Arms of the army

Media

Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title: Arms of the army
Language: English
Source: Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) September 1956
Year: 1956
Rights
Fulltext: ' ! ,-ARMS OF THEARMY By Copt. Ambrosio P. Peiia, FA PART II. - HE laying of electrically- "searchlight batteries" which in turn detonated mines at the ap- are organized into a battalion. The proaches of harbors intend- machine-guns are also organized ined to be denied to the enemy, is an- to batteries to fonn a battalion other important function o~t""'W'tifcl'r serves as auxilia'!'y to the two artillery. During the last war the coast gun regiments organized out of the artillery had acquired ~mother irnpor- light guns and the heavy guns. As tant function, that of placing "bar- proven in actual combat, the brigade rage-balloon" defenses around impor. is capable of protecting a corps or tant military installations and stra- army area from hostile planes which tegic places to supplement the m:tive may have eluded the friendly inter· anti-aircraft defenses. ceptors. The tactical organization of a sea- Generally, shells used by anti-aircoast gun battery, battalion or re- craft guns are provided with a special giment follows genera'lly that of the fuse which would detonate the profield artillery. What would be said jectile when it hits the fabric of later on of the field artillery ap- the airplane. Should it miss its plies also to the coast artillery. For marks the fuse automatically exthe present then let us see how a plodes the projectile. During the standard anti-aircraft brigade is or last war there was developed a ganized. 40-mm automatic anti-aircfaft gun, A 'brigade is armed with at known as Bofors. This is funnelleast 72 heavy machine guns, 72 mouthed and is capable of firing light anti-aircraft guns, (from 37- from 120 to 140 rounds per minute. mm to 67-mm), 36 heavy anti-air- The 90-mm gun for high flying craft guns of 3-inch and 90-mm en- planes, had been proven the most liber and 45 searchlights. The powerful anti-aircraft gun during searchlights, which generates light the last war. to a maximum of 800,000,000 candle- Before the war the seacoast depower per units, are organized into :fense of the Philippines was a pri· mary responsibility of the United States. Toward this end the United Ststes Anny established on Con·egidor and its satellite islands of Ca. ballo, Carabao and El Fraile pelmanent coast artillery installations named Fort Mills, Fort Hughes, Fort • Frank, and Fort Drum, respectively. These forts secured the vital harbor of Manila and the United Sta'tes Navy Station in Cavite City. Farther north, between northwestern Bataan and southern Zambales is Subic Bay. At the entrance of this bay is located Grande Island where another permanent coast artillery station, named Fort Wint, guarded the United States Navy '' Station in Olongapo, Zambales. The regularly established units at these five forts were the 60th Coast Artillery, Anti-Aircraft (U.S. Regular Army), the 91st Coast Artillery (Philippine Scouts), the 92nd Tractor Drawn Coast Artillery (Philippinl' Scouts), and the 59th Coast Artillery (U.S. Regular Army) . Their armaments consisted of several 3-inch naval guns, 155-mm gun:~, 6, 10, and 12-inch 10 and 12-inch disappearing A barra11e of ortillerr doing proctic• firin11. rhe larin11 of el•ctricallr detonal•d mine• ot the opproochu of horbou iJ onolhtr important fundion of th• coot! ortillerr in the defen•• of J!rote~;~ic porlr and harbotJ inch railroad guns, and 10 and 12- and some 500 trainees who had been inch mortars. The 60th CAC regi- previously registered to train for ment had light and heavy machine- the Coast Artillery. Overall superguns, and 37-mm and 3-inch anti- vision of the training program was a aircraft guns. responsibility of the Camp CommandThe per unit cost of maintaining er assisted by a group of American the Coast Artillery is much higher CAC officers from the U. S. Army than any of the other arms. This and enlisted men of the Philippine is one reason why countries with Scouts who were on duty with Macvast material resources have the ad- Arthur's Philippine Military Misvantage and capability of organiz- sion. These officers and enlisted ing the most effective corps of men formed the Coast Artillery's coast artillery. The Philippines "instructional staff," and were apwith a coastline that is more ex- portioned generally on the basis of tensive than that of the United one officer and ten enlisted men per States, has a good use for a mighty battery. To Captain Arthur B. coast artillery corps. But here again Nicholson, CAC, USA, the first the limited resources of the country American Senior Instructor for the step in. Nonetheless, before the Coast Artillery Corps at Camp Dau, war the Philippine Army was able goes the credit for having laid out to maintain its Coast Artillery the original Coast Artillery trainCorps and train sufficient men for ing program for the Philippine Arthis arm with the aid of the United my. States. A year later there enlisted Late in 1936 there was conduct- in the regular Coast Artillery corned at Fort Mills, Corregidor a pro- plement of the Philippine Army, seficiency course in coast .artillery for vera] trainee graduates. Also, there some Filipino officers. The United were commissioned from the School States Anny loaned six 155-mm