A. Position in Readiness Period, 8-28 December 1941   ^

8 December

Similar orders sent to Commanding Officer, Fort Wint; Text of above messages transmitted to USAFFE Headquarters in Manila, through Chief of Staff, PCAC; All passes suspended until further orders; Morning boat to Manila cancelled; Ordnance officer to establish ammunition dumps; Surgeon to establish aid stations; Batteries "B", 92d CA (PS) and M-60th CA (AA) directed to prepare for immediate moves to Bataan and Manila respectively as per War Plans.

0602- Message received from USAFFE as follows:

"A state of war exists between the United States and Japan. Govern yourself accordingly." All echelons notified. The Navy promptly closed Manila Bay to all outbound traffic until further orders. During the morning many vessels of all types were entering the bay via the channel through the controlled mine field, always with coordination between the Inshore Patrol and the Seaward Defense.

1026- First Air Raid alarm of the war when a flight of seventeen enemy medium bombers was reported from direction of Neilson Airport. The flight turned off without coming within range.

1315- First firing at an enemy target. Three medium bombers passed within range East of Corregidor and Fort Hughes. Two AA gun batteries, D-6Oth (Denver) and I-59th (Indiana) opened fire severely damaging one plane.

That afternoon, the Navy concurred with the decision of the Harbor Defense Commander to extinguish the light houses on Corregidor, Fort Hughes, and Monja Island.

1915- After dark, Battery M-60th CA (Anti-aircraft Machine Guns) departed via harbor boat Mambukal for Manila to furnish local protection against low flying aircraft for the Port Area, oil storage, railroad yards, Nichols Field, and other important installations.

At the same time Battery "B", 92d CA, departed via harbor boat McConville for Cabcaben en-route to its field position in beach defense at Bagac on the West coast of Bataan to man 155-mm. guns.

2000- Report received from PCAC headquarters in Manila, of enemy air raids that morning on Baguio and at noon on Clark Field.

9 December

During the night there was an air raid alarm when enemy planes dropped bombs on the mainland South of Fort Frank but no targets were offered.

0300- Battery M-60th CA was in action in the port area of Manila during an air raid.

0310- Heavy explosions were heard from the East and the Harbor Defense Signal Station reported a large fire in the direction of Cavite, later learned to be the Nichols Field hangar.

During the day many commercial vessels entered the Harbor and numerous Naval vessels departed.

10 December

0700- Telephone report from USAFFE that about 20,000 enemy had landed at Aparri, extreme northern Luzon, under cover of aerial and naval bombardments.

1254- Message from Pier I, Manila stated Cavite and Nichols Field being heavily bombed; also vessels at anchor in Manila Harbor.

1306- Twenty-seven Japanese bombers, in three flights of nine each, flew out of the North Channel at high altitude, probably 30,000 feet. Our AA went into action but planes were out of range for most batteries.

Much shipping passing in and out of the bay. Fires seen near Cavite until midnight. Radio towers and buildings were clearly silhouetted.

11 December

1900- Exodus of merchant vessels continued, all under Navy supervision.

2105- Message picked up from KGEI, "Germany declares war on the United States," and a little later,

2145- "Italy declares war on the United States." Manila and Cavite bombed as usual about noon.

12 December

0444- Report from USAFFE of Japanese Naval forces off Pangasinan Province, headed south.

0750- Message from PCAC, "Landing in force at Vigan: small enemy forces are at Legaspi and Naga."

1015- Fort Wint and Olongapo attacked by six planes; one shot down by AA fire of C-9lst.

1050- Deck of Fort Drum cleared of peace time temporary barracks, thus permitting all around fire for Battery (Wilson. Ed) Marshall (except for cage mast).

1634- Message received from USAFFE announcing: "A state of war exists between the United States and Germany and Italy."

13 December

Starting with a 0600 raid on Manila and Nichols Field enemy bombers during the day attacked Fort Wint and Olongapo.

1246- A formation of seventeen enemy planes flew east to west, high over Corregidor but dropped no bombs. AA was in action and shot down one plane into North Channel near Cabcaben.

14 December

Harbor Defense Command Post ("H" Station) moved from topside to Lateral 2 in Malinta Tunnel. Enemy air activity increasing.

15 December

1230- Three enemy dive bombers attacked Fort Wint but were dispersed by AA fire.

An Insular Government vessel proceeded to Fortune Island (eight miles off the coast from Nasugbu) to extinguish the lighthouse there.

16 December

Daylight saving time effective midnight 16 December. General MacArthur authorized use of Corregidor light by Navy to facilitate entrance of submarines. The procedure agreed upon was as follows:

Corregidor light to be shown the first ten minutes of each one-half hour on a secret schedule to be furnished by the Navy for each entry. White light only to be shown and on a fixed specified azimuth. During passage of submarine through the controlled mine fields the mines were to be on "safe" and the marking buoys to be illuminated by seacoast searchlights. Action by Inshore Patrol and proper Harbor Defense stations to be coordinated for each passage.

The Navy maintained a "Control Ship" inside the bay near the entrance to the channel through the mine fields. (Please refer to page 194 for continuation.)

Cavite Navy Yard area destroyed much fuel oil besides radio towers, shops, and other installations.

Iba Airfield in Zambales Province was also bombed during this period.

The first Coast Artillery casualties of the war occurred in the bombing of Fort Wint on 21 December when several men were wounded.

The next day the Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet ordered the complete mining (Navy contact) of the entrance to Subic Bay, to be completed by dark 23 December.

Cabcaben Airfield on Bataan was heavily bombed on the 22d while reports received from USAFFE indicated Japs were advancing southward in the Central Plain of Luzon as well as northward from Tayabas Province.

24 December

One submarine entered before daylight, to lie on the bottom during the day, replenish with torpedoes after dark and exit again before morning.

