"DENVER"
WAR HISTORY OF BATTERY "D" 60TH CA (AA)

by
2d Lt. Charles L. Kasler

 

Battery "D" AA gun position was located on Wilson Park Ridge at the water tanks of Kindley Field, at East end of Corregidor .  The Battery was initially manned by four (4) officers and one-hundred and fifteen (115) Enlisted men.  It moved from East end of Topside barracks into the field on November 29, 1941 .  Our equipment consisted of four new 3" AA mobile guns, a new M-4 director, a new M-l Height-finder, and two new power-plants.  Prior to the war each gun was test fired six times at Aberdeen Proving ground. 

 

 

Dec.8,1941

At 6:00 A.M. our battery first received word over the flash-phone that a state of war existed between U.S. and Japan .  There was no activity in the area of Bataan­Corregidor on this first day.  However, we received reports throughout the day that Clark Field was bombed, and that hostile planes were operating all over Luzon .

 

Dec.9

At 9:00 A.M. we could hear explosions in the direction of Manila .  Our battery soon received a report that Nichols Field and Port Area were being bombed.  At 10:30 A.M. we saw three flights of planes bomb Cavite Naval Base for two hours.  Many fires were started in Manila , Nichols & Cavite.  We tracked planes that bombed Cavite during the entire raid.  At 1:10 p.m. those heavy bombers broke away from the rest who were raiding Cavite and headed west towards Corregidor at an altitude of 4200 yds.  "D" Battery was the only AA gun battery to open fire on these planes from the "Rock".  Ft. Hughes ("I" of 59th) also fired.  We fired 59 rounds before the planes turned South over Fort Drum before reaching their bomb release line.

 

Dec.l0 to 15

No action was taken by the battery.  Heavy bombers concentrated their action on the Port Area and Nichols Field.  Dive Bombers were active against shipping in Manila Bay .

 

Dec.15

Two flights of heavy bombers flew over the east end of the "Rock" and bombed at two mine-sweepers east of Ft. Hughes .  We fired about 80 rounds.

 

Dec.16 to 24

Enemy bombing continued over the Manila Port area and over small boats in Manila Bay .  No activity was reported in vicinity of Corregidor .

 

Dec.23

Two flights of heavy bombers dropped bombs at two of our destroyers and one cargo freighter, "Don Jose" in the North Channel.  The destroyers were not hit, but the "Don Jose" was set afire.  We fired about 150 rounds that day.

 

Dec.24

18 heavy bombers approached the "Rock" from Manila Bay flying abreast in bombing formation.  All batteries fired and split the flight in half--nine planes went north to finally bomb Cabcaben, while the nine others went South.  No bombs were dropped on the "Rock".

 

Dec.25 to 29

No activity in our area outside of daily patrol by one light bomber and observation plane.  Also sporadic bombing of small boats continued in Manila Bay by the dive bombers.

 

Dec.29th

The heavy raid on the "Rock" commenced at 11:00 a.m. by approximately 54 heavy bombers.  The planes were formed into flights of nine.  A Navy gasoline store-house just north of our position was hit and exploded.  Heavy black smoke from this fire obscured the planes from our vision, hindering our fire.  Many bombs were dropped in our battery area. One bomb dropped 10 ft. away from the entrance to our director pit and blew in the ent­rance.  The Glass window on the angle of train dial was broken but no other damage to our director resulted.  The parapet to the height finder position was blown in.  Large pieces  of shrapnel jammed in the recoil slide on gun #3 and put it out of action for two days.  The battery officers' quarters and battery office were blown up by two direct hits.  Power-plant cables were cut in three places.  The battery was completely out of action for 12 hours.  Four enlisted men were wounded:-  Pvt. King; Pvt. Swanson; Pvt. Wetzel; Cprp. Renfro.  All received minor injuries except Pvt. Wetzel who received a compound fracture in both legs.  Effective fire from all batteries was instrumental in causing future flights to attack at a much higher altitude.  The maximum altitude on this day was 6500 yds. 

 

Dec.30 to Jan.2

There was no activity outside of continuous patrol by observation planes.  To this date our battery was credited with having brought down 5 enemy planes.

 

Jan.3 to Jan.8

Daily bombing raids on the "Rock" by heavy bombers continued. Usually three flights of 9 planes each.  Dive bombers operating from Nichols and Clark Fields were staging raids on various military objectives in Bataan at least twice daily. One enlisted man was injured on Jan. 7 when bombs dropped in our Battery area.  The power plant cables were again damaged and tactical communication lines disrupted.

 

Jan 29 to Mar. 24:-

During this period no aerial bombing activity was reported over the "Rock", except for daily patrol by observation planes. However, daily air raids were carried out over Bataan by both heavy and light bombers.  We fired on single observation planes whenever they came within range.

 

Mar.24 to Apr.1

Aerial bombing of the "Rock"  resumed on a large scale.  Daily flights of 27 to 65 planes came over for the attacks.  Altitudes during these raids was much higher--8500 to 9100 yds.  Dive bombers were very active over Bataan .  Artillery fire in Bataan was getting much louder which indicated that our lines were moving back.

 

April 1 to April 8

Aerial activity was mow confined to destruction of military objectives and personnel in Bataan .  Wave after wave of light and heavy bombers were operating constantly over the entire peninsula where our troops and the 2nd Battalion of the 60th CA (AA) were located.

The Battery Histories which appear on this website are due to a long line of men,  many whose names will never be known.  These men, at the risk of their lives, wrote them from memory and created the original documents whilst incarcerated in Japanese POW Camps. They then concealed  the documents for the duration.   Not every battery history has survived the war, and their loss is part of the tragic story of Japanese indifference to human life in their custody.  


At the end of the line of these men who have preserved these histories, are George Munson and Al McGrew (himself a POW),  who have enabled us to put them into the public domain.

April 8 to May 5:-

On the morning of Apr. 8 we could see large numbers of our troops concentrating on the shores of southern Bataan . 1st Sgt. Brady, Dewey G. and Cpl. Jack Rogers was killed at their post on Water Tank by shellfire April 24. (unintelligible­ - ref to his appointment as 2nd Lt.)*  Artillery fire was greatly increased.  At about 4:00 p.m. we received word that our troops had surrendered.  Since the surrender our Battery "D" position was the constant target of Japanese artillery barrage fire.  Daily our men were getting killed and wounded and our ordnance and other equipment damaged. From the observation balloon which the Japs had in Bataan it was possible to observer our entire battery position, which resulted in very accurately placed artillery fire. Whenever a flight of planes came over the "Rock," we would merely have to elevate our guns to invite a half-hour artillery barrage.

 

 

       /s/ 

 

CHARLES L. KASLER

2nd Lt. Btry. "D" 60th CA (AA)

Range Officer

 

The unintelligible reference probably refers to Sgt. Dewey Brady being killed on the same day that he received notification of his promotion to 2nd Lieutenant. The Battery fell apart on Brady's loss, and suffered thereafter from less than ideal leadership.

 

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