U.S. MARINE stands beside a 25 mm high velocity AA gun captured from Japs on Guam.
Position is partly hidden by crude revetment
Jap 4.7" gun near coast east of Agana. Japs have tried to make scarred earth less
conspicuous by palm fronds. Note ammo storage.
GUN POSITIONS
There were no fixed defenses and no mobile artillery at Guam when the Japanese occupied the island. Prior to 1922, when Guam was disarmed in accordance with the Washington Naval. Treaty, Apra Harbor was defended by six 6-inch guns, but after this time the only defenses of the island consisted of two 3-inch antiaircraft guns of obsolete design on the USS Penguin,which was sunk off Orote Point to prevent capture. The USS Barnes, also at anchor in Apra Harbor, had two 50-caliber antiaircraft machine guns.
But as soon as the Tans moved in they began strenuous defense of the island to bring its strength to a level commensurate with its size and importance as an air base dominating: the lines of communications between the Empire in the North and the Mandates and the south Pacific area.
Although as large as all the other Marianas combined, Guam never was fortified to the extent that Saipan and Tinian were, but rapid progress was made by the enemy between 10 December 1941 when they occupied the island and the day of its recapture by American forces. The entire civilian population was at once evacuated from Sumay and the Orote Peninsula, and defenses were concentrated in this area including a new airfield.
Fairly continuous reefs, few good beaches or bays offered excellent natural hazards for any attack on the island and extensive coastal cliffs offered excellent positions for protecting guns. Two such positions are shown in the group of photographs on this and the following page. These are short 20 cm. guns in camouflaged positions.
The reinforced concrete shelter of the gun opposite has been made to blend into the surrounding terrain, while the position below, dug into the side of the coastal cliff, has been camouflaged with branches and straw matting hung from the beams. Evidence that the Japs wished to conceal their strength are the dummy guns opposite-one in a bomb crater, the other in an old U.S. gun emplacement.
Straw sand bags reinforce revetment of this 25 mm AA gun at edge of Agana airfield.
Shell clips rest in framed enclosure, right.
Position for 20cm. gun dug into side of cliff overlooks Agana Bay. From camouflaged
postions such as this Japs harassed invaders.
