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Wall plaque
Approaching Battery Way
An early morning view into the gun pit
Rear of the Plotting and Communications building
When viewed on the sketch, this would be the right side magazine
Left side magazine
From the right side magazine looking across the end of the gun pit towards
the left side magazine. The Plotting and Communications building is to the
left.
Front view of the left side magazine. The 3ft wide narrow gauge rail line
passed in front of both magazines.
Front view of the right side magazine.
Right side magazine
Left side magazine
Note the rail in the ceiling for transporting the heavy shells
Frame for a shot truck.
This illustration shows a slightly different model of shot truck but the
family likeness
to the bare frame remaining in Battery Way is unmistakeable. It has the top rounded shot tray
and the buffer just below it.
Corridor beside the sub caliber ammunition magazine which is to the right.
Windows of the sub caliber ammunition magazine
Doorway between rooms in the Plotting and Communications building
Rear window in the Plotting and Communications building
Rear window of the latrine.
At the left of this photo is a destroyed wall of the latrine. When this wall
exploded, a piece of concrete got lodged into the tree to the right. Over
the years the tree has grown around the concrete so today it is firmly
embedded there.
One of the air vents on top of the magazines
Here are various photos from the gun pit. After a shower last October was a
great time to record how the mortars look today.
The Plotting and Communications rooms were behind the mortar pit but where
was the Battery Control/Command Post? On the 1935 and 1936 maps I notice a
number of locations which are labeled as being control stations for
Batteries Way and Geary.
Military Map symbols and labeling are confusing. Here is a quick guide to
the map labels quoted below:
B– Battery Command Post
BC- Battery Commander's Post
G– Gun Group Command Post
E– Emergency Command Post (w/o roof)
Postscript numbers:
I – Primary station
II – Secondary station
III – Supplementary station
IV – Second Supplementary station
Subscript numbers:
Unit number
There appears to have been a number of supplemental stations. Here is a
sample of what they look like today.
The primary battery control station for Battery Way was on a hill a short
distance to the west. It is labeled as B I 7 (Battery Control, Primary
station, Unit #7). An emergency station labeled E I 7 is close to Rock
Point.
B I 7. There are two stations at this location. The upper one was for
Battery Way.
Viewing ports and a pedestal for the height and direction finding equipment.
Outside corner view. Tree roots almost hide the upper and lower stations.
The secondary battery control station is located east of the Senior
Officer’s Quarters on Topside and labeled as B II 7. On the 1935 map this is
also designated as the Battery Commander’s station.
Looking down into the front entrance to B II 7
Interior rooms of B II 7 had sliding blast doors
View of one of the rooms in B II 7 with the partially sealed rear doorway
straight ahead.
Nearby in front of Senior Officer’s Quarters 16-D is the emergency station
labeled E II 7.
E II 7
One location is west of Battery Cheney above the cliffs. It is labeled G III
3.
G III 3
Close by is an emergency station EG III 3.
EG III 3.
Although these emergency stations never had concrete roofs, I
notice bolts sticking up at regular intervals which gives me the impression
that they had wooden walls and roofs for weather protection. Due to their
shape, many people call these structures “bathtubs”.
Another is on top of Malinta Hill and labeled as G IV 3.
G IV 3. Note the pedestal with mounting bolts to secure the height and
direction finding equipment.
It also has an emergency station, EG IV 3, just a little bit further north.
EG IV 3
Plaque on the wall of the Plotting and Communications building commemorating
Major Massello
As you leave Battery Way, here is the view towards the main road between
Middleside (to the left) and Topside (to the right).
I hope you enjoyed the trip. Report to MacArthur’s Café for a cold beer. |
