BatterY CROCKETT

 No. Guns Cal. Type Troop Range Yards
bttycroc.jpg (85766 bytes) 2 12-in DC B-59 17,000 crockt1.jpg (54837 bytes)

The main armaments of Corregidor were the 12-inch disappearing guns of Battery Crocket, located about 400 yards to the southeast of the centre of the barracks and across the golf course. These monsters of the U.S. Army's Coast Artillery had a 360-degree traverse. They were facing the wrong way to be of any value during the siege.

Battery Crockett was constructed between 1907 and 1911 at a cost of $290,046 and named in honor of 2nd Lt. Allen T. Crockett, 21st U.S. Infantry who was killed in action 4 September, 1901 at Candelaria,   Philippines.

The battery's armament is composed of two 12-inch (305 mm) M1895 guns on Model 1901 Disappearing Carriages, capable of ranging to 17,000 yards (nearly 10 miles or 16 km). The 1,000 lb (454.5 kg) shell required a 270 lb (122.7 kg) bagged charge. Rate of fire was at or better than 2 per minute.  and with a field of fire of 220 degrees.crockett45.jpg (54846 bytes) Maximum rate of fire was better than two rounds per minute. The length of the rifled bore was 35 ft (10.7 m). The traverse of each gun was limited to 170 degrees but because the centers of traverse are offset 50 degrees, the combined field of the two guns enabled the battery to cover a 220 degree field of fire. Firing elevation was from minus five degrees to plus fifteen degrees.

The battery faces south across the South Channel and cannot fire towards Bataan. Japanese artillery to the south, being more modern, was placed in the Naic-Ternate_Puerto Azul area,  just out of Crockett's range. Consequently Crockett was not involved in any action.

The standard manning crew was 22 men.

It was manned during wartime by Battery B, 59th Coast Artillery under Captain Herman H. Hauck.  On 24 April 1942, heavy shelling from Bataan damaged the carriage of No. 1 gun beyond repair, and destroyed the plotting room, shot hoists and power plant. 

On the morning of 6 May, 1942, Battery B was ordered to form up as infantry together with Batteries C, D & H, 59thy to reinforce the troops fighting against the Japanese invasion troops west of Malinta Hill. They were not used.

No. 2 gun, disabled prior to surrender, was repaired by American POW's, but aqain put out of action in a bombing raid in January 1945.

Although both guns were disabled prior to the surrender, the Japanese required American POW's to completelyy dismantle No. 1 gun carriage for parts to restore No. 2 back to service.


GUN No. 1: Bethlehem No. 15, built 1905; carriage Watertown No. 14, built 1907.

GUN No. 2: Bethlehem No. 9, built 1904; carriage Watertown No. 15 built 1907.

Spare Gun: Bethlehem No. 10, built 1898.

Today,  the No. 1 gun is Bethlehem No. 13 (built 1905 and relined 1939)  mounted on carriage Watertown No. 14. The No. 2 gun is Watervliet No. 27 (built 1899 and relined 1938)  mounted on carriage Watertown No. 15. The spare is now  Bethlehem No. 9, formerly the pre-war No. 2.