Conquering Corregidor Island 11: Battery Grubbs

* the arched entrance to Battery Grubbs

* a recess found inside Battery Grubbs
* the ruins of Battery Grubbs
* a closer view of a structure support in Battery Grubbs; it gave me goose bumps realizing that it was the same support which was originally constructed there

* rusting rails[?] found on the ceiling of a structure in Battery Grubbs

Battery Grubbs in another well-maintained battery in Corregidor Island (at least among the ones we visited). Its position has a commanding view of the Bataan Peninsula and the body of water separating the island from Bataan. Constructions were done on 1907 to 1909 and the transfer (most likely of the guns and other necessary installations) was done in 1911.

* silent corridors of Battery Grubbs

* spare barrel?
* looking into the eye of the gun

* a bridge from the battery to a hill[?] located adjacent to the battery

* stairway leading up to the first gun of Battery Grubbs

The Battery was not actually manned prior to the outbreak of World War II. But with the transfer of Battery “C” 191st CA to the place in early April 1942, it obtained the necessary manpower to be operational. Battery Grubbs was not so lucky. On April 6, 1942 a direct hit knocked Gun no.2 of the battery out of service (the gun which visitors would see first upon climbing the stair nearest the battery entrance). Gun no.1 was never used due to mechanical problems (particularly in its recoil).

Despite its strategic place, Battery Grubbs was made inoperable due to the damages to the guns. In surveying the place, its position must have been a factor in its early wreckage. It was quite an open area and elevated. The attacking Japanese must have made the place a good target for their bombs and other firearms. This formative observation gains logic when Battery Grubbs is compared to Battery Way which is well-hidden. It can be recalled in an earlier entry (Conquering Corregidor Island 10: Battery Way) that Battery Way was the last operational battery in the island.

* a scenic view of the Bataan Peninsula from Battery Grubbs

* an island seen from Battery Grubbs

* view of gun no. 2 of Battery Grubbs the barrel of which was already detached from the main gun body
* a Battery Grubbs gun no. 2
* Trailer Pransis striking his usual serious pose

Battery Grubbs details:
- named after 1st Lt. Hayden Y. Grubb
- has two (2) 10-inch disappearing guns (model 1895M1 guns on model 1901 disappearing carriages)

In my first visit, our tour guide discussed the condition of the guns in Battery Grubbs. It was said that the barrels were detached from their main bodies because the soldiers stationed in the battery removed the trunnion caps after which they fired the guns causing the barrel to “jump” back. They did this so that the Japanese will not be able to use them again. This detail was echoed too by the tour guide in my second visit.

However, I came across an article at corregidor.org discussing the falsity behind that particular information. It seems that it was not the case after all. Read it the article clicking here. It would be good to read the analysis of the documented photos and the state of the battery for yourself.

Finally, my Corregidor series is finished!

Conquering Corregidor Island 10: Battery Way

* 1913, the year Battery Way was supposedly finished

* a Battery Way mortar
* another mortar
* another look at a mortar
* a mortar in position
* Trailer Pransis posing beside a Battery Way mortar

* spider-web-like grills found on the floor of Battery Way;
I wonder what purpose those grills served

* a shell head?; found on the grounds of Battery Way

Battery Way is situated west of the hospital at Topside in Corregidor Island. At first inspection, Battery Way seems to be too secluded. But its power lay in the ability of its composing mortars to fire in any direction. The space was relatively small but it must have been a well-maintained battery.

* Shell Room No. 2

* a telephone box

* an inner room within the Shell Room

* shot from inside the Shell Room
* a bullet hole; the ammo must have been particularly strong as it was able to pierce that heavily-reinforced door

* Cartridge Room No. 2; it was apparent that the name was a recent addition –
there were faded text behind it already

* a painted message stating when Battery Way was cleared; this clearing must have pertained to the clearing of army debris and other heavy military materials

* one wonders what happened within this dark room during the War
* light at the end of the tunnel

* another door inside the Cartridge Room and a shaft, most likely for ventilation

* a close up of what could have been a ventilation shaft

* lock of a door
* the outside environ in the area of Battery Way was particularly inviting

To summarize Battery Way’s features [from Corregidor Foundation, Inc.]:
- four (4) 12-inch (305 mm) M1890 mortar; able to lob 1,000-lb.(454.5 kg) deck piercing shell 01 700-lb.(318kg) high explosive shell 14,610 yards (8.3 miles or 13.35 km) in any direction
- max. bagged charge weight: 63 lbs. (28.6kg)
- firing elevation: 45º min - 70º max.
- rifled bore length: 10 feet (3.05m)
- fire rate:: 1 round / minute – 1 round / 45 seconds*
- standard crew per mortar: 14 men

* although this was seldom followed as it was their practice to load and fire two mortars at a time to simulate the “salvo” effect

* as with other places in the island, Battery Way was equipped too with trolley lines

* view of a room inside a structure in Battery Way


* view of the outside from within a structure with trolley lines on the foreground

* the battered yet surviving structure

* part of a structure in Battery Way; obviously made for ventilation
* the Ordnance Repair Shop; found as one transfers from Battery Way to Battery Grubbs

There was also a note about Major William “Wild Bill” Masello Jr. who commanded over Battery Way in the last few days before the surrender of Corregidor to the Japanese. What I find interesting in this note was the event when he ordered the telephone to be destroyed so that he would not able to receive any call ordering him to surrender. That explains the empty telephone box. Lastly, there was that very insightful note. Now we know that Battery Way was the last battery to be in operation before Corregidor fell.
 

