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SITE "B" - 3 INCH AA GUN POSITION
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John Moffitt

  

 

 

Here is a trip to one of the original defenses built on Corregidor Island ,circa 1917. It was one of the four 3-inch Anti-aircraft gun positions with an adjacent underground magazine.

Map of the north central section of Corregidor Island. (Map courtesy of Mapmaster)
Note: the quality of the map has been reduced so that I can make it 800 pixels wide and cover the area I want to show. 



This plan shows the layout of the 3-inch AA gun block and underground magazine
 plus it’s surface air vent and drainage shaft.

 


 

Thanks to Mapmaster, we have a view of the type of gun that would have been bolted to this AA gun block. Type: M1917, 55 calibres in length, muzzle velocity of 2,600 ft/sec, chamber 296 cubic inches. (Mapmaster must have a home museum rivaling any museum in Western Australia).

 

I got a ride to Battery Way which was the start of my hike this day.

An early morning view into Battery Way’s gun pit long before the day tour crowd would normally arrive. Today and tomorrow I am the only tourist on Corregidor Island since the ferry is canceled due to a typhoon nearby.

Even though Site B is well away from other structures, it is still relatively easy to get to. There is no present day road or trail going directly to the site, but the jungle walking is easy. One of the nearby old roads, Way Trail, was cleared as a walking/biking trail more than one a year ago and is still in passable shape. I used this trail to get to “Road Crossing #4” and then turned left up the hill. 

The first view of Site “B” is the northern entrance to the underground magazine.
This is what it looks like after clearing vines and branches away from it.

 


Looking down the soil covered steps of the northern entrance.

From the bottom of the steps looking back up towards the entrance.

At the bottom of the first set of steps, turn 90 degrees to the right and descend the second set of steps
to reach the actual magazine room.

The view from the doorway looking into the magazine room. The rectangular hole in the rear wall is an air vent up to the surface.

Numerous lizards scurry away along the ceiling or drop onto the floor and run when an intruder arrives. 

Safe behind the bottle.

This is the first time I have ever seen a gray lizard.

From the rear of the magazine room looking back towards the entrance.

The drainage system in these magazines was elaborate. Part of it can be seen at the base of the stairs.

Coming back up the stairs, there is a 90 degree turn either left or right to ascend
the northern or southern stairs to the surface.

Another part of the drainage system at the base of the two staircases up to the surface.

Standing on the southern staircase you can see the 90 degree turn down to the magazine room
and also the bottom of the northern staircase heading up.

This is the view looking up the second (southern) staircase towards the entrance.

Outside view of the southern entrance to the magazine.

The air vent above the magazine.

This is a deep vertical shaft down to the drainage system.

Branches, leaves, vines and even trees makes it difficult to find things on the ground these days. Through the mess in front of you is the 3-inch anti-aircraft gun block. 


You can just barely see two dark gray sections of the gun block.

Roughly the same view after I have cleared away some of the vegetation.

The keyhole shaped gun block.

A closer view of the gun block.

After exploring a couple more places I headed back the same route passing Battery Way again.

Later afternoon view from Battery Way looking towards the main road. Middleside is to the left.


Walking down the road towards the Corregidor Inn on Bottomside.

I never met a soul during my hike all day, another good day on “The Rock”.
 

John Moffitt

 

Malinta Gasoline Storage System | Middleside Officer's Qtrs | Btry Denver Tunnel | The Final Line of Defense | Not Finding RJ-43 Btry Chicago
 Malinta's Navy Tunnels (Part 1) (Part 2) | Type 96 AA Gun | A Walk on Tailside | G-1 Command Post

 

GHQ  Historic Corregidor  | Harbor Defense of Manila & Subic Bays  |  Corregidor Under Siege  Retaking Corregidor  |  Rediscovering Corregidor  | Units & Personnel  |  Concrete Battleship Secret Corregidor PX  |  Now Showing |  Archives  |  Bulletin Board | Galleries  |  Mail Call | Links | 503d on the Rock  | 503d Heritage Bn. Rock Force