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ROCK FORCE CONTENTS
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The "Rock Force" is the name applied to the land contingent that retook Corregidor Is. commencing 16 February 1945, under the command of Col. George M. Jones.
503 Prcht. Inf. Rgt.
462 Field Artillery Bn. (Prcht.)
3d Bn. 34 Inf. Rgt.
Co. "C", 161 Airborne Engineer Battalion 18th Port. Surg. Hosp. (Reinforced.)
3rd Platoon Antitank Co. 34 Inf. Rgt. 3rd Platoon Cannon Co. 34 Inf. Rgt.
Co. "A" 34 Inf. Rgt
3rd Platoon Co. "C". 24th Med. Bn.
Detachment Serv. Co. 34 Inf Rgt.
Btry. A 950 A.A.A. (AW) Bn.
174 Ordinance Service. Detachment, (Bomb Disposal Squad)
Detachment, 592 Engineer Boat and Shore Rgt.
Detachment, 98 Signal Bn. Detachment, 1st Platoon 603 Tank Co. Detachment, 592 Joint Assault Signal Co. Detachment, 6th Support Air Party Combat Photo Unit "A" G.H.Q. Signal Station Combat Photo Unit "Q" G.H.Q. Signal Section. |
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HONOR ROLL of CORREGIDOR'S OTHER
KIA'S |
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The U.S. Navy at Corregidor
The USN
was not a part of the Rock Force, but was
integral to the success of the Operation. The pre-invasion plans had been worked out by the higher staffs, and the
Navy had been designated to bombard the island for several days from
cruisers and destroyers. The pre-landing bombardment was copious, well placed and was furnished
by cruisers, destroyers, gunboats, rocket firing LCI�s and PT boats. On
D-day the fire never ceased from the opening of the heavy guns at
daylight until the first wave touched shore amid the dust of the final
volleys of five-inch shells. PT Boats stood off, ready to pick up
paratroopers who fell short of the Landing Fields. Thereafter, the Navy provided 'floating
artillery' from destroyers which stood offshore day after day giving
close support with gnat�s-eye accuracy. The set-up was similar to that of field artillery and air support, a
liaison party and a forward observer party. These parties come from the
Joint Assault Signal Companies made up of individuals from both the Army
and Navy. There were two destroyers available at all times, day and
night. During the day, one destroyer sat dead in the water off the south
shore firing on any likely looking target east of Malinta Hill, while
the other worked around the west end, firing mission for the
paratroopers in their clean-up of the rugged ravines and cliffsides in
that area. At night, one destroyer lay out west of the island firing
star-shell illumination until the moon rose, while the other patrolled
outside the bay entrances though still available to fire on call.
See
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The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross was represented at Corregidor by two
extraordinary personalities, both civilians, and their support staff,
whose names we do not have. Jumping with the 503d PRCT was Harold
Templeman who, though not a paratrooper, became as much a part of the
unit's history as any man. Templeman published the book "Return To
Corregidor" which is as close to a Unit History as the 503d had at the
time. It was Templeman who compiled the list of men who jumped on
Corregidor which, though not gospel, provides us with the best source
document
of the men who jumped to battle there. (
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317th Troop Carrier Group - "Jungle Skippers"
Though not a part of the Rock Force,
the Jungle Skippers, comprising
the
39th, 40th, 41st and 46th Troop Carrier squadrons of the 317th Troop
Carrier Group, under Col. John Lackey, delivered us to the jump zones
and kept us supplied during the critical times.
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17th Recon Squadron, 71st Recon Group, 5th Army Air Force -
Though not a part of the Rock Force, we
include them here as they were involved in the pre-mission
reconnaissance, and in covering the jump photographically with their
big-negative cameras.
A detachment operated from Dulag Airfield, Dulag, Leyte from 9 February
until the end of the war. The 17th
recon Squadron flew P-38/F5's and B-25's and extensively photographed
the island. (They also bombed from their B-25's.) We feature two series of images, one
known as
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Mopping up the other islands of Manila Bay
Company B, 113th Engineer Battalion was moved to the island on the 23 February. It was not a part of the Rock Force.
2d Battalion 151st Infantry Regiment was not a part of the Rock Force, but was was detached to relieve the 3d Bn 34th Infantry, and landed on Corregidor's Black Beach on 24 February 1945. It thereafter continued mopping-up operations in league with the 503d PRCT, assisting to secure the island sufficiently that on 2 March Colonel Jones could present General MacArthur with Fortress Corregidor at the formal raising of the flag on the old Spanish flagpole at Topside. The entire island was turned over to the 151st on 8 March. From Corregidor, the 2d Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment assaulted Caballo Island, about a mile south, on 27 March. Fire support was provided by the 163d Field Artillery Battalion from Corregidor, and by the 150th Field Artillery Battalion from Bataan. Mopping up operations lasted until Company F was relieved on 13 April. Some Japanese did remain on the island, and in fact twenty Japanese resisted capture until 1 Jan 1946. A comprehensive description of their attacks on Fort Hughes, Fort Drum, and Fort Frank is available in an extract of the 38th Infantry Division Historical Report. |
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