Blurs

Fort Drum: The Concrete Battleship Rising from the entrance to Manila Bay like the armoured hull of a warship, Fort Drum is one of the most extraordinary military fortifications ever built.  Unlike conventional coastal forts, it was designed to resemble a battleship—constructed almost entirely of reinforced concrete, armed with massive naval guns, and intended to withstand the heaviest bombardment of its era. Nicknamed the "Concrete Battleship," Fort Drum fought through the opening months of the Pacific War, endured relentless Japanese attacks, and ultimately became one of the last American positions to fall in the Philippines.  Even after its capture, its immense strength made it one of the most difficult fortifications for Allied forces to recapture. The Gateway to Manila Fort Drum stands on El Fraile Island, a small rocky outcrop approximately 10 kilometres (6 miles) south of Corregidor at the entrance to Manila Bay. During the Spanish colonial period, El Fraile was little...