0200- Word was received that General MacArthur and family with USAFFE Headquarters, U.S. High Commissioner Sayre with his family and staff, and President Quezon with family and staff, would arrive on Corregidor that night.

1500 Eight Japanese bombers circled Mariveles and bombed the Vichy French ship, Sikiang, setting it on fire, then strafed Corregidor with heavy machine guns. (The Sikiang carried five million pounds of flour when sunk. Ed.)

1800- USAFFE telephoned directing immediate evacuation of Fort Wint. Message relayed to the Fort Commander, Colonel Boudreau by code radio.

In the next several hours there was a large influx of personnel as the above-mentioned official parties arrived, heavily augmented by Headquarters Philippine Department, Admiral Rockwell and Naval District staff, and about 900 officers and men constituting the first contingent of the 4th U.S. Marines. This regiment had recently arrived in the Philippines from duty in Shanghai. After the evacuation of Cavite and Olongapo Navy yards it was attached to the Army for tactical employment, and directed to proceed to Fort Mills. It was assigned by USAFFE to the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays and the regiment was given the mission of manning the beach defenses of Corregidor.

2205- Radio report received that the harbor boat Mambukal was sinking in Manila Bay after having been rammed in the dark by the auxiliary Mine Planter Neptune. No lives lost.

A friendly submarine entered the bay before midnight.

25 December

Much air activity over Manila Bay and Bataan. USAFFE set up Headquarters in the west end of Topside barracks

1815- Message received from Colonel Boudreau, Commanding Officer at Fort Wint: "All personnel evacuated with materiel as directed," which included 34 officers, 505 men, 2 (10-ton) tractors, 2 (155-mm) guns, 4 (3-in) AA guns with fire control equipment, ammunition for both caliber and 1 (60in) AA Searchlight. Remaining seacoast armament was rendered unserviceable prior to evacuation.

The AA battery above C9lst (Cebu) went into position at the Dinalupihan bottleneck covering withdrawal of ground forces into Bataan then moved to vicinity of Mariveles covering the new airfield there and joining the 2d Bn, 60th CA (AA). The 155-mm battery ("D" 92d) joined the artillery of the II Philippine Corps near Bagac as did also the Philippine Army personnel from Fort Wint.

After a few days at II Corps Headquarters, Colonel Boudreau rejoined the Harbor Defense and was assigned to command Fort Frank which position he held until the surrender.

2000- 1st Lt. C. J. Wimer, SC of the Air-warning Service arrived at Mine Wharf with an SCR271. This was later set up at Topside near the Signal Station and proved a valuable complement to the Antiaircraft Information Service of the 60th CA (AA).

All day there were many planes over Manila Bay, Bataan, and Cavite indicating that the Japanese had established air bases in Luzon.

All U.S. Mobile forces in Luzon were moving into the Bataan peninsula a final stand.

26 December

Manila Port Area and Mariveles Harbor were heavily bombed, with enemy planes threatening all day. Many smaller vessels from Manila took refuge under shelter of the guns of Corregidor.

27-28 December

The enemy continued bombing vessels in Manila Bay sinking or setting them on fire. After dark on the 28th the second contingent of the 4th U.S. Marines, under Col. S. L. Howard, USMC, arrived, making a total of about 125 officers and 1400 men. This regiment, supplemented by Coast Artillery troops [mostly from 92d CA (PS). Ed.] manning 75-mm and 155-mm guns took over the Beach Defenses of Corregidor.

The commercial steamer Don Jose bombed and burning was beached by the Navy off Hooker Point, Corregidor.

B. Initial Aerial Bombardment Period,  29 December 1941 - 14 January 1942   ^

 

29 December

1145- The first aerial attack on the fortified islands occurred with Corregidor as its objective. It was a major attack lasting from 1145 until 1415. A total of 81 medium bombers and 10 dive bombers constituted the attacking force which used 300 lb bombs, instead of the 50 lb previously used on Manila and the airfields. There were no friendly planes in the air. In fact, no friendly aviation participated in the defense of the fortified islands at any time during the operations against them.

The medium bombers approached in formations or twenty-seven, broke into smaller formations of nine, and in waves, made numerous lengthwise crossings of the island. Altitudes were about 18,000-20,000 feet.

First bombs hit the station hospital. Others hit AA gun batteries, Topside Cine, Officers Club, Topside and Middleside barracks, Topside water tank, Officers' quarters, 60th CA garage, ships in Corregidor Bay, and the Navy gasoline storage dump at the tail of the island. It is estimated that more than sixty tons of bombs were dropped on Corregidor during the attack.

Numerous fires were started as wooden structures and gasoline burned. Two observation planes (Phil. Army) at Kindley Field were also destroyed.

Power, water, and communication lines generally were disrupted. Meanwhile the ten dive bombers were strafing the batteries with machine gun fire.

All AA firing batteries at Fort Mills, Fort Hughes, and on the Southern tip of Bataan participated in the action and shot down thirteen enemy planes, nine medium bombers and four strafing planes. The effectiveness of our AA fire resulted in the enemy raising his bombing altitudes to about 28,000 feet.

Total casualties were twenty killed and about eighty wounded. After the All Clear sounded, USAFFE Headquarters moved to Lateral 3, Malinta Tunnel.

30 December

Headquarters, Philippine Department moved to Bataan. With the evacuation of Manila, Battery M-60th returned to Corregidor via Bataan and went into positions at Kindley Field.

1417- A formation of six enemy bombers hit Mariveles, burning the town. Our AA guns (2d Bn, 60th) shot down the leading plane and others immediately dispersed.

1630- In the late afternoon the Inaugural Ceremonies for the President of the Philippine Commonwealth were held outside the east portal to Malinta Tunnel. The oath of office was administered to Quezon by the Honorable Jose Abad Santos, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines after which the President made a brief inaugural address. This was followed by the reading of a message from the President of the United States by His Excellency, Francis B. Sayre, U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines.

