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Post by VeeVee on Nov 9, 2009 8:12:30 GMT -5
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Post by oklahoma on Nov 9, 2009 11:57:16 GMT -5
Hey Vic...Thanks much for posting the "Longo Point" photos. Karl always puts good stuff on the website. I always enjoy it. Like you, I envy anybody who gets to prowl these historic areas. Of course, you get over to the Philippines on a regular basis. I have to rely on you guys who either live there year round or go back frequently. All of you keep me abreast of new stuff, answer my questions, etc., and once in a while I might be able to throw something out there that folks might find of a little interest. Hope so anyhow. Keep the good stuff coming. I check the site each and ever morning. Postscript...I may have mentioned this before, but I will bring it up again, just in case. What chaos would have come about had the Japanese captured Mariveles instead of being repulsed?  The Filipino/American forces would have been in a "world of hurt", and I doubt if the campaign would have lasted till April/May 1942 with Mariveles in enemy hands. Lots of folks dont even know of this obscure battle, but it was very important to the people involved in that early 1942 debacle. Postscript....That pic of Corregidor from the hills of southern Bataan, once again, shows that the enemy was, indeed, looking down Corregidor's throat after Genl King capitulated in April of 1942. Thanks again to Karl for the photos and you for hanging them out there for us "unfortunates" to view. |
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Post by VeeVee on Nov 10, 2009 7:13:23 GMT -5
I've always wanted to go there and bring back pictures.
Yes it would have been a mess if the Japanese in Longoskawayan were able to get to Mariveles. I don't think they'd have survived though, there were not that many of them. But still, it would have created such a mess in the rear service area.
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Post by VeeVee on Jan 27, 2013 20:26:37 GMT -5
57th Infantry PS's attack and movement on Jan 27th, 1942 (71 years ago). The following morning, they were in position to advance along Longoskawayan. (click for bigger)  |
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Post by VeeVee on Feb 5, 2013 23:23:45 GMT -5
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Post by VeeVee on Apr 9, 2013 21:51:40 GMT -5
I'm trying to consolidate research information in preparation for visiting and hiking Longoskawayan Point later this year. Based on info from books Anywhere-Anytime by John Olson Bataan Our Last Ditch, by John Whitman The Philippine Scouts, by John Olson This is how I understand the 57th Infantry's movement and attack were.  My friend Karl's relics picked up on the ground. He hiked the area in February. (click for bigger)   I'm trying to find out more info and insights from Capt. Nick Golla of E Co. 57th Infantry. He was a platoon sergeant with E Company. I first met him at the 2007 reunion in Tacoma. At age 94, his memory is very sharp. He's also a pleasure to speak with on the phone. He can hear very well! Most veterans I talk to on the phone can hardly hear. Capt. Nick Golla (left), with Agustin Lacao (I Co. 57th Infantry) - photo taken in 2007  Some of the things he told me: He was 21 when he became a platoon sergeant. He used to be a squad leader but they had heavy losses among NCO's from the Mabatang fight. There were some other more senior squad leaders in the platoon but nobody wanted the responsibility of being platoon sergeant. They had no officers assigned to the platoon. When he became platoon sergeant, he turned in his M1 garand and was given a .45 pistol. His job was to coordinate the squads in the platoon and not a frontline rifleman. He did fire a borrowed M1 several times but only to designate targets shooting tracers. Time and again they would receive orders to pull back to get away from the planned Corregidor mortar bombardments (Battery Geary). They would receive orders via runners. They had supporting fire from H Company machine guns along an adjacent ridge. From accounts in the books these were along the Naiklec Point peninsula, providing flanking fire. But I don't know exactly where. I plan on calling Capt. Golla a few more times to get a better fix on the position of these machine guns They had to cross an open grassy area from their attack's line of departure which was a big concern. The machine guns provided suppressing fire. His men fought with fixed bayonets. The Japanese were very well camouflaged and it was hard to pinpoint their fighting positions. Many times his men were engaged in hand to hand fighting. From the book, The Philippine Scouts (click for bigger)           |
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Post by oklahoma on Apr 22, 2013 16:13:32 GMT -5
Hey Vic....We have discussed this back in 2009, but the satellite view of the "Longo" Point situation still gives me the creeps when I see how close to Mariveles the Japanese landing force was. As you stated in 2009, the enemy probably couldn't have held the city too long, but it would have been "Hell to pay" until they were flushed out. Cheers.
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Post by VeeVee on Apr 22, 2013 18:43:14 GMT -5
Indeed Okla!
I'm so conflicted. I want to hike Longoskawayan for two days in July but I have new information about the 88th FA position in Layac and want to explore there too. I may have to split my time on two locations.
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Post by VeeVee on Apr 23, 2013 18:49:20 GMT -5
I spoke with Capt. Golla today. He confirmed that an H Company platoon (heavy weapons company) was set up along Naiklec point. They provided flanking fire from the parallel peninsula and moved up forward along the Naiklec as needed to support their advance in Longoskawayan.
He said they didn't have any machine guns in their attack on Longoskawayan themselves. They relied on BAR's for close support.
