Corregidor's Malinta Tunnel

Inside one of the laterals

Since yesterday was Quezon City Day, I'll do another post in honor of Manuel L Quezon - President of The Commonwealth Republic of the Philippines and the Founder of Quezon City and the historic Malinta Tunnel.

When the Japanese forces advanced and captured Manila, President Manuel L. Quezon and his family fled to Corregidor Island to evade the enemy.

This island was fortified by the Americans in the early 1990's to be the last standing ground of both the Filipino and American forces in the country. It has many batteries or gun emplacements strategically located all over the island to counter any marine or land attack by foreign invaders.

Malinta Tunnel is bombproof, has blowers that provides fresh air inside the tunnel and has a double line electric car line. It has 13 laterals on the north side and 11 on the south side. It has a 1000 bed hospital. The tunnel served as the headquarters of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East and became the storage facility of the island during the siege of Corregidor.

It became the house of Manuel L. Quezon and his family during his stay in the island and it was outside this tunnel that he made his 2nd term of Oath of Office as President of the Commonwealth together with Vice President Sergio Osmena.

Corregidor was not prepared for the aerial bombardment of the Japanese forces during the war. President Manuel L. Quezon reluctantly fled Corregidor in a submarine to begin his government in exile in New York, USA.

The Spanish Lighthouse of Corregidor

Sorry, if most of my post this month has been about my Corregidor trip. I really enjoyed my travel there that I want to document every landmark that we've been to in the island.

As previosly mentioned in my other posts, the Spanish colonizers already used this island as part of its naval defenses. The island served as a penal institution thus it was named Corregidor from the spanish word " Corregir," which means to correct.

Most of the structures in Corregidor has been destroyed in World War II except for the Spanish Lighthouse. It was however severely damaged by the war that it was torn down and a new one was built in the 1950's.

The Spanish Lighthouse that is standing in Corregidor looks exactly like the original one on the same site where the old one has been built.

This charming structure with red roof and cross shaped windows is at the highest place in the island which is about 628 feet above sea level.

There's a Spanish Museum inside the lighthouse

The lighthouse has very steep stairs to reach the observation deck. It was a long and tiring climb to the top.

But the view from the observation desk is all worth it! It offers a panoramic view of Corregidor, South China Sea, Manila Bay and the provinces of Bataan and Cavite.

The sign post outside the lighthouse indicates how far and in what direction certain key cities are from Corregidor : San Francisco is 6,972 miles southwest of Corregidor, Australia is 3,044 miles north-northeast from the island while Hongkong is 692 miles south from Corregidor.

My other Corregidor's stories and their links:
* Our Corregidor Trip
* Corregidor Tour - Bottomside Landmarks
* Corregidor's Batteries and Barracks

Cine Corregidor

Before World War II broke out, the American personnel in the garrison and their families enjoyed watching movies in the island of Corregidor at this theater.

According to our tour guide, "Gone With The Wind," was one of the last movies shown here.

I was able to watch "Gone With The Wind," which starred Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh Moore because it was given as an assignment by our History teacher in highschool.

Cine Corregidor is at the left of the Pacific War Memorial.

This is one of my favorite pictures taken from the island because the shot turned out to beautiful even if it was taken while we were on a moving vehicle.

Corregidor's Batteries and Barracks

This is the continuation of my Corregidor Island Tour

Because of Corregidor's strategic location which partially blocks the entrance of  Manila Bay, the Spanish colonizers already used this island as a naval defense against Chinese pirates, Dutch and British invaders.

During the American occupation of the Philippines, the American Government started fortifying the island with 23 batteries consisting of 56 coastal guns and mortars placed around Corregidor. It also has 13 anti-aircraft artillery batteries, 76 guns and 10 60-inch Sperry searchlights.

Corregidor's Batteries or Gun emplacements

- this batteries where named after American army officers who died in the country in the early 1900s. The following were some of the still intact batteries in Corregidor that we visited.

Battery Way and Battery Geary proved to be the most effective batteries in its campaign against the Japanese forces in World War II.

Battery Way - has four 12-inch mortars capable of firing 700 lbs shell in a distance 14,610 yards that can penetrate the thick wall of warships and against enemies in Bataan. A crew of 14 personnel was needed to fire the mortar and was equipped with anti-personnel firepower. The mortars of Battery Way continued firing until it frooze tight on May 6, 1942 when the Japanese took over Corregidor.

Entrance to Battery Way

The four mortars of Battery Way

bullet holes on one of the doors found in Battery Way

the holes on the walls of Battery Way caused by the heavy aerial bombing of the Japanese troops.

Battery Geary - eight-12 inch mortars made up this battery and this battery was considered to be the most effective anti-personnel firepower against enemies entreched at the mountains of Bataan. Each of the mortar was capable of firing a range of 14,610 yards at any direction.

It was directly hit by a Japanese bomb and all its crew died in an instant.

Battery Hearn - has a 12 inch seacost west-ranged gun, firing at approximately at 29,000 yards. It was found intact by the Japanese soldiers and was used by the Japanese force. But it was later on neutralized by the American aerial bombardments in April 1945.

Battery Crockett - has two 12 inch seacost gun mounted on a disappearing carriage. It was capable of firing at a range 17,000 yards and was capable of 170 degrees traverse. It is located at the center of the island and it fired often in the direction of Manila Bay.

The barracks just like the batteries were not restored to its original state after the war in order to show the destruction brought by the war and to honor the valiant men and women who fought and served in Corregidor.

Metal braces were put up on some of the structures to prevent the further degradation of the buildings.

From the ruins of the barracks you can have an idea on how heavy the fighting and bombing that occured in the island during WWII.

Middleside Barracks - made up of 2 three story building located at the Middleside of the Corregidor where the members of the 6oth Coast Artillery Regiment and the 91st Philippine Scout Coast Artillery Regiment were billeted, later it was occupied too by the 4th Marine Regiment.

Topside Barracks (Mile Long Barracks) - where the army officers and enlisted officers stayed. It is hurricane proof and is 1,520 feet long. It is less than a mile but this three story building is the world's longest barracks in the world during its time so it became known as the Mile Long Barracks. General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters can also be found here.

My other Corregidor's stories and their links:
* Our Corregidor Trip
* Corregidor Tour - Bottomside Landmarks

* The Spanish Lighthouse of Corregidor

* Cine Corregidor