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Assault on Corregidor: May 25-26 (part 3)
The Battle of Tailside
The Guards first wave is 10 minutes late and well of its position after the long trip across Manila Bay and instead of a tight group of boats aiming to land everyone in a position about 400 yards across (20 yards separating each boat) the boats are in three groups. Missing Infantry Point, 5 boats veer to the west of it, coming into the cove between Infantry and Malinta Point straight at Battery L / 59th CA. The remaining two groups consist of 11 boats heading straight for the east side of Infantry Point and 7 more veering a bit to the east which puts them on a straight course directly toward Cavalry Point before frantic corrections are made to steer them more west and thus bringing them 100 yards from the boats of the second group. Thus 16 boats are heading directly toward Battery M / 59th CA.
Japanese Artillery fire hitting Tailside lifts and shifts to the center of Topside at this time, although off target from the engagement forces wiping out the landing at Bottomside but heavy enough that all troops are forced to stay under cover. Only a few daring couriers continue to brave the fire. Certain that the fire shifting means a landing is coming, Major Armond Hoskins, commander of the 4/59th, sends messengers to ensure that the guns are deployed and all are at their battle stations. This turns out to be an unneeded order for his men, but his courier does get the 3/1 Engineers ready.
At 2305, shapes are seen a few hundred yards offshore, and the mortars of Battery O open fire, while searchlights from the tail begin playing across the water. This gets the remaining mortars into action, while flares are fired from Battery L and M, lighting up the water further, and at that point the 75 mm guns open fire from Battery M and L, followed moments later by machine guns.
The five boats that missed Infantry Point are in perfect position to be slaughtered by Battery L, and within 10 minutes shells have sunk 3 of them and only 2 make it to the beach, where only 40 troops manage to disembark only to face withering rifle and light machine gun fire. A handful make it to the base of the bluff before grenades tossed from above kill them too. Neither boat manages to successfully leave the beach as their crews are killed or wounded at their positions. However the Japanese go down hard, as they open fire with knee mortars and light machine guns while they are still aboard their landing craft, and 3 Americans are killed and 8 more are wounded from the riflemen at the top of the bluff.
The rest of the 1st Wave escapes this slaughter but faces a daunting approach. Battery M loses precious time moving its guns into firing position from their tunnel hiding places and only manages a couple of shots at the approaching landing craft while the mortars take even longer to set up and none of their rounds impact on any of the boats although near misses do cause some casualties. The heaviest loss is from machine gun fire, which rake the open tops of the approaching boats and numerous casualties are inflicted. All 18 Shohatsu make it to the beach, and 560 troops manage to leave their assault boats and begin climbing the bluff. Japanese knee mortars and light machine guns provide cover, while the elite troops of the Imperial Guard ignore losses and quickly overrun the rifle positions at Infantry Point and those held by Battery M, and although brave and trained in infantry duties, the coast artillerymen are not a match of the elite Japanese infantry. The Japanese also overrun the guns and machine gunners at Infantry Point, silencing them (although too late to prevent the slaughter already inflicted).
The American and Philippine Scout troops that survive break and retreat, with survivors making for Water Tank Hill or toward Malinta Hill. In 20 minutes of fighting the Japanese have secured a beachhead and 300 Japanese soldiers remain on their feet to hold it. For the landing craft, they are blessed with good fortune because as they are retiring the 2nd Wave is approaching and instead of following them into the wrong beach, those craft are heading for the planned landing zone. Thus all American attention is on the 2nd wave and all 18 boats escape, although 3 sink or break down on the way back to Mariveles (although they are redirected to Mariveles about two miles offshore by a Japanese controlled tug boat).
After the battle American and Filipino medics and gravediggers find 102 dead American and Filipino troops in the positions held by Battery M and L between Infantry and Cavalry Point, and firm evidence that the wounded were executed where they lay.
The 2nd Wave
Right on time and on the correct approach is the 2nd Wave, in part due to the insistence of the Regimental Commander of the 1st Guards Regiment, who has experience on small boats and previous landings in China. His 24 boats are heading straight for the beach between Cavalry and North Points, right for Battery N. They are met by a barrage of mortar and artillery rounds from guns on Water Tank Hill, behind the airfield and at Hooker Point, and the first 155 round begin impacting in their general area as spotters on Topside direct their guns toward where the searchlights are aiming.
American fire is vicious, sinking 7 of the Daihutsu boats but the rest reach the shore, and infantry claw their way up the bluff into the defensive positions held by battery N, taking them in brutal fighting. The Japanese manage to get half of their 75 mm guns (3 in all) into action, along with 2 of their 47 mm anti tank guns, and manhandle them up the bluff. By midnight the Japanese have a firm foothold, with 650 soldiers still on their feet and their guns are dueling with the Americans on Hooker Point and Water Tank Hill. The surviving 24 riflemen of Battery N fall back to link up with the sailors holding Monkey Point and the airfield is an uncrossable no mans land swept by fire from both sides.
The Third Wave
Arriving 20 minutes after the 2nd Wave, having had to reorganize and then determine where it suitable to land, this wave lands just east of Infantry Point, and suffers no losses on its approach and landing, getting 4 tanks, 4 guns and the entire 2/61st Infantry ashore along with Colonel Sato who is now senior Japanese officer ashore, as his counterpart (and entire regimental command staff) were in a boat struck directly by a 155 mm shell. All 11 of these boats, along with 14 surviving Daihutsu of the 2nd Wave who manage to escape destruction on the way out are directed back to Cavite. Sato has a single radio that has survived the assault and passes the word that he is ashore and a beachhead has been established between Infantry and North Point and that reinforcements are needed.
It is 30 minutes after midnight, and the Japanese have managed to successfully establish a beachhead.
American reaction
Meanwhile the 26th Cavalry takes charge of the survivors of Battery N and companies H and I of the engineers and establishes a firm line between the bay side coast and Water Tank Hill, including the 92nd Barracks area. Once the situation is clarified at Bottomside, General Steel then orders the Marines to move to Water Tank Hill and take over the defense of that critical position. The Marines are just moving up and take up a hasty position, relieving the engineers who are shaky and they are ordered to take positions behind the 26th Cavalry.