Back to Corregidor: America Retakes the Rock

by Gerard M. Devlin

An account of the first successful island airborne attack during World War II describes how outnumbered American parachute and amphibious troops retook the strategic island stronghold of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312076487
• ISBN13: 9780312076481
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 261 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Retaking The Rock

In Back to Corregidor author Gerard Devlin tells the story of the recapture of "The Rock" by American forces in February, 1945. Devlin served with the 503rd PIR in the 1950s and was thereby qualified to write a history of his unit's most conspicuous action. Devlin thoroughly relates the details of the daring low-level parachute drop on the parade field and golf course landing areas and the travails of clearing an island of a well entrenched enemy determined to sell their lives dearly in the face of U.S. firepower. In combination with the 34th Infantry Regiment the 503rd PIR faces snipers, banzai attacks and ultimately the suicidal explosion of Japanese ordnance at Monkey point, which devastated an entire battalion. After the fighting subsides, we see Macarthur returning to Corregidor for the flag raising ceremony, having come full circle in the three years since he left The Rock in a PT boat during the dark days of 1942. Devlin's focus is mostly on the Corregidor assault and battle, with an overview of the formation and history of the 503rd and their earlier actions. For a fuller treatment of the 503rd's actions at Nadzab, Noemfoor and Mindoro see Flanagan's Corregidor: The Rock Force Assault.

A great book about great men.

Back to Corregidor is Gerard Devlin's third and last (2004) book.It is an account of one of the well known actions of the 503 PRCT commanded by Col. George Jones.It is thoroughly investigated by Mr. Devlin, who served in the 503rd Airborne Infantry in the fifties, and the story is clear and simple. When i started reading the book i could not stop. For the eager reader there are more books to find which covers the same subject. (Flanagan is one of them). If you are a paratrooper buff, please buy Devlin's book "Paratrooper". This is one of the best books written about the subject. A good book to have in your collection of the paratroopers of World War II.