Corregidor, the Rock Force Assault, 1945

by Edward M. Flanagan Jr. and E.M. Flanagan Jr.

Book Overview

Also known as the Rock, Corregidor was a desolate place that harbored a fanatical enemy. This is the inspiring story of one of the most daring maneuvers in the history of modern warfare--the recapture... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891413197
• ISBN13: 9780891413196
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Presidio Press
• Length: 331 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

corregidor:the rock force assault

i have a friend that was on the pt boat that landed macarthur back on corregidor. i did not have any good info on the retaking of corregidor until i obtained this book. i was very impressed with the info that was included in this book.

I was there

I was a pilot on one of the planes the paratroopers in the top of Corregidor so this book describing the assault from the perspective of a paratrooper was extremely interesting to me. I found it factual and it helped me to recall some things that has slipped into the shadowy past. I often wondered what happened to the plane immediately to my right that was hit in the engine as we were over the drop zone. I last saw him descending and trailing black smoke. Flanagan answered my question. I now live in Colorado Springs, CO

The 503rd hits Topside

E. M. Flanagan's Corregidor: The Rock Force Assault tells the story of the recapture of Corregidor island in February, 1945, by a combined force of U.S. paratroopers of the 503rd PIR and infantrymen of the 34th Infantry Regiment. This operation resulted in the recapture of the rugged island guarding the mouth of Manila Bay where less than three years before, General Wainwright had surrendered to the Japanese on May 6, 1942. Flanagan details the meticulous planning and daring of the paratroopers who bailed out at low altitude in order to hit the small drop zones. Any mistake in the timing resulted in troopers landing against rocks or in Manila Bay. U.S. intelligence had estimated the Japanese garrison at less than one thousand, when they actually numbered more than six thousand. It took ten days to clear the rugged island of organized Japanese resistance. The most damaging blow struck by the Japanese was a subterranean detonation of stored Japanese explosives at Monkey point during the "mop-up" phase of the operation. In addition to Flanagan, those interested in the retaking of Corregidor should also read Back to Corregidor: America Retakes the Rock by Gerard Devlin. There will be plenty of overlap between Devlin and Flanagan, but each will help flesh out the narrative of the other. The main difference between the two is that Flanagan gives a more thorough background into the formation of the 503rd, and its earlier actions at Nadzab, Noemfoor and Mindoro.

Assualt From The Sky.

"Corregidor: The Rock Force Assault" is the story of the island by that name which has played a prominent role in the defense of Manila Harbor. This book gives a good history of the island and the troops who recaptured it in 1945.The book begins with the story of the conquest of the Philippines by American Forces in 1898 during the Spanish American War. It then continues with the military fortifications of the island during the American Administration. The Japanese conquest of the Philippines culminating in the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942 set the stage for the American reconquest.Flanagan does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the assault forces, the 503d Parachute Regimental Combat Team and the 3rd Battalion Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Division. We become familiar with the preparations of the 503d in the U. S., Australia and in its jumps at Nadzab in New Guinea and onto Noemfoor Island.With the invasion of the Philippines proceeding successfully the hour for the redemption of American honor at Corregidor arrived. The small available drop zones on the island made the airborne assault most unlikely and, therefore, a total surprise to the Japanese defenders. Flanagan takes the reader through the challenges met by the assault force, the means of attack by air, sea and land, the Japanese resistance and the descriptions of the ambient conditions which add to the hellish atmosphere of war. The fanatical Japanese resistance captures our amazement while the cave by cave extermination of the enemy brings to mind contemporary reports form Afghanistan.The emotional climax of the book is Gen. MacArthur's triumphant return to Corregidor, by PT boat, just as he left three years before, during which he orders: "I see the old flag pole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak and let no emery ever haul them down.""Corregidor" is an excellent choice for anyone with an interest in the details of combat or the history of the War in the Philippines.

The Impossible Mission

An amazinf feat of daring by a group of outnumbered Paratroopers, less than 3000, fighting against the best Japan had, namely Japanese Imperial Tiger Marines. Their strength was said to be over 6800. Only 21 Japaneses surrendered , 17 lived surviving their wounds. A tale of total disregard of human life. Corregidor was a small island fotress built by the US prior to WW2 and carried 56 major cannon emplacements behind concrete walls over 25 feet thick in parts and some sited over 600 feet above some of our forces. At the end of the battle over 6000 Japanese bodies covered the ground and fostered billions of flies and maggots entering our mouths while trying to eat or talk. A horrible experience which cannot be described in mear words. I was there.