Gibraltar of the East
Corregidor,
officially named Fort Mills, was the largest of four fortified
islands protecting the mouth of Manila Bay from attack and was
fortified prior to World War I with powerful coastal artillery.
At 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) across at its
head, the tadpole-shaped island lay two miles (3 km) from Bataan.
Its widest but elevated area, known as Topside, contained most of
its 56 coastal artillery pieces and installations. Middleside was a
small plateau containing more battery positions as well as
barracks. Bottomside was the low ground where a dock area and the
civilian town of San Jose was located. American servicemen
alternately dubbed it as "The Rock" or the "Gibraltar of the East",
in comparison to the peninsular fortress that guards the main
entrance to the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Africa. The
tunnel system under Malinta Hill was the most extensive
construction on Corregidor. It consisted of a main east-west
passage 826 feet (252 m) long with a 24 foot (7.6 m) diameter and
had 25 lateral passages, each about 400 feet (120 m) long,
branching out at regular intervals from each side of the main
passage. A separate system of tunnels north of this main tunnel
housed the underground hospital and had its own 12 laterals and
space for 1,000 beds. The facility could be reached either through
the main tunnel or by a separate outside entrance on the north side
of Malinta Hill. The Navy tunnel system, which lay opposite the
hospital, under the south side of Malinta was connected to the main
tunnel by a partially completed low passageway through the
quartermaster storage lateral. East of this was Malinta Tunnel,
location of Gen.Douglas MacArthur's headquarters. Reinforced with
concrete walls, floors, and overhead arches, blowers to furnish
fresh air, and a double-track electric tramway line along the
east-west passage, the Malinta Tunnel furnished bombproof shelter
for the hospital, headquarters, and shops, as well as a maze of
underground storehouses.
More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Corregidor
