Five islands grace the waters of Manila Bay in the Philippines. Four were used as military bases, forts or diversions during World War II. Today, Corregidor Island is a national park that draws history buffs and Caballo Island is home to Fort Hughes, a working military base. Others are uninhabited curiosities bearing remnants of military use.
Corregidor, measuring 2 square miles, sits at the mouth of Manila Bay -- a location ideal for establishing a military presence. The Spanish laid claim to the island in the 18th century and used it as a check point for ships entering the bay. During World War II, Corregidor was under American hands and used as military station. Japan took brief control of the island but Americans reclaimed possession again in 1945. Today, the island is a national shrine, visited by many wanting to pay respects to the past. Other pursuits include exploring the extensive tunnel systems used as shelters and ruined buildings. Large guns still stand. Sun Cruises runs a ferry service to the island and holds guided tours. This is also the only island with overnight accommodations; you can stay at the Corregidor Hotel.
Caballo Island is roughly 2 miles east of Corregidor, on the South Channel entrance to Manila Bay. The 75-acre isle is home to Fort Hughes, a working Philippine Navy base. Huge guns are still in place and a wrecked Sherman tank sits rusting on the beach -- it was taken out by Japanese land mines. You can get a great view of the triangular island from Corregidor's lighthouse but that’s as close as you'll get because the naval base is not open for visitors.
El Fraile Island, also known as Fort Drum, is barely an acre in size but has an interesting story. American forces wanted to give the impression that this bit of rock was an impenetrable fortress, so they made it resemble an oversized battleship, complete with working gun turrets. It took from 1909 to 1919 to complete the “battleship,” which included a shack for the caretaker/gun operator. During World War II, Fort Drum fired on the Japanese when they raided the Philippines. For a while, the Japanese took possession of the structure but the U.S. Army got it back by blowing it up from the inside. The battleship was severely damaged but it along with the gun turrets are still recognizable. El Fraile Island is roughly 6.5 miles southeast of Corregidor.
Roughly 8 miles south of Corregidor is 45-acre Carabao Island. The Americans found this island more challenging to fortify. The sheer cliffs around most of Carabao forced engineers to place guns in precarious positions. The Japanese took possession in World War II but the Americans reclaimed the island in 1945. After bombarding it for two days, troops stormed the island, only to find it deserted. Today, Carabao remains deserted and sees few visitors, except those searching the ruins for bits of scrap metal. Much of the landscape has been reclaimed by jungle.
The fifth island in the group is La Monja, roughly an acre, which sits about 4 miles west of Corregidor. Also known as “The Nun,” this is the only island that remains in its natural state. The tiny rock juts out of the ocean like a lopsided pyramid, a reminder of what the islands of Manila Bay looked like before they were altered for wartime use.
