Fort Drum (originally known as 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.The reinforced concrete sea fort shaped like a battleship was built by the United States in 1909 as one of the harbor defenses at the wider South Channel entrance to the bay … CDSG Fund raising and grants. Passengers of ships passing near the island usually gawk at the ruined fort, wondering what it is. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. No purchase necessary. The faux-ship was highly defensible and struck an imposing silhouette to enemies. It is not a page turner but it is an excellent reference book. To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. Also known as "The Concrete Battleship" for the shape of the fortification. 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 - View the full album on Photobucket. The ruined hulk of Fort Drum, including its disabled turrets and 14 inch guns, still stand at the mouth of Manila Bay. U.S. casualties being transferred to a large Navy ship from small boats. The tadpole shaped island lay two miles from Bataan, and was only 3-1/2 miles long and 1-1/2 miles across at its head. Called El Fraile, it had Spanish fortifications set up in 1898. This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to help show ads that are more relevant to your interests. Graphically, this volume is quite appealing. All the albums in this group of albums deal with this most unique fort. Forum. Naval guns strike Fort Drum in Manila Bay, Philippines during World War 2. Construction: Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines.Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and the City of Manila from attacks by enemy warships in the event of war. Make me an Ambassador. During the Battle of Manila Bay between the Spaniards and the Americans on April 30 to May 1, 1898, El Fraile was the first line of defense that protected Manila from invaders, along with Corregidor, Fort Carabao, and Caballo Island. … Together, these four islands in Manila Bay formed a perfect naval line of defense against any armada seeking to lay siege on Manila. Free shipping for many products! The Board of Fortifications chaired by William H. Taft recommended that key harbors of territories acquired by the United States after the Spanish-American War be fortified. Defenses of Manila Bay. It was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, and was recaptured by the U.S. after igniting oil and gasoline in the fort, leaving it permanently out of commission. It fired the first shots of the Battle of Manila Bay. 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FORT DRUM, AMERICAN "ISLAND BATTLESHIP", MANILA BAY, 1942 Fort Drum was located on El Fraile Island, about 7500 yards south of Caballo Island and by virtue of its peculiar character, a static battleship in the southern approaches to Manila Bay, it … © 2021 Atlas Obscura. One thing that stands out is how little it was used between the wars because of the nation's financial crunch. There’s a hotel with a veranda overlooking the South China Sea where you can sit and relax, drink a beer and enjoy the food service. See. Fort Drum was located on El Fraile Island, about 7500 yards south of Caballo Island and by virtue of its peculiar character, a static battleship in the southern approaches to Manila Bay, it was the most unique of the Harbor Defense forts. Tours run most Tuesdays through ACS. The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays, the Philippines. With the bay forts, including Fort Drum, thus neutralized, Japanese resistance in the Manila Bay area was ended. A network of fortifications that never saw conflict. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. 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. Fort Drum was never made operational again, and still stands today at the mouth of Manila Bay. Fort Drum Automotive Skills Center will be closed until Jan. 26 due to potential COVID-19 exposure. In reality the harbor defense of Manila Bay was more in a caretaker status than a war footing. It is odd to say the least to see this "ship" rise out of Manila Bay. The kit includes a solid resin hull, resin parts sprues, a large 2 piece photo-etch set produced specificly for the Fort Drum, Brass Turned Barrels for the 14", 6", and 3" guns, ultra fine rigging line for the cage mast and crane, Decals for the Turret Markings, MV … Don't miss out on great deals for things to do on your trip to Manila! Explore Touristlink. Right off Roxas Boulevard, which runs along Manila Bay in Malate, is Harbor Square and Manila Sun Cruises. Fort Drum on El Fraile Island, completed in 1914, was the second-most powerful fort in Manila Bay and the most unusual. 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. Named after Brigadier General Richard C. Drum, the now abandoned Fort Drum [1] is a little-known structure which stands amidst thrashing waves of the bay. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The Philippines was a … A Spanish Gun Called Gonzalez Hontoria de 12 cm mod 1883 However… Photo credit. 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. George Munson . Unfortunately, though, in spite of all the history, Fort Drum, along with the nearby Fort … The idea of Fort Drum was created after the Spanish–American War in 1898 when the Board of Fortifications decided that the United States needed to better fortify overseas territories. Fort Drum had its origins in an earlier war—the now-obscure conflict between America and Spain in 1898. 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. Fort Drum in Manila Bay, called the “concrete battleship”, was a unique fort mounting four 14-inch guns in two twin turrets. It was occupied by the Japanese in World War II, and. El Fraile Island before the building of Fort Drum. Two World War II aircraft lie within the jungle around this abandoned runway. Consequently, El Fraile Island was fortified and incorporated into the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. Fort Drum amazingly suffered zero casualties during the entire siege. By early February 1942, the island fortresses in Manila Bay were the only Philippine territory U.S. forces still held. Our Fort Drum kit in 1/350 scale is an extremely unique piece of history that can be a key component of any collection! Today located in Cavite Province and designated as a Military Reservoir Zone administrated by the Philippine Navy and Philippine Marines. There are five 2-D maps (the Manila Bay environs, the defenses of Manila Bay in 1941, a strategic map in December 1941, the Japanese assault on Corregidor, the American recapture of Corregidor) and two very nice 3-D … Fort Drum (El Fraile Island), also known as the “concrete battleship,” is a heavily fortified island fortress situated at the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines, due south of Corregidor Island. The reinforced concrete fortress shaped like a battleship, was built by the United States in 1909 as one of the harbor defenses at the wider South Channel entrance to the bay during the … Fort Drum (El Fraile Island), also known as the “concrete battleship,” is a heavily fortified island fortress situated at the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines, due south of Corregidor Island. Arguably the greatest coastal fort ever was America’s Fort Drum, which guarded Manila Bay in The Philippines until Japanese forces surrounded it in May 1942. You'll take a ferry ride across the bay to reach Corregidor, where you'll see historical landmarks and learn about the island's role as a coastal defense during World War II. The tadpole shaped island lay two miles from Bataan, and was only 3 … Today Fort Drum’s pockmarked remains still stand guard over Manila Bay. I was fortunate enough to get a tour of the bay in a Philippine Navy patrol boat and we circled Fort Drum. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. Fort Drum was retaken by pumping a fuel mixture down an air vent which was later ignited; the resulting explosion destroyed one of the casemates, as well as incinerating everything inside. The site of one of Japan's very few American occupations during World War II still holds the relics of a roundly disastrous campaign. It is walkable from SM Mall of Asia. ... Fort Drum (El Fraile Island) 6.69 miles. by. 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