The Concrete Battleship Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, Manila Bay

2022·62.4 MB·English

by  Francis J. Allen

FORT DRUM
EL FRAILE ISLAND
MANILA BAY
by FRANCIS J. ALLEN

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‘Mout 20 van cg Gv thor hs lec eae Yb eT deacon
en epsaeeaesh [2 ale Raman lela 15 hnananseve meet

PICTORTAT, HIS HORIES FUBLISINNG COMPANY
SUSSOULA, MONTSNA
TEXT COPYRIGH I 1983 PRANCIS I. ALI HN

Photographs on cover. back, tide page, pages 3 aud 53.80
ave copyrighted hy Teeranoe MoCiowora in 1987 cand 1991

Allrighs rescised. Wop lthisbowie
muy beused or ojmshicrlwitzout writen
persion ofthe pb,

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CATALOG CARN NUMBER 88-9005

ISBNS 0.929521-064

inst Printing, Ferry 1989
vies Revised Ping: May 204
Seal Revised Prince: Apel 1955

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ayes Sim Caer

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attri in 1945, Toe org zen rv of he coat es cs a
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tle eles tensive bm nd ibd danse ese
Ippanees atcha in 1012 aal Armee altace 1935,

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Contents

Chapter One: Propasals and Designs .
Chapter Two: Construction Regins
Chapter Three: 4 Look Inside

Chapter Four: The Slow Passage of Time
Chapter Five: The Arrival of World War IT
Chupter Six: The Minal Battle

Ht Drum Today

Bibliography, About the Author and the Photographer
a

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st Sea 1
Chapter One:
Proposals and Designs

pussession ofthe Philippines fous Spal i 2808, I
Army Comps of Rngingers iacluded Une 180-by-150-
feol reek fovea aE] Brae Isla a mine oom
trol seation sud a une wastcmabe to eomplemnt
the lorified islonds oF Gonegidas; Cabal unl
Carahaa, Tlewoven the coustalartilry headquertrs,
the group mspousible for wanuiny those vasiou For
rifcations, objected, saying What Une wyatt doris
conld not adequately caver Uaveightuluwide chan
nel at night hecause the detectiou uf au eueroy wens
‘enadepenclent won theluan eyealded by rch:
Tights. vesrsbip, ey axpued, anuld casi pas
feweon the forte without being deloctid wn & sit
saws or elouly igs,

‘With a viow to closing this gap, 1s Lt Job J
Kinguan af the Corps of Engineers propaged, in a
Letts Uo hie operon, tha ED Brite sland be cat
donut ta a eight of eight fart nbave tho uveau love
‘vale linaniithata reinforced concrete suvctuiy le
Duill using thenovelevel isin asitsfouudaliou. Te
islands armament, he nei, shawl consist uf tes
Ihvin 12inch guna mounted on naval isle warts
nclosed in mushinarsshapad tmnels made ul 22
inch cast nickol atl. "The tomets would be pai
‘Lowel al eeu und uf the eoncrete structure, wilh ac
‘e>aurvalio lal Tncsted berveren them, An angle
‘of uasunu of sma 270 degrees swonil e needed,
‘wil Lod tenets ering bash sides of the chaucl
Ut wi cy turers alto tin cul toe.
Thy ather toret wel he pointed inland ward
Muni

though this particular plan was sejocta, Ll
Kingman’ idoe of placing e fortification un Bl Frale
Tslaud was ken lo hear, and in the end tis idea
produced sume napressive ress

‘A Waar Desavlonant report dated Peoenary 27,
1909, pasa puod idea jus hw 12. Kingman pro
posal wes adgylad Io fille needs ofthe service, To
‘begin wily, lhe four 12-inch ganain Newytype tnvels
‘vere changed lo leur -Hinch gana fn te Kuss
be constructed by the Ordnance: Department. Lt sd
sion, to casanates ty recive 6insh guns, would
Iie constructed at @ miuimun af 25 cL above the

vsaler These 6:inch battaies were designed tu pro
leet tne ieensive mine Gels, eeated in the dime
lian of Caballo and to the sows uf E] Frule, Lo
fcaanamizaem space, dla ae sane tae puri
lullosr development fre fr eael gua Une batons
were to he arranged in tee ers wil Uuir eae
slaggund, in ora to meoid the coustsuelioa poole
jun which world have occuuved if Lac ups yur
‘wero placed immedinsely over Ube lower, Ti aepel
alse blu dot four Herr and Stroud salt contained
aye Lula instruments eene to he nse
‘Several saggestions which heel boc eeveival
‘um lbs Chief af Const Artillery woee iad wt
vvellThest angel feom having the tweets would
echelon on hewestern half he fort paula
jour olvsuvation atntions with wt wsuublights
Jncated abner beth the obearv atin sation ud thi
turrets. Tho ebsorveton staioas wens ta lu dived
a lollowr ane stetion wich an allaround slove and
loo sitions with a view oF the north and south
‘Ghana, Karh station wonld have a ploliag soot
Dbousath the absarving raom. Ata Tater dave Wa wt
~uugement was changed to 40 poling routs wc
Tour crm nists
‘Thsarginal antlinagf the fort hed hoe lly cal
{in sbapo on the north side and circular ou Uae was
aul sieat sidos, but thie was changed to a sight lin
flue whiLl wus intr adapeed te the site and nis
ouudatia. Ths howe also decidel not raextond the
‘exerir lie oft fart beyond he le ester ise of
the island becaus i! maul have been ton expensive
aud Uine vousuming. Ar the same time, the honrel
recommmnsuded thal 25 fet af reinforced concrete he
used as prolection uguinst dive fire from 12iuch,
naval guns, while overhead protection would be 10
feet of reintavond conzete, The board fat that, d=
ing times of war, a cumpleiuonl of 300 nls men,
nd 20 offiors wel by uegut tah acing
‘Te acoommmadate Us stall sae, tho internal dimen
sons of te fut wer: 30,500 square fost oF Aor
space, 000 square fevl for waner und fuck and
19,800 square [ot ilusioe urea. Tleadimom wens als
specie al [ee un Licburmanks ornppartioar, and
‘ght feet on the middle and loser lore
Pat i ame Pel, ee 8. a It 2
Lene ae aes Aenean Fences aj te vu eo

