Unfortunately, though, in spite of all the history, Fort Drum, along with the nearby Fort … Offer subject to change without notice. Just off the coast of the Philippines what appears to be a huge, blocky warship is actually a concrete island known as Fort Drum, or El Fraile Island, an abandoned military post that still has its rusting guns in place. Riverfest, Alexandria Bay – Summer Family and MWR and AUSA offer a day on the river in Alexandria Bay to Fort Drum Soldiers and Families at this annual event. U.S. casualties being transferred to a large Navy ship from small boats. It is odd to say the least to see this "ship" rise out of Manila Bay. Tour guides like Carlos Celdran (pictured above) include Fort Santiago in their itineraries. One of the 14-inch guns with soldier standing on it for scale. Here's the our members favorite photos of "Forts in Manila". Atlas Obscura and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our website to personalise ads, support social media features, and analyse our traffic. Concrete Battleship at El Fraile Island. See. El Fraile was razed to the waterline and a "concrete battleship" structure built on it. This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to help show ads that are more relevant to your interests. Fort Drum (El Fraile Island), also known as "the concrete battleship," is a heavily fortified island situated at the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines, due south of Corregidor Island. I just came across a web site dedicated to the memory of "The Concrete Battleship, Fortt Drum", which was located in Manila Bay, Philippines that h The Concrete Battleship - Fort Drum - NavWeaps Forums Tours run most Tuesdays through ACS. To complete the look, two enormous gun batteries were installed on the island. While Corregidor was indeed the biggest, and therefore the most important of these forts, the El Fraile – or Fort Drum as it was now called – was the mos… The good thing about this place is that only the patrol motorbikes are allowed to pass. 3) HS Casualties are lifted from PT boat to LCVP alongside. The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, the Philippines. 2) MS Fort Drum. Japanese 150-millimeter and 240-millimeter siege guns delivered a terrific pounding, but Fort Drum continued firing back, sinking several Japanese troop barges. Fort Drum encompasses El Fraile Island in the South Entrance of Manila Bay off Luzon in the Philippines. 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Fort Drum in Manila Bay, called the “concrete battleship”, was a unique fort mounting four 14-inch guns in two twin turrets. Photo credit Destinations. In reality the harbor defense of Manila Bay was more in a caretaker status than a war footing. By early February 1942, the island fortresses in Manila Bay were the only Philippine territory U.S. forces still held. A Short History of. The tadpole shaped island lay two miles from Bataan, and was only 3 … To read map in full detail click to open it full size - Situated at the mouth of Subic Bay, on beautiful Grande Island, Fort Wint was ideally located to defend one of the world's great natural harbors against enemy warships. Naval Photographic Center film #7719 National Archives "1) LS Small island in Manila Bay showing large explosion close off shore. Preservation & Interpretation. Four islands protected the mouth of Manila Bay from attack. A Spanish Gun Called Gonzalez Hontoria de 12 cm mod 1883 However… Construction began in April 1909 and lasted five years while the island was leveled by U.S. Army engineers and then was built up with thick layers of steel-reinforced concrete into a massive structure roughly resembling a concrete ship, 350 feet long, 144 feet wide, and with a top deck 40 feet above water at mean low tide.The 14 inch M1909 guns and their two custom built turrets, dubbed Batteries Marshall and Wilson, were delivered and installed by 1916. Fort Wint. Between 1909 and 1919 the island was cut down by Americans forces and covered in a concrete shell made to resemble a ship. One thing that stands out is how little it was used between the wars because of the nation's financial crunch. Fort Drum, the unsinkable concrete 'battleship' of Manila Bay Anyone who pays a visit to Manila Bay will not easily forget the enchanting sight of the ruined concrete fort that looks as if it is rising out of the The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, the Philippines. Although no longer in action, it still holds its reputation as being unsinkable. There was even a wooden barracks built on the new island, but this was removed to give the swiveling guns a fuller range of motion. A surprisingly beautiful abandoned World War II military base in East Greenland. After retaking Manila, the war torn Fort Drum was simply abandoned, leaving the burnt out base and its towering guns to slowly rust away like an immovable ghost ship. Japanese 150-millimeter and 240-millimeter siege guns delivered a terrific pounding, but Fort Drum continued firing back, sinking several Japanese troop barges. Also known as "The Concrete Battleship" for the shape of the fortification. 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