for Reserve Commission several guns (GPF's) so that by January CAC officers. This made possible 1937, at the inauguratioll of its mi- the reduction of the number of litary training p1·ogram, the Philip- American officers and enlisted men pine Arffiy had some key person- of the Philippine Scouts assigned to nel and materiel with which to the instructional staff of the Coast start its Coast Artillery Corps. Artillery cadre until shortly before The original training site of the the war when the number 'was rePhilippine Army's Coast Artillery duced to the ratio of one officer per Corps was at Camp Dau (later de- battalion and one enlisted man per signated as Camp Del Pilar), Pam- battery. panga. In January 1937, three gun After due negotiation, the Coast batteries, each of two guns, and a Artillery training cadre was transheadquarters and headquarters bat- !erred to Fort Wint in July 1938. tery were organized. To these bat- At that time there was stationed in teries were assigned the PA offi- this fort a small detachment of the cers who had trained at Fort Mills, 92nd CAC (PS) which was charged ,, with the care and maintenance of the "big guns" and "mechanical brams." This detachment was gin•n the additional job of assisting in the instruction of the trainees, especially along technical lines, which was most fortunate. It should be borne in mind that the coastal guns in Fort Wint were on fixed emplacements and so were it;;. plotting rooms - the so-called "nu:chanical brains." F'or sometim{' the Philippine Army officers and men had to be reoriented to the new type of annament and equipment. For this reorientation a United States Army's instruct;onal staff, headed by :\lajor William F. :\tarquat, (CAC) USA, who rose to the rank of :\lajor Geneml while ser.·· ing in the Special Staff of Gen. ~lacArthur during the last ll'ar, was on detail with the Philippine Army's Coast Arti11ery complement. To l~t Lieutenant (now Lieutenant Colon~)) Sil\'ino de Goma goes the credit for ha\'lng laid out the plan for the Philippine Army Training Camp (PATC) at Fort Wint, in his capacity as its first commanding officet·. ,:.,.;·~ :.:i:·:~~---~ An odilltry piece ready Ia slrell ovr its deadly cargo ol 9"" powder at lire •nemy. Battery Warwick with its two 10inch guns; and Battery Flak with its four 3-inch naval guns. The Philippine Anny's training program for the Coast Artillery was greatly accelerated at Fort Wint since there were better equip· ment and more spacious training area available. Beginning July The batteries at Fort Wint were 1938 and every six month thereatlinked with names of heroes who tet·, trainees were trained in tht· Coast had ~~t·ve<l with the Coast Artillery Artillery a-nd were formed into batforps. This fact is interesting since it talions. These reserve "paper" batil' only the Coast Artillery which talions were ogani:~:ed in each of the out of tradition, has perpetuated its ten military districts as fast as heroes by identifying its basic tac- there were Coast Artillery trainee tactical units with theit· names. Ge· graduates from these districts. Fur,..~eet1~:~t ::ttt:~ie~o:;\v~~~~.g~~~e~h~l~ ~:~~:;~~· t~:in~~;e p::;:~mth:.a:0:~~ ippilw Army troops became fami- panded with the organi:~:ation of an liar to such designations as Battery anti-aircraft battery of four 3-inch Woodrow with its fivt G-inch guns; guns. Heading the instructional PN Coptoin l!ofoal Porgoo On 12 December 1941, another Fill lipino Coast Artillery. Regiment was activated at Port Area, designat<!d as 2nd Coast Artillery Corps. L'pon reaching Bataan. thts umt became the 2nd ' CAC, (Anti-Aircraft). Because of its lack of equipment it was placed tactically with the 515th CAC (U.S.). Personnel of the 2nd CAC (PA) took turns by shifts in manning the guns of the 515th CAC. Besides the two Philippine Army coast artillery regiments anr\ the American and Philippine Scouts coast artillery regiments permanenily stationed on Corrf'~idor and its satellite islands, there arrived in staff for this anti-aircraft unit was the Philippines in October 1941 an Major John McGullick, (CAC), American National Guard unit called USA the 200th CAC (AA). Later in BaWith the declat·ation of emergen- taan this unit was split into two cy in July 1941, Filipino CAC re- regiments: the 200th CAC (AA) and en·ists were called to duty. By the the 515th CAC. The Philippine Ar31st of October, the Headquarters my's 2nd CAC was placed for tacand the 1st Battalion of the lst tical operations undet· the 515th Coast Artillery Regiment, were C A C. Subsequently, about lhe activated at Port Area, Mani. middle of February, 1 9 4 3, the Ia under the command of (now 515th was further split into two na\'Y captain) Rafael Pargas, a regiments, each with skeleton Filipino graduate of the United strength. The new regiment formed States Naval Academy, Class of was designated as 215th CAC { AA). 