Fort Frank (Carabao Island).14-inch (356 mm) M1910 gun fires at Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California.[1]12-inch (305 mm) mortars, similar to those of Battery Koehler.
Carabao Island is located near the southern end of the entrance to Manila Bay about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) off the coast of Maragondon in the province of Cavite. The long, narrow island is surrounded by sheer cliffs over 100 feet (30 m). The whole island and fort has an area of 44.5 acres (18.0 ha) with the highest elevation at 185 feet (56 m).[3]
History
Construction
The establishment of the islands of Manila Bay as military reservations was requested by the US Army and enacted by Executive Order of President Theodore Roosevelt on 11 April 1902.
Battery Greer was named for Col. John E. Greer, an Ordnance Corps officer. Battery Crofton was named for Captain William Crofton, an infantry officer. Battery Koehler was named for 1st Lt. Edgar F. Koehler, killed in the Philippine–American War. Battery Hoyle was named for Brigadier General Eli D. Hoyle, a Spanish–American War veteran who was an administrator in World War I.[4]
Battery Ermita was probably named for the district in Manila. Battery Frank North was possibly named for Major Frank North, commander of the Pawnee Scouts.
World War II
The fort's design included little protection against air and high-angle artillery attack except camouflage. Also, most of its heavy ammunition was armor-piercing, intended for use against battleships, rather than the high explosive type that would be more useful against enemy troops and artillery.[3]
Fort Frank was heavily engaged in the Japaneseinvasion of the Philippines. On 31 January 1942 the fort's mortar battery bombarded mainland positions in the Pico de Loro Hills that the Japanese were emplacing artillery in. The 75 mm guns were also able to engage mainland targets. The Japanese began bombarding Fort Drum and Fort Frank on 6 February 1942. Fort Frank was vulnerable in another way: its normal water supply was from a dam's reservoir on the Japanese-held mainland. On 16 February the Japanese discovered this and removed part of the pipeline near the dam. Although the fort also had a distillation plant to provide fresh water, this consumed fuel that was also needed for the gun batteries' generators that powered the ammunition hoists. The fort's commander ordered the distillation plant started, but also directed a 15-man team to attempt to restore the pipeline on the 19th. They successfully engaged a Japanese patrol but could not get to the pipeline. Eventually another party repaired the pipeline on 9 March.[7] On 20 March 1942, thirty-four soldiers were killed by Japanese artillery when a round ricocheted into a tunnel at Battery Crofton.[3]
Fort Frank was surrendered, along with all other US forces in the Philippines, on 6 May 1942, after destruction procedures were executed on its guns to prevent their use by the enemy.[3]
During their occupation the Japanese were reportedly able to repair the 14 in (356 mm) gun of Battery Crofton and add three 100 mm (3.94 in) guns. In April 1945, during the American liberation of the Philippines, Fort Frank was heavily bombarded with 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs and napalm (among other ordnance) in preparation for recapture. On 16 April 1945 the 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment and Co. C, 113th Engineer Battalion landed on Fort Frank to find that the Japanese had successfully evacuated the island.[3]
^Coast Defense Journal, Vol. 31, Issue 2, May 2017
^McGovern, Terrance; Berhow, Mark A. (2003). American Defenses of Corregidor and Manila Bay 1898-1945 (Fortress, 4). Osprey Publishing (UK). ISBN1-84176-427-2.
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