The Vice President, the Honorable Sergio Osmeña, was then sworn in by the Chief Justice after which Gen. Douglas MacArthur, USAFFE Commanding General, spoke briefly but impressively.

The National Anthems of the Philippines and the United States, respectively closed the program.

2100- That night approximately 700 Philippine Army Air Corps Cadets arrived from Bataan and were assigned to Beach Defense duty with the 4th U.S. Marines.

31 December

The Harbor Defense Commander issued an official Commendation to the "Officers and Men of the Antiaircraft Defense Command" for the performance of all elements of the command during the bombing raids on 29 December 1941. The Commendation stated further,

Of the many reports received at this headquarters, all have testified to the superior behavior of our antiaircraft personnel under heavy bombing attack. It is a proud record of soldierly action and a high caliber of discipline under fire which these officers and men have made in this first serious combat action of the war in the Harbor Defenses.

1 January 1942

0900- A Japanese fighter plane swooped low over Kindley Field. Battery M-60th CA (AA machine guns) opened fire (260 rds) and plane crashed near Navy boat in Manila Bay.

Enemy bombing concentrated on Bataan during the day, particularly Balanga and Cabcaben areas.

1900- The rear echelon of USAFFE arrived from Manila after destroying records, port area warehouses, and installations.

2 January

All Manila radio stations were silent as the Japanese moved in to occupy the city.

1246- After a quiet morning under a low ceiling of shifting clouds, Japanese bombers returned to the attack of Corregidor, dropping through the clouds, releasing bombs and disappearing into the clouds again. By 1430, fifty-four enemy planes were operating in the area of the defense.

The car barn at Topside was hit and burned with several casualties.

The B.C. Station of Battery L-6Oth (Lansing), on South Shore Road, received a direct hit, killing the battery commander, Capt. Alva L. Hamilton and three of his men. (155-mm Battery South was renamed Battery Hamilton in honor of Captain Hamilton. Ed.)

Other objectives bombed were the barracks, quarters, and batteries at Topside.

Total casualties for the day: thirteen killed, thirty wounded.

3-6 January

During this period a single photo plane circled the fortified islands each morning and there were daily bombings of Corregidor, starting during the noon hour and continuing until about 1430.

On the 3rd, sixty-five bombers hit Topside and Middleside concrete barracks, roads, and AA batteries.

A storage dump of chlorine gas tanks near Battery Way was also hit causing occupants of the Antiaircraft Command Post nearby to wear gas masks for some time. Principal targets on 4 January were the wharves, shops, and warehouses at Bottomside where all buildings were burned. Of the forty-two bombers participating in this three-hour raid, six were shot down. Several main telephone cables were cut but details worked all night so that by morning communications were re-established. This happened frequently.

Similarly when gun batteries were damaged, they were rarely put out of action more than a few hours. Antiaircraft Command Post moved from Battery Way to Lateral 9, Malinta Tunnel.

On 5 January there were several air raid alarms during the day. Bataan was bombed in the morning and Corregidor hit heavily for an hour, 1245-1345. A barge in Corregidor Bay was bombed and set on fire. It drifted ashore setting a quantity of diesel fuel oil on fire near the Post Power Plant. On this date the rations for the garrison were reduced to one-half the authorized allowance. Several frame quarters at Middleside and new Navy quarters at tail of the island were burned. Battery G-6Oth (Globe), shot down one plane over Mariveles in the morning raids while Corregidor batteries accounted for two more in the afternoon.

A muzzle burst from a defective AA round at Battery C-9lst (Cebu) killed four and wounded eight, including the battery commander, Captain Gulick. (Read the Combat History written by John Gulick)

6 January saw the fifth consecutive day of severe bombing of Corregidor. From bomb fragments assembled it appeared that 1000 lb bombs were being used, making craters 4050 feet across.

At Battery Geary (12-in Mortars) where the assigned personnel (Battery H-59th) had been constructing a bombproof shelter, thirty-four men took cover in the incompleted shelter. Unfortunately, a large bomb hit adjacent to the structure collapsing it on the occupants. Three were gotten out, injured and shocked, but the other thirty-one were lost.

President Quezon's yacht the Casiana was bombed and sunk in Corregidor Bay that day also.

The week's bombing disrupted water and power lines all over the island. Emergency power plants were installed in Malinta Tunnel and distributing points for water designated but pumps on the well were soon working again.

7-13 January

There ensued then a week without bombing during which all utility sections took advantage of the respite to repair power, water, and communication lines.

A recapitulation to date showed a total of 75 enemy planes downed by antiaircraft fire of the Harbor Defenses and the 20Oth and 515th AA Regiments.

As the electrically operated air raid sirens were unreliable, these were supplemented by suspended large caliber projectile caps for beating with an iron rod or hammer.

On 13 January a small Japanese vessel approached Ternate on the Cavite shore but retreated promptly when Fort Drum opened fire with a 3-in gun (Battery Hoyle. Ed.) installed that morning on the stern of the ship.

l4 January

1239- Two flights of bombers, nine each, returned to the attack, hitting Topside mainly. The lighthouse and surrounding buildings were damaged but the light could still be operated by kerosene lamp. There was a huge crater in front of the Post Telephone Switchboard room but sandbag protection prevented damage. Several vacant quarters were hit.

Four of the raiding planes were shot down.

C. Cavite Artillery Bombardment Period, 15 January-23 March, 1942   ^

This period witnessed a change in enemy tactics. He was seen, by our AAIS detail in Cavite Province, emplacing artillery in defiladed positions between the village of Sapang and Ternate on the bay shore. His air activity over the Harbor Defenses was restricted to observation only, while on the west coast of Bataan he landed detachments in rear of our lines.

