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Btty Smith 1 and Smith 2 (the latter known as Btty Hearn since 1937) are each Coastal Defense Gun Model 1898,  and are 340 yards distant from each other. As with the other 10 and 12 inch Mortars and guns, they were built at the Watervliet Arsenal in Watervliet, New York. They were capable of firing both Armor Piercing and High Explosive projectiles weighing over 1000 pounds up to a range of 17 miles (29,000 yards.) 

Although the guns could traverse almost 360 degrees the normal sector of fire was about 90 degrees, as evidenced by the placement of aiming stakes planted on the edge of the Smith concrete pad by some traveller who obviously understood. This would overlap with the sector of fire of the gun to either side of it.

In their last days on Corregidor, the Americans attempted to destroy their weapons by firing them with the recoil cylinders drained of oil an with the barrels jammed - standard coast artillery doctrine for destroying a weapon. Smith is still magnificently unpainted and bears the patina of rust well. The barrel casing is splattered with shrapnel scars, and there is still shrapnel to be picked up in the immediate vicinity - if you don't mind looking through the long grass.  

Like a beached whale, Smith lay in the jungle until the Corregidor Foundation re-mounted it. (Al McGrew Photo)

Battery Smith can be found by following the trail which leads off the tour tram-turning pad near Battery Grubbs.  Follow the trail downhill a few hundred yards. When exploring the tunnel, be aware that it's on more than one level, and watch for the the trapdoors in the floor, which lead down to lower levels. These levels have been filled over the years by rocks and soil, probably for safety reasons.

 Battery Smith's gun tube snapped off when the weapon burst after being fired with a 12-inch projectile rammed nose first into the muzzle. (Paul Whitman photo)

Battery Smith had three guns: Smith number 1, Smith number 2 and a 155mm GPF. I believe that the 155mm gun was Battery Monja, but I have never been able to confirm it. Smith number 1 and number 2 were so far apart that they operated tactically as two separate batteries. Thus, they were split up into two batteries.   Battery Monja was transferred to the 92d Coast Artillery and in 1941 & 1942 was manned by Battery "G".

George Munson

In 1937, the Chief of Staff decides the name of the 'new' Battery.  He adds a longhand note at the bottom of the document.
 

Corregidor has a habit of teaching us that "the more you get to know about the island, the less you realize you know." Battery Hearn is a good example. The 1936 Corps of Engineers map clearly shows two twelve-inch Batteries named Smith 1 and Smith 2.

Before the name change the two twelve-inch batteries were popularly known as "The Smith Brothers", a play on the name of the then well-loved confectionary, Smith Brothers' Cough Drops. Popular lore had it that the brothers names were "Trade" and "Mark", an amusing reading of their product labels. 

By 1937, the guns were manned, organised and employed as separate batteries. Smith was manned by Battery F, 59th C.A.  and it was decided to rename Smith 2 in honor of the late Brigadier Clint C. Hearn, a Harbor Defense Commander.³ The authority was General Orders No.11, Headquarters Harbor Defense Manila and Subic Bays, Fort Mills, P.I. [i.e. Philippine Islands] dated October 29,1937.

The entry on the renaming of the battery was added in a longhand note at the bottom of the document.

John Lindgren

Smith Tunnel!

View over Cheney Ravine
from Btty. Smith

For every  thousand "two hour tourists" who have seen Battery Hearn, one person has visited Battery Smith. THANKFULLY!!!

Bill Calhoun recalls  "The 1st platoon was given the mission of capturing one of the Batteries far out on the western end of the island.  I now know it as Battery Smith."  (See "THE NIGHT OF A THOUSAND HOURS" )

 From the Moore Report:

DAVIS, Capt., Thomas W. Commanding Btry H, 59^th CA-   Btry Hearn received one bomb hit 7 January placing it out of action for about four hours. It was not fired until the night Bataan fell when they fired about 30 rounds by field artillery method using map data. At the surrender the recoil cylinders were drained and the gun was fired. Power plants, plotting room equipment and all fire control instruments were destroyed.  4. The remarks on Btry Hearn apply equally to Btry Smith as both action and damage sustained were almost identical.           (Further Reading)

One of Smith's huge pair of recoil tubes has been cut off.

 
The gun was demolished by draining the recoil cylinders and firing with a round .

RUTHERFORD, Col. , Dorsey J. CAC -  A bomb hit the racer of Smith, but it was repaired and put back in operation. The battery commander told me that at the surrender he plugged the muzzle with a projectile and fired a shot from it. This blew off part of the muzzle. Hearn was not damaged by the Japanese but was demolished by the battery.  

 PALPALATOC, Pfc., Alberto, Btry Gm 91^st CA (PS) – The base ring at Btry Smith was broken by demolition. The emplacement was in bad shape but the tunnel was open. All plotting room equipment and the telephones were destroyed. There was only .50 calibre ammunition in this vicinity. They (the Japanese) made us pile up the ammunition and sort out the good from the damaged.  Brass cartridge cases of rounds we said were no good were collected for shipment to Japan . Projectiles were thrown into the sea. Powder taken from cartridge cases was burned or thrown into the sea.

Btty Smith and Btty Hearn (formerly Smith 2) are each 12 inch Long Range barbette guns 340 yards distant from each other. The guns are Coastal Defence Gun Model 1898. As with the other 10 and 12 inch Mortars and guns, they were built at the Watervliet Arsenal in Watervliet, New York. They were capable of firing both Armor Piercing and High Explosive projectiles weighing over 1000 pounds up to a range of 17 miles. Although the guns could traverse almost 360 degrees the normal sector of fire was about 90 degrees, as evidenced by the placement of aiming stakes planted on the edge of the Smith concrete pad by some traveller who obviously understood. This would overlap with the sector of fire of the gun to either side of it.

Art Napolitano