Corregidor stories – Page 3 – Philippine-Sailor

Media Category: Corregidor stories

Zo602

Zo602. A view of the Corregidor Bottomside Northshore, with the Army Mine-dock in center and behind it is the Lorcha -dock where Gen MacArthur departed from in 1945 on orders from President Roosevelt.

Zo601

Zo601. The Head Quarters tent and staff of the 673 Replacement Company.

Zo600

Zo600. This picture is labeled Hospital but I think, it must be one of the long barracks, Topside or Middleside. The 3-story portion of the Corregidor hospital is not that long.

Zo599

Zo599. A view of the “Mile Long Barracks” from the Lighthouse and across the Officer Quarters. The Officer Quarter had to give way to the present Pacific War Memorial which is located here now. GIs then and GIs now, like me, like to go up the lighthouse and enjoy the view.

Zo606

Zo606.This is the Corregidor Lighthouse in 1945, it survived all the Japanese shelling and bombing pretty good. The US bombing spared it also.

Zo605

Zo605. This, I believe, is the Fort Mills Signal Tower, as viewed from the Topside Lighthouse in the west direction.

Zo604

Zo604. Two Filipina Lady laundry girls, they are probably happy to have a job and a salary, US GIs paid more than the Japanese and were probably friendlier bosses. This picture maybe was not on Corregidor, I don’t think they brought civilians on the island in 1945.

Zo597

Zo597. Unloading gold bars from USS Trout at Pearl Harbor, March 1942. USS Trout (SS-202) at Pearl Harbor in early March 1942, unloading gold bars which she had evacuated from Corregidor.
National Archives Photo No. 80-G-45970. Department of the Navy – Naval History and Heritage Command.
Regrettable, sadly, most of these Sailors went on their final patrol in 1944!

Zo596

Zo596. USS Trout (SS-202) coming alongside USS Detroit (CL-8) at Pearl Harbor in early March 1942, to unload a cargo of gold that she had evacuated from the Philippines. The gold had been loaded aboard Trout at Corregidor on 4 February 1942. Note details of the submarine’s fairwater, and .30 caliber Lewis machine gun mounted aft of the periscope housing.
National Archives Photo No. 80-G-45971. Department of the Navy – Naval History and Heritage Command.
National Archives Photo No. NH-50388. Department of the Navy – Naval History and Heritage Command.

Zo598

Zo598. USS Trout (SS-202) was credited with sinking 23 enemy ships, giving her 87,000 tons sunk, and damaging 6 ships, for 75,000 tons. She received a Presidential Unit Commission for the Gold patrol (her 2nd.) During her first ten patrols she made 32 torpedo attacks, firing 85 torpedoes, including 34 hits, 5 confirmed premature detonations, 5 confirmed duds, and 25 suspected duds. She was also involved in six battle surface actions and was attacked with depth charges eight times. She was reported overdue on 17 April 1944 and presumed lost on her eleventh war patrol, with all 81 hands. LCDR Frank Wesley (Mike) Fenno (pictured) was awarded the DSC for the Gold cruise, and the entire crew were awarded the Silver Star by the Army. Trout was lost on its 7th patrol when under the command of LCDR A. H. Clark. Fenno had transferred to Pampanito. He survived the war and retired as a Rear Admiral.