Japanese films of captured American equipment on Bataan

[Rick the Librarian]

My friend Victor, who runs a very nice website on the Philippine Scouts, gave me a link to a website that has vintage film clips and among them was a short film clip taken by the Japanese, probably at Mariveles, on Bataan, shortly after the American surrender in April, 1942, showing the large amounts of equipment captured or turned in.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...itary-cemetery

Among the items I saw in the film clip:

1) Several GPF 155mm guns on road mounts with prime movers

2) British 18-pounders that served as division artillery for the Philippine National Army both on rubber and steel spoked wheels.

3) Mobile 3" AA gun

4) Wrecked or abandoned M3 light tank - these were used by the 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions

5) Bren Gun carrier - these were impounded off a ship that was carrying them to Hong Kong shortly before the start of WWII.

6) Several pictures of a "park" of captured 18 pounders on steel spoked wheels.

7) A large number of captured Browning M1917 MGs.

8) Several 50 cal. air-cooled MGs on AA mounts

9) Several pictures of piles of rifles - hard to tell, but you can pick out a few M1903s as well as an M1917 with a broken stock. (How I've LOVE to have one of those!!). Another pile with a BAR peeking out and another with a BAR leaning against the stack.

10) Several shots of M1917A1 helmets and gas masks.

11) A number of boxes containing fabric belts of 30-cal. ammunition. (I see a magazine or two from a Lewis gun.

12) A few pictures of piles of what look like expended cartridges (I see what looks like artillery casings, as well). This may have been an ammo dump that was blown up by the Americans the night before Bataan fell. If you look carefully, you can see what looks like some M1 Garand clips (empty).

13) 155mm shells and what are probably 500 pound bombs.

[JohnMOhio]

Thanks Rick!

[Weasel]

Looked to me like a lot of junk.

[Rick the Librarian]

That's what it had been converted to after several months' fighting in the jungles of Bataan. Sure wish I could have some of that "junk"!!

[Fred]

I saw a clear view of a Hatcher Hole on one 1903 Springfield and I also saw several 1903 bayonets in M-1910 scabbards as well as one 1903 Bayonet in an early leather scabbard.

[Fred]

Rick, I'll bet that if one were to go over there and get to know the country folks really well, after awhile, one might be allowed to see some interesting items of interest that have been secreted away from official eyes. Just like putting feelers out for any controled substance, if a person wants it bad enough, has the money and the seller can be convinced that they'll not be ratted on, they might oblige one. Of course how to get it into the states legally is another problem. Not an impossible one though.

[Weasel]

There was some of those M1 and 03's bbl actions that came back from the PI in the late 80's and early 90's and the best description I could come up with was JUNK. I still have a bbl off of one of the M1 bbl receiver I bought and I have never found another bbl that was as bad as this one. I did salvage the receiver from it. The 03 I bought I couldn't salvage any thing from it so I cleaned it up as best I could and gave it to someone who was putting together a display. Believe me I know what the climate is in the PI, I was there for 16 months in 69 and 70's. Hot and muggy.