The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-18

him on the desperate nature OF
our supplies. He messaged back
Ibis thanks, and a daring plan to
augment our food supplies by cap
turing Jap stores:
seYou should attack straight north
with the First Corps and reach
Olngapo Important Jap port on
advance rapidly to Dinalupinan
Subic Bay. The II Corps should
(about Is miles north Of Parker
right flank on Manila Bay a n d
thence move quickly west on Olon-
gapo, where you will join forces
ard be able to seize Japanese sup
plies"
Before this could be attempted,
the Japs hit Major Gen. George
M. Parker's Second Corps severity
on the night of March 1929, but
by morning the Second Corps had
gamely re-established its line.
BOMBED HOSPITAL
AS if in reprisal, the Jap air
force the following day came
straight for a plainly marked base
hospital on south Rataan and
bombed the fragile structure with
out mercy, killing men on their
stretchers and nurses and doctors
who stayed at their sides. It was
so shocking it made one cry with
rage and want to wade in and
simply throw fists at the perpe-
traitors. The smooth voiced apan-
csc announcer who came on the
Manila radio on March 81 to say
that the raid was 'unintentional"
added no balm to the dead and the
rewounded.
Corrigidor took it's 18th bomb
ing raid on April l., but the bomb
ers fled in the midst of things
when our remarkable gunners OF
the Sixtieth Coast Artillery (anti-
aircraft), fighting with equipment
that would be laughed at today
brought down two big bombers in
flames. In the raid just before that,
one of our batteries hit and de-
stroyed Jap bomber flying $1,000
feet over us, an incredible bulls
eye. Another Corregidor battery
had to its credit two high-hying
bombers with only four shots.
Gen. Parker was again hit hard
on the night of March 31-April 1
by Jap assault waves supported by
mortar fire. The Japs came with
barred bayonets and were met by
the bayonets of malarial men with
not enough food in their bellies to
sustain dog. Those men slowed
down the Jap assault by dawn. But
the handwriting was vivid on the
wall.
My old First Corps, on the west
ern side of Bataan, did not 60
unnoticed. It too was hit and its
movement was hampered by shell
ling from Jap warships offshore in
the China Sea. Jap dive bombers
heavily struck both corps.
The Bataan battle took on a new
sinister note on the morning of
April 3 when the -Japs tore noles
and buckled the right flank of the
First Corps. Knots of trapped Jap
troops Of forward elements were
wiped out in toe-to-toe fighting, but
others held their gains. We gave
ground slowly, our artillery shoot.
ing point blank at waves Of advance
ing troops.
Corregidor and the other forts
continued to take their beating
from Cavite, and on good Friday
Of that dismal Easter Week the Jap
barred another section of what
might charitably be called his
soul by bombing a church at Mir
al, near Digos, on Mindanao. On
April they began Using new.
type bomb on Corregidor, one which
exploded with belch of flame be.
fore it hit the ground.
DRIVEN BACK
News waves OF. shock troops hit
Parker's line on the night of April
As and Jap barges, mounting rs
nm. guns, struck his rear flank
from Manila Bay approaches. But
Parker's beach defenses sank a
number OF these assault barges
and turned back the others. The
situation on Parker's main front,
however, grew worse, and the Japs
drove him back through April
5 with new companies of tanks sup
ported by squadrons OF dive bonn
bers.
With Major Tom Dooley, my
aide, visited Gen. Parker that
day. We took crash boat to Cab
caben, on the southeastern tip of
Bataan, caught a jeep and drove
first to Gen. Kings headquarters
to discuss the overall situation.
King wanted to go on with us to
Parker's headquarters, but 1 ask
ed him to stay where he was, keep
ing an eye on both the First and
Second Corps.
Deoley drove me on like a wild
man, but time was indeed pre-
clous. Parker's headquarters were
just back of Limay, up the coast.
We left the jeep on a wooded hill,
climbed a trail and found him. He
had just learned that Gen. Inns
Forty-First Division, on h e Sec
one Corps left flank, was suffering
crushing blows. Parker and his hol-
low-eyed officers scanned their
maps and outlined a counter-attack
/ nllYa IIxkai h