26-30 January

This resulted in a request from our forces in Bataan for artillery fire on an enemy concentration on Longoskawayan Point which was answered at 1213 on the 26th by Battery Geary (12-in Mortars). Sixteen rounds of 700 lb, point detonating, instantaneous fuze, personnel shells were used and proved most effective. According to our observers on Pucot Hill, Bataan, some fragments flew 500 yards and a large fire was started. This was the first firing by major caliber coast artillery guns at an enemy since the Civil War.

The next morning, twenty-four more rounds were fired with another sixteen on the 29th.

G-3 Information Bulletin of 2 February 1942: A wounded Japanese prisoner, captured at Longoskawayan Point, during interrogation by G-2 HPD was asked: "What effect did the large artillery shell fire have on your force?" Answer: "We were terrified. We could not know where the big shells or bombs were coming from; they seemed to be falling from the sky. Before I was wounded, my head was going round and round, and I did not know what to do. Some of my companions jumped off the cliff to escape the terrible fire."

On 28 January, a friendly submarine entered between 0500 and 0600. The submarine lay on the bottom of the Bay during the day of the 28th, replenished with torpedoes after dark and exited safely.

On the morning of 29 January, three enemy bombers came over Corregidor but dropped propaganda leaflets instead of bombs. These were labeled "Ticket to Armistice" and urged Filipino soldiers to surrender themselves. Similar leaflets by the thousands were dropped over our lines in Bataan. To combat this, President Quezon issued a proclamation by radio from Corregidor designed to reassure the Filipino people and warn them against Japanese propaganda designed to lead them to believe a large group of Filipino leaders were disloyal to America.

Late in January, a 1.1-in quadruple mount, automatic weapon, formerly intended for the U.S.S Houston, was turned over to the Harbor Defenses by local authorities, together with several thousand rounds of ammunition. A special concrete base was constructed atop Malinta Hill on which the weapon was mounted and turned over to the Anti-aircraft Defense Command. No fire control director was available but each round of ammunition was tracer type.

This quadruple mount was in action a number of times particularly in the zone between the effective maximum and minimum ranges of .50~aliber machine guns and 3-in guns.

31 January - 5 February

As enemy activity in Cavite Province increased, it was decided to take their operations there under fire from Fort Frank. On 31 January, Battery Koehler (12-in Mortars), which had not been fired for several years and never at an enemy blasted 30 rounds at a Japanese concentration near Ternate as did also Battery Frank North (155-mm guns) 36 rounds.

Thereafter for many weeks some of the seacoast batteries which could fire on the south mainland were in action almost daily, especially those at Forts Frank, Drum and Hughes. Observation was very difficult from the fortified islands but Captain Ivey, 60th CA (AA), with a small party of enlisted men, using a walkie-talkie radio at an OP on the mainland, gave spotting data until his detail was attacked and driven out.

On the night of 3 February, a fleet of submarine arrived direct from Honolulu, bringing 2750 rounds of 3-in AA, mechanical fuze ammunition.

Previously only one AA gun battery B-6Oth (Boston) had been equipped with this type of ammunition which permitted them to reach Japanese bombers at 30,000 feet. Other batteries had only the powder-train fuzed ammunition reaching to about 24,000 feet. With the new acquisition, Battery C-6Oth (Chicago) was also equipped with the mechanical fuze type. The submarine loaded about $4,000,000 in gold bullion from the Philippine Treasury vault on Corregidor, departed that night and eventually reached Australia safely with its valuable cargo. (This episode is referred to in Ed Michaud’s Article)

About that time General MacArthur informed me that in event of the collapse of Bataan, it was his intention to bring the Philippine Division to Corregidor to be assigned to my command to strengthen the beach defense. When they would be ordered over would depend on the development of the situation on Bataan. He directed me to make plans for their employment, to select bivouac areas, and to plan for an extension of hospital facilities. He further directed that food sufficient for 20,000 on the basis then in effect (1/2 ration) should be held at Corregidor to last until 30 June 1942. At this time the ration strength was 11,000. He directed that supply of Corregidor stores to Bataan Forces should not reduce the food supply below that amount.

6 February

0812- First enemy artillery fire against the fortified islands fell on Forts Drum and Hughes and Corregidor shortly after 0800. The bombardment came from 105-mm batteries on the Cavite mainland and lasted until about 1100. The principal concentration was against Fort Drum which received approximately 100 hits without, however, impairing its main fighting strength.

Observation to locate enemy batteries was difficult as most observers were looking directly at the sun. Based on the best information obtainable, the enemy fire was returned during the day by Battery Roberts (6-in) at Fort Drum and Batteries Koehler and Frank North at Fort Frank. Results were unknown.

A muzzle burst at Battery Koehler killed one Scout soldier and wounded seven others and the battery commander, Capt. Robert J White,92d CA.

7 February -11 February

The next day, Fort Frank was also included in the enemy bombardment. In fact from that time onward there was the constant threat of artillery fire from the Cavite shore. Daily counter-battery action from the fortified islands, especially from Fort Frank, answered the enemy fire.

On 9 February, aerial photographs taken from a P40 equipped with camera combined with Captain Ivey's information, furnished good data for counter-battery fire. Our guns set an enemy barracks on fire and secured several hits on his battery positions.

Several naval vessels, such as gun boats and launches which had been anchored in the south harbor, were removed over near the Bataan shore to avoid shelling.

12 February

Two Japanese dive bombers flew over Battery "C" 91st (near Mariveles) and were both shot down by the battery's 3in guns.

Battery "D", 2d CA (Phil. Army), consisting of eighty-six men and four officers, was transferred from Bataan to Fort Frank and the personnel attached to Batteries "E" and "F", 91st CA.

13 February -18 February

Daily artillery duels continued between the Harbor Defense batteries and the enemy's Cavite artillery. A typical afternoon action was the following on 15 February:

1540- Enemy opened fire on Corregidor from Cavite. Shells hit the vicinity of south dock.