Conquering Corregidor Island 9: Battery Geary and Battery Hearn

More than the elaborate structures built in Corregidor Island the batteries installed there constitute most of the island’s defense. The island has 23 batteries composed primarily by 56 coastal guns and mortars. It was in essence a well fortified place.

A day visit to Corregidor would not guarantee you a complete visit to those 23 batteries. Visits to the batteries do depend on the schedule. We were only able to visit four batteries during this second visit. Only a short stay in the island (how? by taking a job in the island!) can assure you of a thorough exploration of those batteries. Online searches will show you that there are lots of things to be learned from these batteries – from the lay-outs of the batteries to the technical details of the installed guns. But then nothing beats learning things first hand. I do wish I could stay in Corregidor for awhile.

* view of Battery Geary as we passed by the place;

the gun on the lower right still contains a live ammunition

Battery Geary

Battery Geary and Battery Hearn were two of the batteries we visited. Battery Geary is found on the south of the Spanish Lighthouse, close to the sea south of Topside. It is also near Battery Crocket which caused me some confusion (I thought Battery Geary was Battery Crocket!). It was one of the badly destroyed batteries in the island. Our tour guide told us how one of its gun, after being hit by a Japanese artillery, was blown up to the swimming pool north of the place which was several meters away.

To summarize some of the details about Battery Geary [for more comprehensive information, visit the website CorregidorIsland.org here]:
- named after Captain Woodbridge Geary
- equipped with eight (8) 12-inch mortars
- equipped with two (2) mortar pits with three (3) magazines
- mortar trajectory: vertical, plunging

* the spare gun barrel at Battery Hearn

Battery Hearn

Battery Hearn, on the other hand, is found west of the Mile-Long Barracks and close to the Parade Grounds. It was actually one of the last defense additions in the island and was meant primarily for naval defense against hostile enemies coming from the South China Sea. Our tour guide during the first trip mentioned it being used against enemies positioned in Bataan. This is confirmed by reading through the details in CorregidorIsland.org (read about it here).

Summary of Battery Hearn info:
- lone 12-inch gun
- one (1) spare barrel found as one enter the battery

Two of the well-maintained batteries are Battery Grubbs and Battery Way. I will be sharing about them in the coming entry. Do bear with this quite long Corregidor Series. My only intention is to share more information and articulate questions and thoughts about the place.

Conquering Corregidor Island 8: Pacific War Memorial Museum

* the marble tablet containing the words Pacific War Memorial Museum

* an American flag, most likely a relic of the War, displayed inside the museum;
looking closely on its side, an inscription can be seen: U.S. Q. M. D.

* a ship’s signal-flag, a book entitled Souvenir of the 8th Army Corps Philippine Expedition, and a hand-embroidered tapestry donated to the museum by Douglas Bello of Los Angeles, California, USA; he inherited these materials from his great-uncle who was part of George Dewey’s fleet during the Battle of Manila Bay; not that related to World War II but they are nevertheless important addition to the collection in the place
* a soldier’s helmet

Still found in the Topside area of Corregidor Island, the Pacific War Memorial Museum is a treasure place found just behind Cine Corregidor. Structure-wise, it is part of the Pacific War Memorial along with the dome found further down the Memorial. I think the Eternal Flame of Freedom is a recent addition.

* Weapons of World War II

* War period Coca-Cola bottle; I’ve seen this type of bottle in the film Pearl Harbor;
looking at this photo again, it seems like it is the precursor of the Coke Sakto

* pair of combat boots belonging to Brig. Gen. George M. Jones of the 503rd RCTCO
* army trench knife found on Denver Hill (in Corregidor?) in 1992 with the engraving U.S. 1918;
I am not familiar with the object on the left, I wonder if it is the Bos’n Pipe

* a Japanese flag? more like it

* Japanese scissors found in Corregidor by Lt. Dick Williams,
Photo Unit Q, GHQ Signal Selection

Inside the museum are mostly relics of World War II – guns, soldier equipment, photos, among other. One thing I found nice in this place is the inclusion on the display of the objects related to the history of Corregidor even before World War II such as the Spanish-American War and the Battle of Manila Bay. This encompassing collection definitely makes this a rich collection.

* rice canteen used by the Japanese during the War years 1945-1946

* set of objects made or found in Corregidor Island

* a close-up view of a flat iron

* a 1917 model (type CRM-51027) field telephone of the US Army Signal Corps

* spent shells on display
* I knew they existed!; a badge for the Hells Angels Los Baños,
I’ve read about them in some books

* Trailer Pransis posing with the museum’s guard; don’t I look haggard already?

Before you enter the museum, you will see a small souvenir shop where you can buy t-shirts and other items as pasalubong.