960s. They got rid of the horses during WW II and went to armor. Ed Ramsay was, or course, a student during the mid and late 1930s. The monument honoring the US Army Air Corps also caught my eye since I was a proud member of the US 5th Air Force while in Korea during 1952-53. I guess the 5th has been in the Far East just about forever. My old Fighter Wing is still located just south of Seoul. It's never been stateside. One more thing. You will remember we were discussing the actual number of Japanese aircraft claimed and actually shot down during the defense of Corregidor. Well, I was prowling thru some of my old college notes (I did a term paper on the 1941-42 Philippine Campaign) and I find where Clark Lee, in his book, "They Call it Pacific", which came out in late 1943 or early 1944 notes that the Corregidor gunners claimed that they knocked down FIVE enemy planes during the first "big raid" on Corregidor in December 1941. Now, I wonder, somehow, if that ridiculous claim of only FIVE Japanese aircraft being destroyed during the whole campaign somehow stems from that incident and became distorted due to the retelling over the years, garbled after action reports, etc. I will never believe that only 5 Japanese birds were knocked down in five months of raids, but as we both said the other day, probably more detroyed claims were made than actually was the fact. Anyhow, I will trust in the numbers you dig up. Thanks again for respecting my view on that Kamikazi Pilot statue. In Japan, yes. In Luzon, no. Just my humble. Cheers.
|
|
|
Post by fots2 on Mar 14, 2010 16:12:53 GMT 8
Hi batteryboy, A few minutes car ride away from the Kamikaze statue is a tunnel. I am sure you would know about this but I’ll add a few photos here for others who may not have seen it. The location is inside the Mabalacat Gate on the former Clark Airbase. Towards the right hand side of the road are rows of munitions bunkers. The tunnel is just past the gun range opposite the bunkers. Aerial view of some of the munitions bunkers which are now in farmers fields. I find those airfields very interesting too but I know little about them or where they are located. Thanks for your posts on this subject.
|
|
|
Post by batteryboy on Mar 14, 2010 19:36:02 GMT 8
Hi Fots, thanks for sharing pics of the West aifield. In fact, I may know the company that manages the plantation. Its one of my clients.
Will get back on more info on the west airfield and other locations later.
Cheers,
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2010 11:42:31 GMT 8
Hi, I'm new here. As a young boy I'd always been interested in WWII. My Dad's influence. He lived through it. I've written about his war tales, in tonetcarlo.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/my-dad-and-his-delicious-airplane-tales/In the past few years, I've begun to focus on WWII airfield and aircraft history in the Philippines, after reading Bartsch's two books. Of course my Dad's own memories are priceless (he worked at Nielsen Field), but many of his stories died with him, over 30 years ago. I live and work out of Bangkok, but I try to spend time in the Philippines as much as I can. I am a private pilot, and my eldest son and I (also a private pilot) base our small Cessna at Clark Field. He and I have flown to Lingayen, Loakan, Iba, Plaridel, Tanauan and of course Clark and Manila many times. And we have flown over San Marcelino, Rosales and Basa (used to be Del Carmen). I have lots of aerial photos of all these WWII-era airfields, and of battle sites in the Philippines -- Layac, Villasis, Pozorrubio, Baler, the POW camp at Cabanatuan, etc. tonetcarlo.wordpress.com/My son and I have also walked among the old hangars at Clark (at least the two surviving ones), and we have visited the nearby busts of Wagner and Kelley. Finally, I have flown into Kindley Field many times. A thrill in a couple of ways. I have been fascinated by those clandestine flights in and out of Kindley in 1942, to bring food and supplies in, and to evacuate a few people out. And thrilling also because it's a tricky place to land in today, with lots of crosswinds, windshear and terrain issues. I understand it's no longer possible to land there now? I am not sure of this, just yet another of those urban myths that circulate at the general aviation community by word of mouth. Would love to know for sure. I've enjoyed browsing through this site, and would be happy to take anyone flying over the battle sites and airfields of Luzon. Sincerely! In the meantime, thanks for letting me into this forum/ -- Tonet
|
|
|
Post by EXO on Jul 9, 2010 15:01:01 GMT 8
Welcome Tonet,
I am sure you will have no shortage of volunteers for photo rides over Corregidor, though you will have to promise not to do any of those twenty-foot lawn mowing runs along Kindley Field.
I read your blog "of flight and adventure" and enjoyed the stories. I have experienced such a run in a Catalina down the old Eagle Farm field in Brisbane. The pilot could not get permission to buzz, of course, so came in for a 'landing' and aborted at the last minute, by prearrangement. I have also experienced a one wheel touch and go in a B-17. (But that's another story.)
I have seen some aircraft come in at Kindley a few years back - though there doesn't seem much call for landings there. It's a pretty short field, the useful bit only slightly over 600 metres (?), and maybe not even that if the grass cutters have gone home early that month. I can't even recall a windsock there lately, and guess that there can be some pretty strong winds coming off the north channel. Shudder!!!
Fots2 has taken some brilliant shots over Corregidor even though the day was a bit cruddy, and I am sure he'd be ready to line up one day when visibility is crystal clear and unlimited (is that ever, over Manila Bay?)
I better go before I have to remind myself about being off-topic.
|
|