pe ae spar eal
“the twcret deck was giveu at Leigh of 48 fee.
finches shove the masa low waler ine and 47
oct sbove the mau high wale line. Tie Usrrels
housing the 14iuch guns were by be situated por
yendicuiar lp Ine probable line of advance of hostile
lik ‘The tenn saree tmonnions ‘were positioned
38 It, 6 inches. shave the water Tite, while those
le the rear ret were 45 feet, 6 ince abowe Uo

he geneva plan fr the inteioraxraugesneut of
the fore felled tis cone:

“The harvacks ares, hospital aud uuagazioes Jur
‘he Gricch batteries were aut the top ur List luur

a

5 ad ore the st oot,

bs

lueneath the tomst deck The barracks ares wis une
large ram with a permanent parities The olicers
and enlisted men snnld oooupy tis zoom, sing such
rmevasle serene as vn he desized. The seve Daur
vos ths Inch permler snd shell rooms anes cain
ing casemate, and ugper engine eoou. Ox the Hhizd
fMuur, the area eas of the turrets was te be med for
fou! Surage, while west of the torrets, om oth ths
{yor and part of the encnnd tony, the atea was pt
ase for engine room and I4-neh barry plavug
rome. A 110degree Medel 1915 plotting boa, with
{he Barr an Stroné klrctie data transite, Wwoeld
Le exaployed im the T2inch jam plating: rows,

-

ee

Feist shorty er the beatae cconarucins cocks gana ae
zat an 29 190 Ua,
HOST Seon seg ogg so BION sua ny ENE ee ‘ATM TT],
mene ote On 00H aE ese apa eee NS eT POM AMY mT
Chapter Two:
Construction Begins

Lresctan sr xeracn and one
cvucon pannel f 09 arn a
SoU Snowe bout te and id nt
ive ae funny oe soes. Bye er
Bschg hse pti tr ons
tel add ras omnes
leacc ih on ese ot nob
Wot io ter rere mt te
feta ptm ome ht a coe
sel unc a std 100 je
fr ora ot 824000
‘scwaton no ae eth ong eet bad
tose dy In fens ato Se
Iv tah eT ree pas
(Tie irq sng aie ns
Milena thd sede
Incase srs tne os ha besa
ican Toot wef So] 46 Tie bio
Shras anton erste Oe ie
eareery
heen ete nna an
TSM cmp rio ne i
ers ame Tere as
inte te Phen ng lor Cass
ry mea the fe ta ta asst
rome wee eat te Rept Soy Sip
‘heey Deck Coupac. tenon Revs, Hage
hen caliente eid
‘rote pstninge ett ny al
Sour ean, he ove tard ad

of firs of 284 degrees, aud Battery Jolin M. Wik,
‘the upper harry, had a teaver oa all 360 ders
Adsl urer te vital effect as an Be
Inigh eaye mast which, fy is Ieeation, aaumprod the
Rondegres traverse of Rartery Wilsua. The tual
Iheight n? the cage mas, inmalied at the east wud uf
‘he fort, vss AB Tort, [Lie Inches above the de
a ths tort,
Age mas Yeas Used aw a base won while

‘te mount several items of equipment. The 18 loot
CRI was fied al Ring 2, while ver carge fides
sere fad on Ring § and on ax extension bul mto
Ring 2. A platiorm designed to carcy two 6U-inch
Genoral Elevuic searchlights Qos. 10 acd 11) yess
uated at 22puinately $9 fet abuwe Ue de, "Toe
seazchLyh, al Ube tp of Une caye mast, Ne. 26,
also a Geuera Dleiriv light. Power far the search
lights cooue from ee veel posser planL. Ast
jnstruueats were alse monnted al these posiiens,
Iu addition, Uhe cage mas. beill hy the Ellentt
2achine Corporation, carried the aval mast forthe
foct’s radio station plus signal arms

‘The cai statin was locale on the upp dec
‘of Bart Drum, Oriytly: a SCH99 rac we ws
sfalled ia Uke stan bit thas was replaced oth
SCRA36 radio vel. Rrver again vies obtained fom
Ge post power plant

Avaings were proved ax pratetion from the
(eoqeal san. Tso ens 2arh 28 fee hy 08 fet, se
situabilon either side of ferret Sa. 1, anda 13-et
‘ido awning was placod all the way around the
‘quarters uu top of the fozL

‘Huupding vat the seca on Uhe harvet del vena
‘steel service derick with a Sor capacity, wich
‘vas inal’ on the eas ond nf the for for service
pecans. This deercke had a 40-foor mast aud a
60 foot bear. and iL was mpevatr fy a SU-h.p, Gea
tral Blectric molar ‘Tho demvcke was mannfsctined
Dy the Ameritan Hist and Derick Go of St. Paul,
Minnesota,

acim the pictur: complete was the weoden
Varta, a waler Lack ane Ihe tai room, all
‘uasleuctel al tae sam yma letian where a
satlur might expovl in see the enparstmacaie of an