1552- Batteries Hearn, Hamilton, and Frank North opened counter battery.

1610- Enemy fire ceased.

1623- Captain Ivey (observer on Cavite mainland) reported salvos hit right in area of enemy gun flashes. He recommended 155's sweep the area. Battery Frank North starting to "sweep."

1628- Fort Frank under fire.

1635- Corregidor under fire.

1655- Enemy ceased fire.

1715- Fort Hughes under fire. Fort Frank fired counter-battery.

1745- Firing ceased.

1911- Fort Hughes again under harassing fire.

2108- Corregidor again under harassing fire.

2115- Firing ceased.

Late that afternoon Captain Ivey and his spotters were attacked by Japanese patrol and forced to withdraw. An American corporal was killed and a sergeant captured but the officer and two Philippine Scouts eventually returned to Fort Frank safely.

On 16 February, all fortified islands were shelled beginning with Fort Drum at 2403.

A "dud" at Middleside on Corregidor indicated the enemy then using his 15cm guns, approximately 6in caliber.

A Japanese raiding party from Nasugbu blew up the Fort Frank fresh water line below the Calumpan dam at 1540. Distillation plant put into immediate operation.

Batteries Hearn, Koehier and Frank North replied with counter-battery fire at intervals. Fort Frank also fired 75's at enemy groups sighted on trails on the mainland.

On 17 February was a repetition of previous artillery action. The enemy opened fire on Fort Drum at 0615, and again on Corregidor at 0854 switching to Fort Hughes at noon. Although sporadic, this harassing fire was nonetheless annoying.

On the 18th, Fort Frank bore the brunt of enemy shelling which lasted from 1420 on. At 2130 just after Battery Frank North ceased counter-battery fire, an enemy shell landed in the powder pit of No.4 gun wounding seven members of the crew who were cleaning the gun.

19 February

The enemy continued intermittent fire at Fort Frank during the night. Sometime after midnight the harbor boat Neptune approached the Fort Frank dock to deliver supplies but withdrew when a shell landed nearby. Later at about 0330 she again came in to dock. At that instant an. enemy shell hit her forward deck exploding fifteen drums of gasoline destined for Fort Frank and turning the ship into a blazing furnace. The crew jumped overboard and swam ashore but the ship and all supplies aboard were a total loss. Many grass fires were started on the island but all hands turned out and fires were soon extinguished.

After daylight Colonel Boudreau, commanding Fort Frank, sent a volunteer working party of fifteen men to Calumpan barrio on the mainland to repair the fresh water pipeline which had been blown up two days previously by the Japanese.

While they were working they were attacked but succeeded in killing twenty-five to thirty Japanese and got back to Fort Frank safely. One Philippine Scout was wounded in the arm. Colonel Boudreau assisted with 75mm fire from Frank. The working detail credited Pvt. James L. Elkins, 60th CA (AA) with most of the Japanese casualties.

The enemy retaliated by burning Calumpan and Patungan barrios that night.

20 February

From 0930 until late afternoon Corregidor, Fort Hughes and Fort Frank were under fire at one-minute intervals. Most shells at Corregidor fell at Bottomside. The Post Power Plant was hit but only slight damage resulted. Several observing stations at Fort Hughes were badly damaged.

Battery Woodruff (14in gun) at Fort Hughes joined Batteries Hearn and Frank North in counter battery for the first time;

After dark a friendly submarine exited carrying President Quezon and Vice President Osmena of the Philippine Commonwealth together with the private and official family of the President. The party landed safely in the Visayan islands from which point some weeks later they proceeded by PT boat to Mindanao and thence by air to Australia.

Also departing for the southern islands was the Don Esteban, an inter-island steamer, carrying lesser members of the Quezon party.

21 February

Quiet day by land, sea, and air. The Princessa, 5000 ton inter-islander, came in during the night from Cebu with food stuffs and other supplies, while the Legaspi departed for Iloilo on a similar mission.

22 February

The CO at Fort Hughes reported a newly constructed battery of two155-mm guns completed and ready for action. This was named Battery Williams, in honor of 1st Lt. George L. Williams, CAC, killed in action in Abucay, Bataan.

At noon experimental firing was conducted by Battery Craighill (12in mortars) using high angle fire and 700 lb projectile with AA fuze. No bursts were secured so project was abandoned.

23 February

Batteries Woodruff and Frank North fired on Japanese activities in Ternate and Maragondon on the Cavite mainland. After dark the American High Commissioner, Mr. Francis B. Sayre, departed with his family and staff via submarine. They arrived safely some days later at Perth, West Australia.

24 February-1 March

G2 reports and other indications suggested Japanese were marking time waiting for reinforcements. Native informers reported enemy improving trails to new gun positions in Pico del Oro Hill with forced Filipino labor.

Meanwhile a tunnel for the Seaward Defense Command Post, started in 1921 but discontinued on account of treaty agreements, was nearing completion.

Seacoast batteries during this period fired daily road interdiction at Ternate and Maragondon to harass Japanese communications.

At 1400, 26 February Colonel Boudreau at Fort Frank scattered a Japanese looting party in barrio Calumpan with 75mm shrapnel,

That same day word was received that the Don Esteban and Legaspi had reached Cebu safely but that the Florence D coming up from Australia was lost while the Don Isidro had been bombed and sunk in Port Darwin harbor.

All batteries took advantage of lull in enemy activity to improve positions and dig in deeper. On 1 March a Japanese dive bomber came within range of the 1.1 mount (on Malinta Hill) which opened fire driving it off.

2- March

On 2 March the ration was further reduced to three-eights of the normal allowance.

