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S-3 JOURNAL, HHQ JOURNAL, D, E & F CO HISTORIES
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TIME |
LOCALITY |
UNIT |
OCCURRENCE, INCIDENT, OR MESSAGE |
ACTION |
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Corregidor |
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The
Japanese await us on Corregidor |
more |
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Mindoro
to Landing Zone "A", Corregidor |
2d Bn,
503d PIR |
"Sadly, many who arose that morning would never bathe or
wash their clothes again, and would be buried in their
filthy, salt encrusted fatigues. But the great day had
dawned." ("The Landing.") |
more |
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Army
Pictorial Service photographs taken mid-flight, and from the
aircraft during the jump. |
more |
0759 |
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5th A.F. |
24
B-24s leave the target after securing good coverage from
their bombs. |
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0800-0829 |
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5th A.F. |
Eleven
B-25s bomb and strafe AAA positions and strong points on the
southern coast. Simultaneously with this attack, 31 A-20s
bomb and strafe defense positions on Corregidor and nearby
Caballo Island. Direct hits and near misses were registered
on these positions and all targets are thoroughly strafed.
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0829 |
|
5th A.F. |
When
the A-20's leave the target they have brought the weight of
bombardment to 3,128 tons since the beginning of preparatory
bombing on 23 January. |
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0833-0945 |
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The
flight pattern for A Field passes over Point 7 (Btry
Wheeler.) 'A' Field planes, veer north whilst
'B' Field planes veer east.
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map |
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High winds cause significant drift, and many men fall short
of the fields, directly into Japanese controlled areas. |
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1st
lift |
Initial
landing is against light opposition due to surprise. Third Bn get the first drop honors.
LC Ericson as 3d Bn CO
in first aircraft, followed by Joe Conway as CO of H Co. LC Erickson is first to jump.
Initial jump from 500
ft with a count of 6. Jones orders 400ft with a +10 count.
1000 men in the first lift. 25% jump
casualties; |
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XO’s of
2nd lift jump with 1st lift |
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Field A |
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3d Bn
HQ Co, H Co., Regimental Staff, some 462, some 161 |
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Field B |
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G Co.,
I Co., some 462 and some 161 |
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0833 |
Lighthouse |
3d Bn |
Ericson sets up 3d Bn HQ CP
in base of the lighthouse. He orders the 3d Bn CO’s to
enlarge the airhead far enough out to block routes leading
towards jump fields from Morrison Hill, Btry Chicago, and
the old hospital Bldgs. He places two .50’s to cover Black
Beach. |
|
0900 |
Mile
Long Bcks. |
H Co |
As we left the assembly point
about 9a.m. and approached the "Mile Long Barracks" Leonard
R. Porter’s body was discovered. |
more |
0940 |
Topside |
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Arrigo & Bates raise the US flag. |
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0945 |
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Initial phase completed and jump fields are secured. |
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1028 |
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K Co.
3/34th |
First
wave of the amphibious landing arrive - K Co, 3/34th Inf +
2 tanks to go 200 yds, wheel to right, attack left slopes
and crest of Malinta Hill - no opposition |
more |
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L Co.
3/34th |
Second
Wave: L Co, 3/34th Inf + 2 tanks to go 100 yds, wheel to
right, attack left slopes and crest of Malinta Hill - no
opposition |
more |
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I Co.
3/34th |
3d
wave: I Co, 3/34th Inf + 1 tank to go inland and take North
Dock; - no opposition |
more |
1100-1120 |
Mindoro |
|
Second Lift commences
emplaning from Hill and San Jose airstrips. |
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Cheney
Ravine
NCO Qtrs |
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The Japanese control the head of Cheney Ravine as far as the NCO Qtrs. The
Paratroopers control the Landing Zone A as far as the NCO Qtrs. 2d Pltn F
Co, under 1st Lt. Edward T. Flash, is assigned to consolidate the
perimeter there by occupying the building, and to rescue men falling short. |
more |
1240 |
Landing
Zones |
|
Second jump commences.
John Tolson Cmdr breaks ankle)Second lift
comprises:
Detachment of RHq
Second Bn
Service Co
Btry B, 462d PFABn
.50 cal MG Pltn of Btry D, 462
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“F” Company
jumped on B Field. E Company jumped on A Field. See Ed Flash’s account
of the first arrival of F Company troops. |
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Btry D
462d PFABn |
2d Lt. Robert G. Allen
lands short and is KIA |
more |
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Btry A
462d PFABn |
PFC Cannoneer Harvey R. Huskey
is never seen again after he exits the aircraft. (His body is located
after the RCT departure for Mindoro.) |
more |
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and
Pfc. Glenn Handlon
are KIA attempting to escape from Btry Wheeler after
being pinned down. |
more
more |
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E Co & F Co |
Approx 50 men are trapped under fire in the three NCO
Married Qtrs buildings along beltline road between the head
of Cheney Ravine and the western edge of the Landing Field
"A" (The Parade Ground). From their positions they see men
landing short, and being caught in a heavy crossfire.
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1400 |
|
E Co |
Second jump has been
completed and the platoon are organized and in their
assigned positions. |
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3d Pltn of E Co moves to seize the
hospital. MG Fire continues to pin men down on the landing
zone. |
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1400 |
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F Co |
Having assembled at the "B" Landing Field, the men move down to
the last house in officer's Row. (28-D) |
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1430 |
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F Co |
Lt. Bailey orders Lt. Caloun to take a patrol of two squads
out and search the big gun battery in plain sight from the
upstairs of the house. Lt. Brown sends word that he
has been in the battery and it is clear.
Freihoff, Huff, Handlon, and Thomas enter the battery and
Pfc. Glenn Handlon
is killed immediately in a burst of MG fire. Thomas escapes
and reports to Calhoun that Freihoff an Huff are pinned
down. In the course of pointing to the room where they are
trapped,
Pfc.
Albert Thomas is killed. After attempts using a bazooka,
a flame thrower and a WP rifle grenade all fail, McCarter
and Phillips crawl close to the area and make such a racket
firing their weapons, throwing grenades and even rocks, the
two men escape. |
more |
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Alcohol found in a
storehouse along Senior Officer's Row. |
more |
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34th |
3d Platoon - are sent around the base of Malinta to secure
Malinta Point - they are fairly isolated from the rest of
the Co. [Sgt. Lewis Vershun, Pvt. Emil Ehrenhold & Pvt.
Ronald Paeth, manning an outpost above North Shore Road,
will be cutoff and out of contact with the rest of the
company until 23 February.]
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Calhoun's Diary entry -16 Feb |
more |
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Jump Statistics for the day: 2022 jumped, 1000 in 1st Lift;
2 refusals; 3 streamers, 11 fatal landings; 210 Injuries,
incl. 50 wounded in air; 17 rescued by USN;
21 KIA’s - overall, 25% jump casualties.
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