1935. This 1st CAC was later trans· To recapitulate the following Coast !erred to Fort Wint where its 2nd Artillery units were established Battalion was organi:~;ed out of per- either before the last war or during sonnel stationed at said fort. the Philippine defense tampaign: Shortly after the outbreak of the 60th CAC (AA), USA; 91st CAC, war, Fort Wint became untenable PS; 92nd CAC, PS; 59th CAC, and it had to be abandoned after USA; 200th CAC (AA), USA: 215th the destruction of all its guns and CAC (AA), USA; 515th CAC (AA), equipment. The Philippine Scouts USA; 1st CAC, PA; and 2nd CAC Detachment returned to its (AA), PA. mother unit white the Filipino gar- After Bataan the remaining bat· rison left on 26 December 1941 for talion of the 1st CAC. PA fought Dinalupihan, thence for Bagac, Ba- 11 out with the enemy on the beaches and rannes with Conegidor, armed with Ji-mm, i5-mm and 155-mm For instance, take the topographguns. The 1st CAC had its share ical sun·eys of the national terriof the prh·ations of Corregidor. It tory which the Corps of Engineers di(l just as much in a'·e1-ting the conduct in peacetime. This is inearly ("apitulation of Corregidor as tended largely for better appraisal the American units that defended of the features of the land. Out of the island fortress. There has been these sm·veys, terrain maps, which no move so far to reconstitute this are essentially for use in combat, arm althou~h a great number of could be prepat·ed. In wartime its officers and men who could be they are the engineers who build plafed in key positions. ha,-e sur- roads and bridges which they must l'ind the war blast later on should the necessit)' Tht.' Corps of En~ineers urise. The engineers are on the jobs The Corps of Engtneers stands as of const1·uction and destruction to the most unique branch of the mo- keep the army always on the dern military establishment since its "mo,·e" or to provide protection if prima1·y concern either in war or in the army has to withdraw. No doubt peace is work And yet it is so whatever the engineers do are either cqulp}tCJ! that it could fight just like directly or ultimately concerned the infantry. Because of the va- with combat. 1·it-ty of work associated with mili- The milit11ry engineer has inde'--"11 tat·y engineering - i.e.. 1·epairing, played a prominent and important dt:~no_\·ing. and building - the corps role in the militar-y sen·ice since hit!> heen so often mistaken to be n the 1·er~· earliest time. The ancient ~ct"'"lC(' element rather than as an Egyptian, Bab~·lonian and Per!>hm urn. Aftual!r, it is the latter. This militarr establishments had their is so ht:caus(' most of the work it corps of engineers who build stagperfol·ms is so closely akin with ing areas and landing sites anrl war comb;~t The earl)' Roman., on Fort Orum. one of the tiny islondr off (o,egidot moin wi!h its orti/Jery pieces the other hand were noted for their Even after the lapse of three cenmilitary engineers who built the turies the principles laid down by great Roman highways on which Vnuban still hold good. marched the conquering legions. The most revolutionary changes in But those same roads, all of which modern military engineering came lead to Rome, contributed ultimately about in the 19th century shortly to the downfall of the Roman Em- after the American Civil War and pire. On those great highways the France-Prussian War. The tremarched the "barbarians" - the mendous utility of the railroad in Goths, the Vissigoths, and the Huns military operations particularly in - in their invasion of Rome. And mo\·ing supplies and troops, became there was Hannibal, one of the readily perceived as a result of the world's military commanders of all American Civil War. The Prussian time. In his army was maintained General Staff under Von Moltke caa corps of topographical engineers pitalized on this American expewhich was charged with reconnais- rience and shortly before the Francesance, sun·e)'S and mapping of camp- Prussian \Var, the Prussian engineers ing areas and the battlegrounds. constructed a railroad from proba[n the years long past, as com- ble staging areas to the great French munity life became more established, fort at Metz, on the Franco-Prusmen found it greatly necessary to sian border. s~ure the home front. Here was when: It was during the Franco-P1·usmilita1·y engineers carne in handy. sian War when the engineers wen· Ther built the great earthenworks, definitely organized into tactical the stone parapets, and stone fo1·t~ units. The French Army had three to protect their cities and towns. l"egirnents, mostly sappers and a few Here the engineers builL On the miners. The Prussian engineer~. other hand the besieging tolls that which wa~ better organized for tac· were used against those parapets tical operations, consis.ted of: sixtyand forts were also the product of nine Pioneer companies; seventeen engineering skill. And here was wht>re Field Telegraph detachments; twelve the engineers came in to destroy. each of Pontoon columns, light The father of modern military en- Brigade Trains, and Intrenching-tool gineering was the great French ge- Trains ; a nd one each of the Torpenius and soldier, the Marquis de Se- do Det achment, and Photographic bastian Ia Preste (1633-1707), bet- Detachment. ter known in military history as The Great War of 1914-18 had ef· filarshal Vauban. The military ser- fected the greatest change in mili\'ice owe to him many of the gene- tary engineering, alongside the ral principles of military engineer- great development of field artillery. ing, not necessarily the tactical con- The tremendous fire power of the cept and employment of the Corps latter became readily evident and in ,lf Engineers as we know it today order to minimize losses in manpobut particularly the principles of wer and materiel, revolutionary prindefending and besieging fortresse~. (Continued on page S2)