Two dive bombers raided Fort Frank but with little effect. An 8in gun, which had been brought over from Bataan, was mounted on a prepared concrete base near R.J. 43 east of Malinta Hill. It had a range of 24,000 yards and all around fire except to the west which was screened by Malinta Hill After proof firing by the Ordnance Department on 4 March it was ready for service but as no troops were available for assignment to it, it was never in action against the enemy. It had been anticipated that troops would be available from Bataan to man this battery.

One 155-mm gun which had been located near Battery Gillespie at Fort Hughes was disassembled, moved down through the Fort Hughes tunnel, reassembled, and emplaced to fire past Hooker Point, Corregidor, toward the east coast of Bataan. This gun was designated Battery Hooker.

The CO Fort Frank reported enemy artillery being moved up prepared trails toward Pico del Oro. Battery Koehler dropped several salvos of 12in mortar shells in the area. Just before dark on 4 March our four remaining P-40's, equipped with improvised bomb racks, took off from Cabcaben airfield and raided the Jap base in Subic Bay. They left three cargo vessels burning and sinking, damaged several others and started fires on the Olongapo dock and Grande Island, now occupied by the Japanese. Unfortunately one plane failed to return while two others overshot the field and cracked up when landing. The Japanese radio reported that a large number of B-17's from a secret base had made the raid.

About that time the CO Fort Frank transmitted to Harbor Defense Headquarters a propaganda message he had received from the Japanese through a Filipino civilian. This man had been discharged from the Philippine Scouts prior to the war on account of suspected Sakdalista (Philippine Communist) activities. Substance of the message was as follows:

Surrender Carabao and save lives; the whole area along coast line of Cavite Province is now a Japanese Military Reservation; large guns in large numbers are being massed there; Carabao will be reduced by our mighty artillery fire, likewise Drum; after reduction of Carabao and Drum our invincible artillery will pound Corregidor into submission, batter it, weaken it, preparatory to a final assault by crack Japanese landing troops. Be wise, surrender now and receive preferential Japanese treatment.

Other similar messages were received from time to time.

On the morning of 6 March one enemy plane flew over Forts Drum and Frank several times. Both opened fire and E91st (Ermita) at Fort Frank shot it down.

The next morning another light bomber observation ship was shot down by " C" 91st over their position on Bataan, making No.11 for that battery.

During this period there were almost daily firings of some batteries at enemy operations on the Cavite mainland such as working parties, patrols, observation posts, bridges, or important road junctions. Participating in these firings were Batteries Woodruff and Leach at Fort Hughes, Roberts and Hoyle at Fort Drum, and Koehler and Frank North at Fort Frank.

9 March

The CO Fort Frank considered conditions favorable for repair of his water line to Calumpan dam so he sent out an armed working party in the morning with that mission. A 75mm fire from Fort Frank on a Japanese trail in rear of the dam drove back an approaching enemy patrol of about twenty men. The working detail remained under cover until the enemy retreated then completed necessary repairs, connected the water, and returned to Fort Frank after a nine-hour absence.

For several weeks thereafter Fort Frank put down occasional bursts of 75-mm or .50 caliber machine gun fire in the vicinity of the dam to discourage enemy activity there.

10 March

A single photo plane made daily early morning flights over the fortified islands but well above the range of our automatic weapons.

On Corregidor the Engineers completed constructing reinforced concrete roofs over several beach defense 75mm guns for protection from dive bombing attacks. Other Engineer activities in the Harbor Defenses are covered in the Engineer Annex Exhibit "E".

11 March

After dark General MacArthur, with his family and staff, and Admiral Rockwell, with his 16th Naval District staff, departed via four navy PT (Patrol-torpedo) boats for Mindanao, from which point all flew to Australia four days later. About one week prior to departure he informed me of his orders to go. He told me that he had protested to the President but in spite of that he had been ordered to leave. He told me he was leaving Col. Lewis C. Beebe behind as his deputy Chief of Staff in charge of an advance CP at Corregidor. He was setting up four independent commands in the Philippines: the Harbor Defenses of Manila Bay, under my command the Luzon Force under Major General Wainwright; the Mindanao Force under Brigadier General Sharp; and the Visayan Force under Brigadier General Chynoweth. He told me the principal function of his staff he was leaving behind was to try to get supplies into Corregidor and Bataan. He cautioned me against allowing any encroachments to be made on the Harbor Defense supplies for the other forces in the command which would reduce the ration supply below the requirement of sufficient food for half rations for a force of 20,000 to last until 30 June 1942. He cautioned me that in case of the ultimate fall of Corregidor I was to make sure that the armament was destroyed to such an extent that it could not be used against an American effort to recapture the Philippines. General MacArthur's last instructions to me before departing were to hold Corregidor until he returned.

12 March

Seacoast batteries continued to blast suspected enemy activities in Cavite Province.

13 March

There were scattered reconnaissance flights over the fortified islands and Bataan during the day Battery Leach was in action against the Ternate area, and Fort Frank fired many rounds of 75mm shrapnel at enemy activities in Patungan and Looc Cove.

14 March

Several batteries fired at motor launches which came within range inside the bay. Among these were Batteries Kysor, Fuger, Hooker, and Leach. One boat or barge was sunk and another set on fire.

15 March

The enemy opened fire promptly at 0730 against Corregidor and Fort Frank, shifting to Fort Hughes at 0800, and Fort Drum at 0900. During the day Forts Frank and Drum received the brunt of the bombardment, each being under a heavy concentration of 240-mm howitzer fire for the first time. Shells falling on Corregidor and Fort Hughes were still of 105-mm or 15cm caliber About 5% were duds. At Fort Frank the heavy howitzer shells did much damage especially at Battery Frank North (155-mm) and Ermita (3-in AA). In each case two of the four guns were destroyed and the other two damaged but repairable. The cable hoist and derrick were put out of commission and one machine gun emplacement demolished Seven out of eight mortars at Battery Koehler were out of action temporarily. Other batteries received less punishment. Casualties were very few, although approximately 500 shells hit the island. Starting that night beach defense details were doubled. At Fort Drum one 240-mm shell penetrated the casemate shield at Battery Roberts disabling one gun temporarily. A fire was started but was extinguished before it reached the powder. Several men were burned and gassed by the fumes in the casemate. There were approximately 100 hits on Fort Drum.

