d.  Period 6 January 1942 - 6 February 1942.

 

During this period, there was practically no enemy activity conducted against the fortified islands.  The enemy air efforts were limited to occasional observation planes and to a few attacks on shipping in the vicinity of the fortified islands.  On 13 January, at approximately 1430, an enemy vessel approaching Fort Drum was taken under fire by the 3-inch deck guns and the enemy fled.

(Note of historic interest.  26 January 1942, Battery Geary, consisting of eight 12-inch seacoast model 1896 mortars opened fire on Japanese ground forces dug in on Longaskawayan Point on the Bataan Peninsula.  The same battery fired again on January 27th at the same target.  The enemy had landed behind the Bataan line on this point from submarines.  Their positions was the tip of the point on an area 200 yards long by 100 yards wide.  33 rounds were fired of 690 pound point detonating personnel shells.  Of the 33 rounds fired, 32 were hits.  The corrected range was 14,200 which lacked 200 yards of being the maximum range.  This is of historic interest as this was the first primary battery of seacoast artillery in the history of the United States of America to ever open fire on an enemy from our fortifications.)

 

e.  Period of 6 February 1942 to 9 April 1942.

 

6 February 1942 at 0820 Fort Drum was fired upon by Japanese artillery.  This initial action lasted 3-1/2 hours.  It was the first fort in the harbor defenses to be taken under fire by Japanese artillery.  The weapon was a 105-mm howitzer firing a point fuse shell.  The firing was at intervals of from 70 to 85 seconds.  The target was the cage mast and other deck installations.  A few rounds of counter-battery were fired by both 3-inch deck gun and the 6-inch casemate guns Battery Roberts (south side).  This Japanese fire continued daily for about two weeks with fewer rounds being fired each day.  The damage was very limited and in no way affected the tactical situation.  From this time until 10 April 1942, Fort Drum fired occasional two gun, 14-inch salvos in the areas along the Cavite Shore.  Firing often took place at night.  The targets were areas reported by G-2 operators who were active in the enemy held territory.  They consisted primarily of enemy troop bivouacs.

 

17 March 1942, Fort Drum and Fort Frank underwent a very heavy bombardment from Japanese 240-mm howitzers emplaced on the Cavite shore.  This action continued for approximately two weeks.  These were the first 240-mm weapons to be used against harbor defenses.

 

At least six 240-mm howitzers were employed in this bombardment.  They fired two gun salvos and from the location of the hits, it was apparent that the artillery was well dispersed in the mountains back of the Cavite shoreline.  The fire was coming from three widely separated positions.  Counter-battery fire was brought to bear from time to time by all the fortified islands.

Fort Frank which was only 4,200 yards from Fort Drum, suffered serious material damages during bombardment.  Almost all of her guns were out of action for a considerable period of time and some of them were out of action permanently.  The principle targets on Fort Drum were the two 14-inch turrets and the casemate Battery Roberts.  Battery Roberts was temporarily out of commission and the No. 1, or upper gun, was knocked out permanently by hits on tube.  The 14-inch turrets, despite many hits on the side, rear, top, remained in action.  The projectiles striking the 6-inch casemate caused flashes of fire to appear all the way inside the vessels to the typhoon deck.  This created a grave fire hazard.  It was not uncommon for fire calls to sound at least once every five minutes.  Steps were promptly taken to throw everything which was inflammable, and not absolutely necessary for action on board the ship, over the side.  Every square foot of the interior of the surface of the casemates was deeply dented and torn by heavy fragmentations.  These fragments came through the open gun port and through narrow cracks around the horizontal shield.  Two 3-inch antiaircraft guns were completely demolished in this action.