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