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 24, 2013 12:16:36 GMT -5
The hike to Longoskawayan finally happened. Four of us set out to explore it. View of Mariveles on our hike to Longoskawayan  On the way... Hornos Point in the background. Behind me leads to Naiklec Point.  We entered the Mauakis Cove retreat center. They have goats there and the caretakers oversee and manage the beach area. I've pre-contacted the owner before our trip. From there, this was our jump off point to descend into Longoskawayan was the nipa hut.  Karl ready to go!  Karl leading the pack in the distance. I stayed behind for a few minutes to take pictures and chat with Darwin, the caretaker about why we were there.  The kind of terrain we picked our way through to get down.  Me resting a bit after we reached the bottom. At this point the heat had made a dent on my energy.  The view at the first tree I took a break at after getting down from Mt. Mauakis.   The water looked very inviting down there.  Zoomed in a bit so it looks close, but we were much higher in elevation than the picture suggests.  Looking back up to where we came from.  Around the place where I was resting, I looked down and immediately noticed these 30.06 shells.  This was roughly halfway to the point.  Picking my way up the slope, I noticed a .50 tracer slug on the ground  I keep looking back where we came from  I finally caught up with everyone resting under the big shade tree. This was about 80-85% of the way through to the point.  Another view of the tree. Looking north is Lapiay point.   |
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 24, 2013 12:17:30 GMT -5
Finally reached the end. Resorted to using a handkerchief to cover nape from the sun  Good shot of Sherwin at the point  Another .50 slug near the cliff edge area of the point  Dug out something that looked like the neck of an old container  Looking down at the bottom  Made my way down a bit to see cliff better     Looking up  Needed to get back up this slope after taking pictures of the cliff face  Went back to the shade tree to rest and get more water while Karl and Sherwin looked around for more relics. I zoomed in a picture of them as they walked back to the tree.  Gathering up just a few of the finds to take pictures of them  Hiker/Explorer Extraordinaire Karl, waiting for the rest of us to summon the energy for the trek back.  On the walk back, my friend Renan with his hat that has built in nape and face covering. I was almost out of water and had to bum some from everybody. I didn't eat much lunch at the tree because it would only require more water to wash down. Water was the key currency for this activity. I can't imagine how the guys on the death march survived with very little.  |
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 24, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 31, 2013 14:43:14 GMT -5
Sharing what Chadhill from the Corregidor Forum added regarding the medicine bottle...
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Post by VeeVee on Jul 31, 2013 14:45:01 GMT -5
I had a very pleasant chat with Capt. Nick Golla who was a platoon sergeant with E Company, 57th Infantry. They were the ones who fought there at Longoskawayan. He said his interest in it was rekindled after seeing the pictures I sent him. He was amazed at the relics we found. Some of the things he mentioned that I remember:
- During that time, the foliage and underbrush were extensive but the trees were not the big tall hardwood timber trees. There was an open grassy area at the base that they had to cross for the attack
- They worked their way down slowly Mt. Mauakis to get to their line of departure for the attack. (He seems to keep erroneously referring to Mt. Mauakis as Mt. Pucot)
- There was a trail on the south side that ran along the length of the point. He was almost killed when a Japanese machine gun covering the trail opened up on him as he was taking a look.
- The Japanese were very well camouflaged. They could never see them until they opened fire or were right on top of them.
- He kept on emphasizing how much help the Corregidor mortar batteries were to them.
- They would receive orders by runners to pull back to their line of departure to wait out the artillery barrages.
- After Longoskawayan, they fought in Anayasan-Silaiim points
Some other recollections
- Their regiment received PA replacements during the lull. His platoon received 6 men. They trained and integrated them to the unit and they worked well with the PS vets
- He recalls the choking clouds of dust along the road churned up by the trucks when they retreated from the Abucay line
- He was recruited to join the Scouts by the sergeant major of the 45th Infantry in 1937. He went to a high school in Pasig and played sports including basketball and track. The PS were always looking for athlete types to recruit.
- It was hard to get into the Scouts, there were rarely any vacancies. Men looking to get in put in their time and volunteer to do menial jobs and legwork at the base and be part of the PS community. They hoped that if a vacancy occurred, they would be known quantity to the NCO’s and might be the first candidates to get recruited.
- They did annual maneuvers in Bataan and did field problems there. So they were familiar with Bataan.
- The engineers had started and worked on the trail system.
- He contracted malaria in Bataan on his first maneuver in 1938. Even after postwar years he had bouts with it.
- Their company didn’t get into a fight after the battle of the points. They were on their way to the front when they received the surrender order.
- Their officer gathered them up and told them to go back to their barrios and melt away, but they were all wearing US Army uniforms so they couldn’t just yet.
- All Filipinos were mixed in together at the death march, so they were mixed in with the PA.
- He knew men from his unit who were able to escape the march
- When they got their pardon from the Japanese later in the year, his family picked him up from O'Donnell. They took him back to their hometown and nursed him back to health for a whole year. After that he joined the guerrillas.
MABATANG
- he asked me if I saw the cemetery at Mabatang when we passed through. I did but didn’t pay too much attention to it. He said that cemetery was there during their Abucay line counter-attack and they fought through it.
- The rice and sugarcane fields were fenced in with barbed wire which gave them a lot of headaches. They didn’t have wire cutters and had to use entrenching tools to dig under or break through the barbed wires.
- Men carried their e-tools on their belts for easy access rather than the textbook prescribed carry on the back of the haversack
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The Filipino/American forces would have been in a "world of hurt", and I doubt if the campaign would have lasted till April/May 1942 with Mariveles in enemy hands. Lots of folks dont even know of this obscure battle, but it was very important to the people involved in that early 1942 debacle. Postscript....That pic of Corregidor from the hills of southern Bataan, once again, shows that the enemy was, indeed, looking down Corregidor's throat after Genl King capitulated in April of 1942. Thanks again to Karl for the photos and you for hanging them out there for us "unfortunates" to view.
