Travels on Corregidor

FIELD NOTES:
PLACE:	CORREGIDOR	DATE:	4 APRIL 2012
LOCALITY:	SEARCHLIGHT POINT, NO NAME POINT, WHEELER POINT, SOUTH SHORE ROAD, BATTERY MONJA
SUBJECT:	THE "E" COMPANY ADVANCE TOWARDS BATTERY MONJA, 23 FEBRUARY 1945,
BY:	JOHN MOFFITT
	REF: FOTS2/120404

THE "E" COMPANY ATTACK ON BATTERY MONJA, 23 FEBRUARY 1945

"The plan was to advance Corder' s 2d Platoon along the South Shore Road to No Name Point. Once they had secured the point they were to provide covering fire for Crawford to advance his 3d platoon along the beach toward him from around Searchlight Point.

Corder moved his platoon out quickly, travelling west on South Shore Road. They actually received little fire. At No Name Point, he deployed his men out along the relatively flat point, with some facing towards the enemy at Wheeler Point and others facing Searchlight Point to cover the 3rd platoon's advance.

With Corder's platoon in position to cover them, Crawford's platoon began their advance along the beach." *

"Soon Crawford's men were at a cave below Corder's positions. They threw hand-grenades into the cave, and the Japs threw them back. With covering fire, a trooper ran across the opening, firing. This may have been Lew Crawford, though Corder is not sure. Now that they had positions on both sides of the cave, Corder told Crawford to tell his men to hold the grenades for a couple of seconds before throwing them. They did this and presently a Jap charged out at them, and they shot him down. Crawford and his men killed a large number of Japs in the cave, around 50."

A few times on a boat I have passed by No Name and Searchlight Points on the way to somewhere else. Looking ashore I often wondered if a dark spot just above the beach between them was the tunnel mentioned in this text. Was this where approximately 50 Japanese were killed that day?

I was at nearby Battery Monja in February and thought of this spot again. Thanks to the other guys on the boat, I was able to visit this beach for a few minutes on the way home. There was only one tunnel in sight so I am assuming this was the one mentioned.

Aerial view of the three Points. From left to right, Wheeler Point, No Name Point and Searchlight Point. Note that sections of the South Shore Road are nearly impossible to distinguish now. Due to rockslides, much of the road does not even exist anymore.

Here is a view of the beach between No Name Point (to the left) and Searchlight Point (to the right).

As you travel a bit further, what appears to be a black tunnel entrance soon comes into sight.

Crawford and his men advanced toward us along this beach from Searchlight Point.
I am standing adjacent to the tunnel entrance. (High tide view)

Looking out the tunnel entrance. Since the end of Searchlight Point is in the distance,
the Japanese could have seen Crawford's men as they rounded the Point.

The floor and rear of the tunnel is now buried in a couple of feet of garbage
which washed up here during storms.

More time for exploring in this area would be great. Someday I hope.

John Moffitt

THE LOST ROAD

* The quotations in this article are extracted from "THE LOST ROAD" by William T. Calhoun and Paul F. Whitman,
which is hosted at http://corregidor.org/BEA503/features/lostroad.html