Manila,-Subic Bay Islands and Forts

Category: Manila,-Subic Bay Islands and Forts

After the United States took over the Philippines from Spain after the Spanish-American War they fortified Manila Bay and Subic Bay. Five islands became forts, Caballo Isl.-Ft. Hughes; El Fraile Isl.- Ft. Drum; Carabao Isl.-Ft. Frank; Grande Isl. In Subic Bay, Ft.-Wint; Corregidor Isl.-Ft. Mills is handled as a separate category. I have visited all of them and herewith will try to share some of my pictures of these very interesting and historical places.

Oryoku Maru POWs transshipped in San Fernando, La Union

Zf848. To me this is the best picture of the bunch, it shows the whole San Fernando, La Union area and the authors marked the picture with the relevant geographic points and the timeline of the transshipment of the POWs in Dec. 1944. —————————————————– The horrendous tale and time table of the Allied POWs […]

Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt

Zf192. Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt, this is the front cover. A new book about Army Lt. Britt serving in Fort Wint, (Grande Island in Subic Bay) and in the Battle of Bataan during WWII. He also survived three Hell Ships and being a POW in the […]

Grande Island, ex Fort Wint, Update Visit 2021-01-22

Zd856. Number 2 Gun of Battery Hall. The present management of the Grande Island Resort appears to have even less resources to keep the Coastal Defense Gun Batteries of the former Fort Wint presentable and accessible. ———————————————- After being absent from the Philippines for 15 months, I had the desire to visit the island again. […]

Army Lt Chester K Britt, Hell Ship Oryoku Maru, Ft. Wint, Olongapo

Zo691-01. 1941 Olongapo, Chet Britt Sr.at the Olongapo Fleet Boat Landing and Waiting Shed. It looks like the Army Coastal Defense Force of Fort Wint on Grande Island in Subic Bay used the same boat landing area as the US Fleet in the Olongapo US Naval Station. This image was provided by John Duresky. ————————————————– […]

Salvage of wreck on Corregidor 2008

Zo636. A WWII wreck, sunk during the siege of Corregidor, is salvaged on Corregidor Island, Manila Bay in 2008. In this picture we Morrison Hill at left and on Corregidor, then the hills around Mariveles Bay where the wrecks of the USS Canopos AS-9 and the George Dewey Drydock rest. ———————————————– Not all wrecks have […]

Manila Bay Harbor Clearance

Manila Bay Harbor Clearance Zo625. One of many sunken ships, wrecks then, blocking the Manila Harbor in WWII. Image, curtesy of Pacific Paratrooper webpages. ——————————————— Eye Witness Account – Clearing Manila Harbor, lets start with this story. This is condensed from a story written by Rear Admiral William A. Sullivan and appears in “The Pacific […]

ex Fort Wint on Grande Island Visit with Charlie 2018-07-20

Zc281. Fort Casey 10 inch Disappearing Gun, this image came from Wikimedia Commons. ex Fort Wint on Grande Island Visit with Charlie 2018-07-20 First segment of 9 images. My friend Charlie Moser helped dismantle the two (2) 10 inch guns of Battery Warwick on Grande Island, the ex Fort Wint, 50 years ago. On the […]

Battery Warwick Guns are not forgotten.

Zc285. Fort Wint-Grande Island 1919, this great drawing came from an U.S. Navy oiler ship web page. Zc278. Charlie Moser visited me at Subic Bay on the 15th of July 2018. Here we are on Mt. Cayuyag, north end of the bay of Subic Bay, and we see Grande Island about thumbs width left of […]

Fort Frank construction

This page shows construction of Fort Frank on Carabao Island in Manila Bay. Fort Frank was part of the Manila and Subic Bay Harbor Defense Command. These images were given to me by Karl Schmidt from the Coastal Defense Study Group (CDSG.org) who got the images from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Thank you […]