072 - Siege at Fort Drum

As Japanese Forces neared complete conquest of the Bataan Peninsula, they were also nearing their objective of controlling Manila Bay and the rest of the Philippines. However, the mountain fortress of Corregidor and a little-known island named Fort Drum stood in their way.

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In all reality, Fort Drum didn’t start out as much of an island at all. Its land area was smaller than a football field and looked like a tall outcropping of rock when construction began in 1909. Soon, the removal of the upper layer of rock began and the construction of a steel-reinforced concrete began.

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Known as “The Battleship”, the final structure included two gun turrets, each one fitted with twin 12-inch guns. Additionally, two 6-inch guns were placed along the side structures for anti-submarine / anti-attack craft (such as PT Boats) defense, and two 3inch machine guns mounted in sniper positions for anti-aircraft use.

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Originally, there were wood barracks along one corner of the structure, but these were removed after the December 8^th Luzon invasion to provide a better view of the surroundings for the turret gun operators. From then on, staff and crew bunked within the fortress itself.

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As soon as MacArhtur left nearby Corregidor Island, heavy artillery from nearby Japanese positions commenced. Soon, he 6-inch guns and the sniper positions were destroyed and disabled. Although both turrets remained in full operation, the Japanese surrounded the island, employing siege tactics, which was simply a game of waiting for the soldiers at Fort Drum to run out of ammunition, supplies, and patience.

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