90. THE ROCK’S BATTERIES AND WWII COINS

THE ROCK’S BATTERIES AND WWII COINS

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

18 April 2019

Among the historical spots in the Philippines, Corregidor Island is one of my favorites. It give me shivers whenever I read, hear and watch scenes during World War II eventhough I already encountered the scenarios a number of times. In my historical articles, I always focus and give importance on the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines whenever I encounter this gruesome period in our history.

In the historic island, known as one of the last bastions of Philippine defence against Japan, is also the home of many artillery batteries. During my tour with my wife and kids, we encountered a number of batteries especially the more famous and bigger ones. In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of artillery, mortars, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface to surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles etc., so grouped to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems. Wikipedia further defines the term is also used in a naval context to describe groups of guns on warships.

The website corregidorisland.com and www.pacificwrecks.com gives detailed description on the Corregidor artillery batteries. The defense of Corregidor was the immediate responsibility of the Philippine Coast Artillery Command under Major General George F. Moore. To carry out this important mission, 23 batteries were set up on Corregidor and the adjoining islands at the outbreak of World War II in 1941. These consisted of 56 coastal guns and mortars which formed the main power of the island fortress. Corregidor had 13 anti-aircraft artillery batteries with 76 guns, twenty-eight of which were 3-inch and forty-eight 50-caliber. With all the gun emplacements set up in the island, Batteries Geary and Way proved to be the best and most effective for the defense of Corregidor during the siege by the Japanese forces.

Battery Way - Work on setting up of Battery Way started in 1904 and it was completed in 1914 at a cost of $112,969. It was named in honor of 2^nd Lieutenant Henry N. Way of the 4^th U.S. Artillery who died in service in the Philippines in 1900. Armed with four 12-inch mortars, it was capable of lobbing a 1000-lb deck piercing shell or 700 lb high explosive shell 14,610 yards in any direction. This gun emplacement was equipped with anti-personnel firepower. It was designed to penetrate the thin deck armor of warships and against any enemy entrenched on higher grounds in Bataan. Its firing elevation was from 45 degrees minimum to 70 degrees maximum. The length of its rifled bore is 10 ft. To fire each mortar, a standard crew consisting of 14 men were needed. Three of the serviceable mortars opened fire on April 28, 1942 and on May 2, 1942. After the 12 hours of continuous firing, the remaining mortar finally frose tight on May 6, 1942. It was the last of Corregidor's "concrete artillery" to cease firing before the surrender of Bataan.

Battery Hearn - The Americans started setting up Battery Hearn in 1918 and completed work on it in 1921 at a cost of $148,105. This 12-inch seacost west-ranged guns had a maximum range of 29,000 yards and was capable of firing in all directions. It was one of the last major additions to Corregidor's defense system which was intended to defend the island against enemy naval threat from the South China Sea. Battery Hearn had been in action firing towards Cavite from February 1942 and on April 8 and 9, 1942, towards Bataan. This gun emplacement was captured nearly intact by the Japanese when Corregidor fell and it was subsequently repaired by them and put back into action. It was, however, completely neutralized by American aerial bombardment in January and February of 1945.

Battery Geary - The setting up of Battery Geary started in 1907 and was completed in 1911 at a cost of $145,198. It was named in honor of Capt. Woodbridge Geary of the 13^th U.S. Infantry who died in 1899 in the Philippines. With a maximum range of 14,610 yards, it was capable of firing in any direction. The eight 12-inch mortars of this battery were considered the most effective anti-personnel weapon in Corregidor. The battery had two mortar pits with 3 magazines and its standard crew consisted of four men per mortar. The vertical plunging trajectories of these mortars made them ideal for use against enemy entrenched on higher grounds in Bataan.

Some of the other batteries that were set up in Corregidor included: Wheeler ($244,600), Grubbs ($212,397), Crockett ($290,049), Ramsay ($99,536), Morrison ($79,845.99), James, Smith, Cheney, Monja, Kysor, Hamilton, Cushing, Sunset, Hanna, Keyes, Rockpoint, Wright, and Rose.

Aside from the batteries, the Philippine coins issued by the government to commemorate World War II were my personal favorites in the Pacific War Memorial Museum located near Mile Long Barracks at the center of Topside Corregidor Island. Being a numismatist since Grade 5, I am aware of nine Philippine coins issued related to World War II for the past 70 years. With the aide of numista.com, the four McArthur coins are: 50 Centavos 1947 (27.5mm, 10 grams) silver round non-circulating coin (Liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese by Gen. Douglas MacArthur); 1 Peso 1947 (35.5 mm, 20 grams) silver round non-circulating coin (Liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese by Gen. Douglas MacArthur); 25 Piso 1980 (38mm, 25 grams) silver round non-circulating coin (100^th Anniversary - Birth of Gen. Douglas MacArthur); and 2500 Piso 1980 (33 mm, 14.57 grams) gold round non-circulating coin (100^th Anniversary - Birth of Gen. Douglas MacArthur)

The three Leyte Gulf Landing coins are: 5 Piso 1994 (25.5 mm, 9.45 grams) nickel-brass round non-circulating coin (50^th Anniversary Leyte Gulf Landing). Engraver: Bayani Rumboa; 1000 Piso 1994 (40 mm, 31.10 grams) silver round non-circulating coin (50^th Anniversary Leyte Gulf Landing); and 5 Piso 2014 (27mm, 7.7 grams) nickel-brass round non-circulating coin (70^th Anniversary Leyte Gulf Landing).

The two Bataan-Corregidor coins are: 1 Peso 1992 (21.5 mm, 4 grams) stainless steel round circulating commemorative coin (Battle of Bataan); and 50 Piso 1982 (40 mm, 27.4 grams) silver round non-circulating coin (40^th Anniversary of Bataan-Corregidor 1942-1982).

The artillery batteries and commemorative World War II coins are reminders of the pages during the dark years of the Japanese Occupation. Our young are very much preoccupied with gadgets and are riddled with fake news and shallow and altered history posted in the net. May we also use the net as a medium to remind and offer factual stories for the young to appreciate and look back. Allow me to quote the Philippines Veterans Affairs Office or PVAO: “The purpose of history is to learn from it. A nation ignorant of its past after all, will never truly progress.”