Ok guys, I was just on the Rock days and we just had a discussion on Battery Grubbs and the current state of both guns, comparing it with reports of its condition in 1942, 1945 and how it looks today. After going over the SOD, looks like the earlier reports that both guns were disabled by removing the trunnion caps and then firing the gun causing them to jump of the carriage seems to be not true. Below is what I have unearthed.

The story of the removal of the trunnion cap and causing the guns to jump of their carriage is based on the battery history that was compiled by Jim Black. On the last paragraph it mentions: "The gun (sic) was further damaged prior to surrender when both guns were fired with the trunnion caps removed, causing the guns to jump completely out of their carriage."

However, based on a Japanese documentary that shows Japanese officers inspecting the battery after the surrender of 1942 shows otherwise.

Notice that gun No. 2 has its breech block removed and that both guns are still emplaced in their carriages during surrender.

This is further documented by the Japanese via their own report entitled "Condition of Corregidor Island Defenses After May 6, 1942." a copy of which was captured and secured by the Allied Translation and Interpreter Section, South West Pacific Area in Hollandia on May 24, 1944. It was filed under Enemy Publication No. 223

The Japanese report on the condition of Battery Grubbs are as follows:

"No. 1 gun damaged by Japanese and needs major repairs. No. 2 gun destroyed by Japanese gun fire and cannot be repaired. No damage done to gun by crew. Can be used if minor repairs are done to the power system"
 

The Japanese may have reversed the identity of the guns. As you can can see in the photo, gun no. 1 is sandbagged and its rear end and breach covered by what looks like tarpaulin. Gun No. 1 even before wartime had a mechanical defect on its recoil so gun no. 2 was the one mostly used by C 91st PS.

It was said that the present condition of Gun No. 2 with it barrel lying down on the loading platform was caused by either:

(1) the original story that the gun was fired and jumped on the loading platform
(2) the modern day scrappers did the work.

Well, its neither. Let us go back in 1945 when the Americans did their analysis on the conditions of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, titled: "Report on War Damage to the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" dated October 6, 1945 which is also called by most as the Homer Case Report after Brig Gen Homer Case of the 14th Anti-Aircraft Command who led the creation of the said report.

If you notice the photos of Battery Grubbs of both guns in 1945, No. 2 is already in present day position then. What the modern day scrappers did was to pick out the carriage and the elevating band on the turret. Notice than gun No. 1 is still in its carriage.

The Case reports also mentions the following:

Battery Grubbs. - Two 10-inch guns on disappearing carriages first manned on 9 April by part of Btry C, 91st CA (PS). On 11 April two bombs hit the emplacements damaging the power plant and No. 1 tool room and bending overhead ammunition tracks. The battery was shelled daily from 12-16 April from Bataan. On 16 April No. 2 gun was knocked out of action by a direct hit on the recoil cylinder. Since No. 1 gun was out of action due to a mechanical defect the battery was abandoned on 16 April. Shells had destroyed the battery commander's station in rear of the battery. (Gulick-2; Datoc-4) There was no demolition on surrender. (App. F-8) The prisoners of war did some work on No. 1 gun but it probably was not put back into action. (Sense-9) No. 1 gun is in the loading position with breech block intact. The gun does not appear to have suffered any direct hit but the gun carriage is considerably damaged by fragments from a large bomb explosion on the right of the parapet. (Figure 11) No. 2 gun has been lifted from its trunnions and is now lying in the emplacement. There are several small shell or bomb craters about the emplacement. (Figure 12) The powder magazines have burned out but there are a considerable number of projectiles in the storeroom. One shot hoist is badly damaged but the other is unhurt. All tools have been removed.

So what about the theories that the guns jumped out of their carriage and caused a spalling effect underneath the loading platform for Gun. No. 2? Here is the analysis.

The spalling effect happened on the paint room .

Upon observation on the location of the present day barrel of No. 2, it aligns perfectly on top of the paint room. Since we know that the guns never jumped out of their respective carriage, this was caused when the barrel was dropped after it was removed from the carriage (possibly by POWs under Japanese) which caused the spalling. The gun tube is also turned around with the elevating band removed later by post war scrappers.

As for the guns jumping out of the carriage, this theory was made based on the present day situation of Gun No.1. If you notice the trunnion bolt on the right is bent

on a downward angle and the left side of the bolt was broken off. With the gun in its current position, it did look like that it somewhat jumped off the carriage.

However, the 1942 and 1945 photos show you otherwise. The modern day position is attributed to post war scrapping when they were removing the barrel.

Both breech blocks are still in their guns. However the 1942 photo of Gun No. 2 shows the breech absent. This may have been removed by the crew prior to surrender but was placed back when the Japanese were trying to fix the battery back into working condition.

FWIW,

TONY FEREDO