Hidden Defenses

For concealment and protection from bombardment, the Japanese built this pillbox directly into the limestone headland, following a pattern also used at Gaan Point and Asan Beach. With gun ports for eyes and rocky ridges for armor, Japanese soldiers turned the terrain itself into a deadly defense. On July 21, 1944, Japanese gunners watched landing ships fill the horizon and thousands of U.S. troops approach across the shallow lagoon. Rocks were set into the pillbox's concrete walls for camouflage, the smaller opening served as a rifle port, and a grenade-proof vent stood nearby. Tunnels branched to the rear of the gun room for shelter and ammunition storage, and the gun inside could sweep inside the shoreline.

Guam