16 March

General bombardment of the Harbor Defenses from the Cavite shore continued starting against Fort Drum at 0935.

Batteries Hearn, Woodruff, and Craighill engaged in counter-battery.

At Fort Frank a 240-mm shell hit at the junction of the vertical wall and emplacement floor at Battery Koehler, penetrated 18 inches of concrete, passed under a six foot concrete wall and exploded under the powder room. The floor was broken up and sixty cans of mortar powder overturned but none was set off.

17 March

Battery Koehler’s mortars were back in action, firing at enemy positions on mainland in Jamilo Cove.

Battery Marshall (14in turret) at Fort Drum opened fire on same target.

Forts Drum and Frank were both under enemy fire. Battery Craighill fired at enemy in Hestinga Valley.

18 March -20 March

Fort Frank 75-mm fired at Japanese patrols while Batteries Koehler, Hearn, and Craighill engaged in counter-battery. Forts Hughes, Drum, and Frank were under enemy fire periodically.

21 March

In compliance with orders from the War Department, General Wainwright assumed command of the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) and established his headquarters on Corregidor. He made no change in the Harbor Defense Command as established and no change in the conduct of the defense.

Forts Hughes, Drum, and Frank were again enemy targets with the latter receiving the heaviest concentration. Again several hundred 240-mm and 105-mm shells hit the island, principal targets being Batteries Koehler and Cofton and the dock area.

One round of 240-mm penetrated a tunnel roof at an "L" causing damage in two directions. Many men were lined up in the tunnel awaiting inoculations at the nearby dispensary when the shell hit. Twenty-eight were killed and forty-six wounded of whom several died later. A barge was sent to Fort Frank that night to bring the wounded to Malinta Hospital and the dead to Corregidor for burial.

22 March -23 March

Batteries Hearn, Craighill, Marshall (Wilson. Ed.), and Koehler fired at various targets in Cavite Province.

Nightly details of 3 officers and 150 men were loading out barges of supplies to Bataan.

D. Second Aerial Bombardment and Bataan Reduction Period 24 March-9 April 1942   ^

24 March

0707- Batteries Woodruff, Marshall, and Koehier opened fire on Cavite targets.

0924- Air Raid Alarm No.77 sounded.

0925- Nine heavy bombers, a new type in the area bombed Middleside and Morrison Hill.

0945- Twenty-seven heavy bombers came in over tail of Corregidor (Hooker Point) and bombed Middleside, closely followed by seventeen heavies bombing Topside

0950- Twenty-five planes followed by nine more made another attack. Meanwhile, artillery shells from enemy batteries in Cavite were bursting on Corregidor. Several fires were started, communication cables and water mains cut, and an ammunition dump of 75mm shells on Morrison Hill was set off. These shells were exploding for hours. Battery Wheeler had a direct bomb hit on the racer of No.1 gun putting it out of action temporarily.

1110- All clear sounded.

1435- Air Raid Alarm No.78. Nine heavy bombers approached Corregidor from SE. Bombs dropped on Kindley Field.

1438- Seven more planes from SE with more bombs. Shelling from mainland also.

1529- All clear.

1552- Air Raid Alarm No.79. Nine heavy bombers hit Kindley Field again.

1620- All Clear.

1640- Air Raid Alarm No.80. Mariveles and Cabcaben areas hit by nine heavies.

1703- All Clear.

2053- Air Raid Alarm No.81.

2115- First night air raid. Two medium bombers dropped incendiary bombs in Cheney Ravine, Corregidor. Later returned and bombed Bottomside. No damage reported.

2234- All Clear. Bombs dropped during the day's raids were of heavier type than formerly, estimated as some 1100 lbs, 500 lbs, and none (except incendiary) less than 200 lbs.

Six enemy planes were shot down. Others believed severely damaged, were also probably lost to the enemy. The new bombers used were similar in appearance to the old medium bomber No.97, but appeared to be faster and were reported by observers to have a "turret in the tail." Altitudes for the heavy bombers varied from 21,000-30,000 feet.

There were very few casualties and damage to materiel was soon repaired.

The above account was extracted from records of the day preserved by staff officers who were present. It is given in some detail inasmuch as it marked the heavy reinforcement of Japanese air in Luzon and the beginning of the enemy's final offensive operations against Bataan and the fortified islands.

25 March

Another day similar to the preceding.

0630- Batteries Craighill, Woodruff, and Koehler got an early start against enemy on Cavite mainland. Lack of accurate observation prevented the most effective adjustment of fire.

0910- Nine planes from south heavily bombed 92d CA garage, barracks, and officers quarters. All wooden buildings burned.

1020- Five bombers flew east over Corregidor bombing top of Malinta Hill. One downed smoking and one motor shot out of another.

1125- String of bombs from nine of No.97's hit both portals of Malinta Tunnel and top Malinta Hill. Bottomside Cine, the Post Exchange, and Post Bakery were burned.

1129- Artillery fire fell on Topside.

1225- Nine planes approached from east.

1245- Ten bombers came in from south. Bombs hit Ramsey Ravine and James Ravine. During the last raids one plane shot down in flames while another fell in the China Sea; others apparently damaged.

1603- Nine bombers hit tail of island area including naval radio installations and quarters. Enemy shelling from Cavite shore. At 1730 and 1900 there were alarms but no bombs.

2052- A night raid by three No.97's started a warehouse fire and a barge fire off Engineer Dock at Bottomside.

