.
On 9 April, Bataan fell
to the Japanese after a final offensive broke through the USAFFE
defenses trapping more than 75,000 men. Battery C managed to escape
at the last minute, but the Marine guards at USAFFE headquarters and
the Air Warning Detachment were taken prisoner, and endured the
infamous Bataan Death March. The Japanese wasted little time before
focusing their attention on Corregidor, intensifying their
bombardment of the island the same day Bataan fell.
Although food was in short
supply on Corregidor. ammunition was relatively plentiful. As of 7
April, the island had 5,177,900 rounds of armor piercing, clipped,
and tracer .30-caliber ammunition and a total of 161,808 rounds of
.50-caliber ammunition. Gen Wainwright wrote, "Our flag still flies
on this beleaguered fortress." and added in his memoir, "I meant to
see it keep flying."
Department of Defense
Photo (USMC) 58736 |