During the latter part of
April, the enemy used a sausage balloon on Bataan for
artillery observation. On 27 April (Emperor's birthday) the
Japanese treated Corregidor and the fortified islands to an
artillery show. Between 125 and 150 shells per minute were
laid down. This continued until the 6th of May. It was
during this period that Fort Drum was fired on by 105-mm
batteries from Bataan. Our forward turret was in action at
this time and their projectiles hit the turret three
successive times, then ceased fire. The nearest possible
position for that gun was 17,600 yards. There was no damage
to the turret. By 5 May almost all of the batteries capable
of firing on Bataan were out of action.
On Fort Drum, an act of
nature if no small consequence had been taking place for the
past three months. The ordinary method of ventilation
aboard Fort Drum was by means of two large exhaust fans. In
the initial bombardment of the fort, these fans had been put
out of action and as a consequence, there was no ventilating
system operating on the Fort from that period on. As a
result, the heat from the engines and the firing aboard Fort
Drum, the temperature inside had been gradually increasing.
For some time the
thermometer had stood at over 100°. As a consequence, the
powder for the 14-inch guns in the powder room magazine had
ample opportunity to become uniformly heated to a high
temperature. As a result of this heated powder, there was a
high increase in initial missile velocity, which, in turn,
gave an increase in range.
On the night of May 5,
1942, the enemy began amphibious operations against
Corregidor. The assault boats came from the vicinity of
Cabcaben and landed troops on the Linley Field sector
between Infantry and Calvary points. At dawn, 6 May 1942,
observers at Corregidor spotted large concentrations of
enemy troops in assembly areas just north of Cabcaben. The
coordinates of these enemy positions were plotted and Drum
was ordered to fire. It will be remembered that the normal
maximum range was 19,200 yards, while this target was well
over 20,000 yards. Fire was opened and the target was well
within range. The fort fired 4-gun salvos into this area
expending over 100 rounds. The Fort was then ordered to
take enemy barges in the north channel approaching
Corregidor under fire. Drum replied that they could not see
the barges for the dense cloud of dust and smoke arising
from Corregidor, the Commander reported back: "Just fire
anywhere in that smoke, anywhere between you and Cabcaben
and you can't miss them". On Fort Drum an order was issued
for "Turret Commander's action" and the targets were taken
under fire. The observers on Corregidor reported that the
barges were being hit and to keep up the fire. Firing from
Drum continued at intervals all morning until 1140, when the
order was given to destroy the guns and surrender. Firing
would only cease long enough for the Seaward Defense Command
to assign a new target. During all of this time, Fort Drum
was under constant artillery fire from Cavite and the enemy
heavy bombers. Their action was futile and at no time were
the 14-inch guns silent.
The personnel of Fort Drum
had excellent opportunity to learn of the effectiveness of
fire that day when they were taken away to a point south of
Manila Bay for punishment by the Japanese. The Japanese
officer in charge of the punishment was the brother of a
Japanese Colonel commanding one of the assault regiments in
the assembly area north of Cabcaben. It appeared that the
Fort Drum fire had killed his brother and almost 3,000
troops in that area. For this, the personnel of Fort Drum
was severely punished.
