Topside Battery Geary's Heavily Damaged 12-inch Mortars
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On April 12 Geary opened counter battery fire against enemy artillery on Bataan. Immuned from return fire because it was in a hollow on the south side below the highest point on the island and therefore invisible to enemy observers, until pinpointed from the air. On the morning of May 2 the Japanese opened a 3,600 round barrage against the battery. At about 4:27PM one 240mm round finally penetrated the center magazine detonating 40 tons of ammunition in a massive explosion utterly destroyed the battery leaving a large crater where the magazine was and hurling one mortar with its 10-ton barrel 150 yards into the adjacent golf course, Because Capt Davis anticipated the explosion and ordered his men to take cover in the far right magazine, casualties were very light 6 killed and 6 wounded. Unexploded shells and chunks of concrete falling as far as a mile from the battery killed at least 2 more and wounded 31. That Geary was firing back despite the rain of shells is evidenced by the fact that the mortar at the far right corner was loaded, ready to fire, when the battery blew up. It remained loaded up to this day. (Taken from the location's marker)
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