26 March -31 March

Each day during the remainder of the month there were from eight to ten bombings of the Harbor Defense forts, accompanied frequently by artillery fire from Cavite. Inasmuch as the enemy heavy bomber operations were then based on Clark Field his attacks extended over a longer period of daylight hours than in December and January. There were many landslides blocking roads, besides bomb craters, so that Engineer crews were kept busy continually on repair work.

Several ammunition dumps were hit and the shells exploded. A quantity of TNT stored in the North and of Topside concrete barracks was hit and blown up, demolishing that end of the barracks.

Early in the morning of 27 March, it was noticed that forty-five bancas had been assembled on the beach of the mainland south of Fort Frank during the night. The CO Fort Frank interpreted this as a preparation to send a landing party to test his defenses. He opened fire with 75-mm guns and destroyed all bancas.

Every day various seacoast batteries at Forts Hughes, Drum, and Frank engaged every reasonable target on the Cavite mainland with artillery fire.

At 1700, 30 March a formation of two bi-motor bombers approached Corregidor at just above 20,000 feet. Both were shot down in a brief fire action which caused much concern to the Japanese. Their excitement, evidenced in intercepted radio message, suggested that persons of importance may have been abroad. Thereafter they habitually put their bombers up as high as 30,000 feet which, due to limitations imposed by powder train fuze, silenced all 3-in AA batteries except the two equipped with mechanical fuze ammunition (Boston and Chicago. Ed.).

Eight bombing attacks by the enemy were ineffective. AA searchlights usually illuminated enemy planes before they reached the bomb release line whereupon planes would jettison bombs in the water and depart. Occasionally small bombs hit Corregidor at night but without serious result.

The heavy toll exacted by the antiaircraft defense caused the enemy to attack thereafter in small formations, frequently from one to three planes instead of nine to twenty-seven.

The movement was accomplished during the night 8 April amid vast congestion and confusion along all roads in the Mariveles area caused by the disorganized troops of the Luzon Force and masses of civilian refugees. Due to forcible intervention by the Military Police the AA troops were permitted to withdraw only 2 (3-in) AA guns and about 650 rounds of ammunition.

All equipment left behind, such as 3-in AA guns, AA searchlights, RDF's, fire control equipment, and ammunition destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

From 1810, 8 April till 0500, 9 April Battery Hearn, upon the call of the Luzon Force Commander, fired road interdiction to delay the enemy advance southward on Bataan Roads. In accordance with previous plans, during the closing days of the Bataan struggle, I took up with USFIP Headquarters the question of augmenting the Harbor Defenses by units of the Philippine Division as originally planned. Orders for the withdrawal of any elements of this Division were delayed so long that the 57th Infantry (PS) and the 31st Infantry (American) became hopelessly involved in the fighting on Bataan and could not be extracted. The 45th Infantry (PS) was ordered to Corregidor and was actually assembled and started to Mariveles for embarkation to Corregidor but it never reached there. The only elements of this regiment to reach Corregidor were the Regimental Commander, his Adjutant and Chaplain.

When Bataan fell, General Wainwright directed that no troops would be brought to Corregidor except the 45th Infantry (PS), the 2d Bn 60th CA (AA) (less "F" and "G") and with C-91st attached, and the army nurses; also, that no civilians would be evacuated to Corregidor.

In spite of his orders the following arrived without authority:

680th and 681st Ord. Cos.

80 P.C.

300 Navy

900 Misc. troops

800 Civ.

All night 8 April and all day on the 9th refugees from Bataan poured into Corregidor by boats, rafts, bancas or any means by water.

That night the sky was illuminated for hours as ammunition stores and various installations were blown up. In Mariveles harbor the Taiping, loaded with bombs, was blown up.

At 1310 on 9 April troops in fatigue clothing were observed marching NE on the Cabcaben road.

Meanwhile Corregidor had suffered four bombing attacks during the morning and Topside was under artillery fire from Cavite.

At 1540 nine planes, in waves of three, dropped bombs near Batteries Wheeler and Gerry and Ordnance Instrument Shop, returning at 1549 to bomb Malinta Hill and Kindley Field. All vessels were moved from the North Harbor to South Harbor for better protection from Bataan. These included the Navy gunboats Oahu, Mindanao and Luzon, the Army Mine Planter Harrison and a number of launches. Following their arrival on Corregidor the troops which had been on Bataan were assigned for tactical employment as follows:

Battery G-6Oth to AA guns to be emplaced on golf course (two guns brought from Bataan, one from C-6Oth).

Battery E-6Oth (Erie) (less two S/L section) to man Battery Way (four 12in seacoast mortars).

Two S/L sections of E-6Oth to man two spare searchlights of A-6Oth on call nightly from Harbor Defense Headquarters as emergency searchlights for Seaward Defense.

Battery C9lst to man Battery Morrison (two 6-in seacoast guns facing Bataan).

All other military and naval personnel were turned over to the Beach Defense Commander to augment his forces. Such civilians as were physically able were drafted as laborers for the Quartermaster, Army Transport Service or the Engineer Department. The remainder were a dead load. At 1600 on 9 April a Japanese 75mm battery which had been rushed forward, opened fire on Corregidor from the beach near Cabcaben, Bataan as a foretaste of what we were to expect. As this battery was in plain sight it was quickly destroyed by 155mm fire from Battery Kysor. However, on account of the large numbers of our own captured troops being marched out on the Bataan roads, and on account of the two base hospitals filled with our own sick and wounded which were located there, General Wainwright prohibited our artillery firing into Bataan until further orders.

Hundreds of surrendered troops mill around awaiting orders as to their fate. The true circumstances of the surrender will not be known in the West for until 1943-44. Dispirited and directionless, many not knowing why they have been surrendered, groups of men stand around waiting for orders.  Some units maintained cohesiveness due to strong leadership, but others fell apart from lacklustre officers more interested in themselves than the welfare of their men. 

E. Final Bombardment and Assault Period 10 April-6 May 1942   ^