Post by labrador on Apr 11, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
On the way down from the Mt. Samat Ceremony, realizing that we would not be able to use the 4 japanese impressions we brought along, we decided to try for a photo shoot at a nearby battlefield before finally calling it a day. A short way down from Samat, we found what we were looking for. A historical marker on the battle of Capot Hill. It read:
BATTLE OF TRAIL 2 CAPOT HILL
(Nagwaling, Pilar, Bataan)
South of this point is Barrio Capot and Capot Hill on whose Southern slopes was organized a portion of the line of Sector C, in which was located the Terminus of the vital North-South Trail 2 and Capot Hill beginning 27 January 1942. Elements of the 31st and 32nd D Infantry Regiments, the rifle-equipped 31st FA Regiment and the 31st Engineer Battalion of the 31st Division (PA), and the 41st Infantry Regiment, 41st Division (PA). Held back the hostile attacks forging the Japanese to pull out and fall back to their line on 2 February 1942. After the fierce battle, 100 Japanese were dead within 150 yards of the main line of resistance; some of the bodies were no more than five yards from foxholes occupied by Filipino troops who suffered only light casualties.
While we had no PA combat infantry impressions with us at the time, we decided to make do and shoot a series of photographs hoping that some of the atmosphere of the fighting some 70 years ago would rub off on our impressions. Romski was kind enough to ask a Policeman if we could perchance bring out our 2 wooden japanese rifles. To our delight, he said it would be alright to bring out all of our airsoft weapons and our photo shoot began in earnest.
Somewhere on the Bataan Peninsula:
A mixed patrol of Philippine Scouts and PA infantry sets out to recon the area where locals have informed that IJA elements have arrived and begun to infiltrate the area.
likewise, units of the imperial japanese army have begun to infiltrate the USAFFE line making probing attacks and staging for larger scale operations:
The formosans have been through a lot, expecting only light resistance as they were consistently frustrated in their attempts to gain ground as General Homma's 50 day deadline to complete operations in the Philippines came and went. Infiltrating allied lines in the night, they would often appear at point blank range in terrifying Banzai charges:
trained to regard surrender as the ultimate dishonor, Japanese soldiers often regarded their captives with scorn and treated them brutally:
Sensing the enemy is near, the USAFFE patrol takes cover in a dried up ricefield:
A nearby japanese patrol is spotted taking a rest and the command is given to charge.
A surviving Japanese soldier is flushed out and meets the fury of the defenders:
Exhausted, the patrol takes a breather,
and grimly makes its way back to the ever shrinking perimeter:
Roughly a hundred days later, the roles would be reversed as finally, starved, disease ridden and out of ammunition, the defenders of Bataan went into captivity and perished under the imperial army:
It took thrice the alloted time to take the peninsula and thus Japanese operations towards the south pacific were delayed, drawing off precious resources that would have allowed an expansion further south to australia. This bought time, and a precious staging area for the Americans to finally begin their island hopping campaign back west across the Pacific.
BATTLE OF TRAIL 2 CAPOT HILL
(Nagwaling, Pilar, Bataan)
South of this point is Barrio Capot and Capot Hill on whose Southern slopes was organized a portion of the line of Sector C, in which was located the Terminus of the vital North-South Trail 2 and Capot Hill beginning 27 January 1942. Elements of the 31st and 32nd D Infantry Regiments, the rifle-equipped 31st FA Regiment and the 31st Engineer Battalion of the 31st Division (PA), and the 41st Infantry Regiment, 41st Division (PA). Held back the hostile attacks forging the Japanese to pull out and fall back to their line on 2 February 1942. After the fierce battle, 100 Japanese were dead within 150 yards of the main line of resistance; some of the bodies were no more than five yards from foxholes occupied by Filipino troops who suffered only light casualties.
While we had no PA combat infantry impressions with us at the time, we decided to make do and shoot a series of photographs hoping that some of the atmosphere of the fighting some 70 years ago would rub off on our impressions. Romski was kind enough to ask a Policeman if we could perchance bring out our 2 wooden japanese rifles. To our delight, he said it would be alright to bring out all of our airsoft weapons and our photo shoot began in earnest.
Somewhere on the Bataan Peninsula:
A mixed patrol of Philippine Scouts and PA infantry sets out to recon the area where locals have informed that IJA elements have arrived and begun to infiltrate the area.
likewise, units of the imperial japanese army have begun to infiltrate the USAFFE line making probing attacks and staging for larger scale operations:
The formosans have been through a lot, expecting only light resistance as they were consistently frustrated in their attempts to gain ground as General Homma's 50 day deadline to complete operations in the Philippines came and went. Infiltrating allied lines in the night, they would often appear at point blank range in terrifying Banzai charges:
trained to regard surrender as the ultimate dishonor, Japanese soldiers often regarded their captives with scorn and treated them brutally:
Sensing the enemy is near, the USAFFE patrol takes cover in a dried up ricefield:
A nearby japanese patrol is spotted taking a rest and the command is given to charge.
A surviving Japanese soldier is flushed out and meets the fury of the defenders:
Exhausted, the patrol takes a breather,
and grimly makes its way back to the ever shrinking perimeter:
Roughly a hundred days later, the roles would be reversed as finally, starved, disease ridden and out of ammunition, the defenders of Bataan went into captivity and perished under the imperial army:
It took thrice the alloted time to take the peninsula and thus Japanese operations towards the south pacific were delayed, drawing off precious resources that would have allowed an expansion further south to australia. This bought time, and a precious staging area for the Americans to finally begin their island hopping campaign back west across the Pacific.
