The unsinkable battleships of the American army, which were intact for half a year of Japanese shelling, can be called a miracle of World War II
Why did the US military build unsinkable warships? Is this unsinkable battleship really unsinkable? Why is it called a WWII miracle? Can this unsinkable warship still play its war value at present?
This unsinkable warship is not a sea battleship in the true sense, but a pillbox, just shaped like an aircraft carrier. The unsinkable battleship was called "Fort Drum".
"Fort Dram" on the island of Alfry in the Philippines is a fort made of cement and concrete. It is about 110 meters long and 14 meters wide, which is very strong and majestic, so it is called an unsinkable battleship.
"Fort Dram" is a defense base built in a sea fortress, and in the event of an enemy attack, the bunker has a strong fortification advantage. Its shore artillery fire not only inflicts a fatal blow on attacking enemy troops, but also fires that do not shake violently, thus improving stability and achieving high accuracy.
Fort Drum was built in 1909 and took 4 years to build. It was during the Spanish-American War, and the United States and Spain were vying for colonial rights in the Philippines. After the United States won the Spanish war, in order to protect its occupied area, there was "Fort Dram".
At that time, the United States was almost the only country in the world that could build "Fort Drum". Because the construction materials are demanding, the price is expensive, and the construction requires superb technology, in this case, the United States has high-quality construction capabilities, which shows that the United States was very strong at that time.
"Fort Dram" from the outside, coastal defense guns and command stations, and the internal structure is more complete, with ammunition depots, food storage centers, medical centers and dormitories, etc., comparable to the ground defense system.
Fort Drum's attack and defense were extremely powerful, and it helped the U.S. Army win many wars.
During World War II, ambitious Japan was militarily powerful, not only starting wars in the Asian region, but also engaged in hardcore wars with the United States, such as the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States, which has always been the hegemon, began to face it head-on.
In the Pacific War, the Japanese had the upper hand militarily, and the American army was already exhausted. However, because the Pacific War front was too long, it weakened Japan's superiority in the Pacific War.
This battle is related to "Fort Drum" in the Philippines. At that time, because of the strong defense capability and precision attack power of the US military in "Fort Dram", Japan encountered a wall everywhere, and a large number of troops and resources were constantly consumed. "Fort Dram" has strong offensive and defensive capabilities against direct fire from large-caliber artillery, and it can be said that it is invulnerable.
It is reported that Japan tried everything to break through the fortress, but "Fort Dram" did not seem to move. So the Japanese came up with the method of gliding bombing, that is, to destroy the main guns of Fort Dram as much as possible. Unfortunately, for four days, Fort Drum remained untouched.
Japan still did not die, and adopted a 360-degree all-round bombing attack by land, sea and air, and the shells that could be fired were like being swallowed by "Fort Dram", except for surface friction damage, there were almost no major losses. In this way, Japan attacked continuously for half a year and did not take "Fort Dram".
Although Japan did not actually take "Fort Dram" through artillery shells, it destroyed the Philippines, and under the order of its superiors, the American troops hiding in "Fort Dram" had to surrender.
In the end, the unsinkable battleship "Fort Dram" fell into the hands of the Japanese army, becoming a veritable miracle of World War II.
As a steel fortress, in a modern war, can "Fort Dram" still play its role?
The toughness of "Fort Drum" became the sweet potato of a country with strong military strength. During World War II, after Japan took it, the U.S. Army surrendered. But at the end of the period, the U.S. army counterattacked the Philippines, and the fort became a fortified fortress for Japan.
The Americans could not attack until they sent sappers to the island, poured 10,000 liters of gasoline and diesel fuel into the fortress, and finally "Fort Dram" was damaged. The U.S. military found 65 bodies of Japanese soldiers inside the fort. And "Fort Dram" still floats on the sea, like an unsinkable battleship.
Sure enough, the fortress built by the US army can only be broken by itself. The solid defense of "Fort Dram" is so powerful, then is it still needed in modern warfare? In today's modern warfare, the role of sea fortresses has been weakened.
Objectively speaking, even its lethality and firepower are very powerful, and it is not as expensive as high-tech indefinite.
But compared to missiles, Fort Drumm still does not have the function of coping with modern technology. The important thing is that the times have progressed, science and technology have also developed, the global situation is mainly peaceful, large-scale battles are relatively few, and "Fort Dram" can no longer serve as the strongest defense of the fortress.
As a historical monument that has witnessed many wars, the greatest value of "Fort Drum" is its historical value. It exists in past historical occasions and records human miracles.
The current "Fort Dram" has been transformed into a tourist attraction. Many tourists from all over the world come to hear its own story.
