BATTERY HEARN

Built in the era prior to air-power, the large round light-colored cement aprons surrounding tBatteries Hearn and Smith unwittingly had made them perfect bulls-eyes for Japanese observers on Bataan. No better case could have ever been made for the construction of barbettes over the guns, but this was prohibited by treaty.

In 1937 Smith No. 2 was renamed in honor of Brigadier General Clint C. Hearn who had commanded the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays in 1917.

Hearn's armament, at war's commencement, was one  12-inch (305 mm) M1895A2 guns on a Barbette Carriage Model 1917 capable of ranging to 30,000 yards (nearly 17miles). At a maximum firing elevation of 35 degrees the gun could cover a full 360 degree field of fire. From 15 degrees down to zero degrees the field of fire was progressively reduced by the surrounding terrain.

The 1,000 lb armor piercing  (454.5 kg) shell or the 670 lb High Explosive shell required a 270 lb (122.7 kg) bagged charge. Rate of fire was one round every 55 seconds, and the standard complement was one officer and 33 enlisted men, of whom 4 were stationed in the well beneath the carriage.

In 1941-1942 the battery was manned by Battery A, 59th Coast Artillery, under Captain Samuel McF. McReynolds. On 13 February 1942, Hearn commenced almost daily counter-battery and road interdiction fire against Japanese artillery emplaced in the vicinity of Naic, Ternate and Puerto Azul. From 6:00 PM 8 April to 5:10 AM 9 April, both Hearn and Smith fired road interdiction northward toward the Pandan River Bridge in Bataan in a (futile) effort to stem the Japanese advance towards Cabcaben. After April 9, both guns fell silent.

Battery A also had a plotting detail under 2Lt. Robert T. Bliss manning a base-end station on Pucot Hill, overlooking Longoskawayan Point in Bataan. This detail was the first to be attacked by Japanese forces that had landed at that Point in January, 1942. A second plotting detail manned a base-end station at Ft. Frank.

On 6 May, 1942, the gun and carriage were disabled by the crew, but not sufficiently to have the Japanese use American POW's place it back in service by replacing the mounted gun with the spare and stripping useable parts from Battery Smith to rebuild the carriage.

During the pre-invasion bombing of Corregidor in late January/early February 1945, a 1000 lb bomb exploded on the apron beside the gun, putting it permanently out of action.

Spare Barrel  M1895A2 Watervliet No. 6, built 19898 and relined 1936. It is now mounted on the gun and Watervliet No. 8 lays spare nearby.

Battery Hearn was formerly known as Smith No. 2 but the name was changed pre-war.  What was  at the bottom of this curious piece of history? The answer can now be found at Battery Smith.  Hearn is always on the tour list, as is Crockett, because they're easily reached. The truth of the matter is that neither of them played any significant role in the 1941-42 hostilities, due to their positions facing squarely towards the South China Sea and the naval assaults that never came. Hearn is a big favorite with the tourists, who mill around it taking their obligatory "been there, done that" photographs.   It's particularly popular with the Japanese tourists, some of whom might be aware of the propaganda photo of their triumphant troops in a "Banzai!" salute.  Captain Herman Hauck put a link of chain in the recoil cylinder of one of Crockett's operational 12-inch guns. Had it been fired by the Japanese, it would have self-destructed immediately. The re-taking of Battery Hearn BY "F" Co., 503d PRCT is narrated by William T. Calhoun in his NIGHT OF A THOUSAND HOURS.