The Pre war Corregidor

Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines' Manila Bay. Due to its position in the bay, it has served as a focal point for the naval defenses of the capital city of Manila.

During World War II, Corregidor was the site of several battles and its fall to the Japanese forces was instrumental in the subsequent capture of the Philippines and the retreat of the United States in the early stages of the war. Currently, it is an important historic and tourist site and is managed under the jurisdiction of Cavite City.

Early Years Before The Great War II

Under the Spanish era, Corregidor served not only as a fortress of defense and a penal institution, but also as a signal outpost to warn Manila of the approach of hostile ships, and as a station for Customs inspection.. Corregidor comes from the Spanish word corregir, meaning "to correct."

One story states that, due to the Spanish system wherein all ships entering Manila Bay were required to stop and have their documents checked and corrected, the island was called Isla del Corregidor (literally, Island of Correction).

Another version claims that the island was used a penitentiary or correctional institution by the Spanish and came to be called El Corregidor.

In 1902, the island was organized as an American military reservation. In 1903, a convalescent hospital was established by the US Army.

In 1908, a Regular Army post was established on the island, designated as Fort Mills, in honor of Brigadier General Samuel M. Mills, Chief of Artillery of the US Army from 1905 to 1906.

By early 1909, H Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Corps of Engineers was assigned to Corregidor and started on the construction of concrete emplacements, bomb-proof shelters, and trails at various parts of the island. This pioneer engineer company left Fort Mills on March 15, 1912.


The defense of Corregidor was the immediate responsibility of the Philippine Coast Artillery Command under Major General George F. Moore. Stationed on the island were the following regular units:

60th Coast Artillery AA (US Regular Army)
91st Coast Artillery (Philippine Scouts)
59th Coast Artillery (US Regular Army)
92nd Tractor Drawn Coast Artillery (Philippine Scouts)
Headquarters, Harbor Defenses of Manila and the Seaward Defense Command.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the island was reinforced by the 4th Marine Regiment and by mobilized Philippine Army troops which were sent to reinforce the island's beach defenses.
The Army post on Corregidor was named Fort Mills, that on Caballo Island, Fort Hughes, on El Fraile, Fort Drum, and on Carabao Island, Fort Frank. According to the war plan, these forts were supposed to be able to make a six-month stand, after which aid would presumably come from the United States.

The fortifications on Corregidor were designed solely to beat off a sea-borne attack. When American military planners realized that airplanes would one day render Fort Mills obsolete, the United States was restricted from improving the fortifications by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. After this, U.S. Army constructed the Malinta Tunnel, with its series of related laterals, to

protect its military stores and vital installations in the event of war.






The island, which sheltered Fort Mills, was a prized piece of real estate. Its defense installations had cost the U.S. Government more than 150 million dollars. This amount did not include the expenditure for fortifying the neighboring islands of Caballo, Carabao, and El Fraile, on which were established forts Hughes, Frank, and Drum, respectively.



Geography.


The island is about 48 kilometers west of Manila. It is shaped like a sperm, with its tail running eastward, and has a land area of 9 km². Along with Caballo (which lies 2 km south of the "tail's" tip), it partially blocks the entrance to Manila Bay, and thus has strategic importance.


It also creates a northern and southern entrance to the bay.

Because of its rocky landscape and the fortifications of Fort Mills, the island was also known as "the Rock".



Corregidor is a tadpole-shaped island four miles (6 km) long and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) at its widest point, with a total area roughly about three square miles.

Its bulbous head, which points towards the South China Sea rises prominently to a large flat called Topside. This was the nerve center of the Island and here was located the headquarters, barracks for enlisted personnel, officers quarters, underground ordnance shops, the traditional parade grounds, and the bulk of the batteries that constituted the strength of Corregidor.

Middleside

Middleside is a small plateau that interrupts the upward slope from Bottomside to Topside, and was the location of barracks for the enlisted men, a hospital, quarters for non-commissioned officers, a service club, and two schoolhouses—one for the children of Filipino soldiers and the other for American children.

Bottomside

Bottomside is the lower part of the island and is the neck that connects the tail and head of the island. South of Bottomside is Barrio San José (near what was Navy Beach); on the north is what was Army Dock, with its three large piers, and, east of Bottomside, is Malinta Tunnel.








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Corregidor is such a beautiful tourist destination right now, too bad the mile barrack was broked up after the World War II, the corregidor before looks really amazing, its like a European Site for me, too bad lots of ghost in the barracks.

corregidor is a defense island entering the manila bay, the pre corregidor photo was quiet looks amazing and clean. quiet peaceful with the army marching with it.