Bamban WWII Museum collection.
PROJECT DISCOVERY WWII TUNNELS 2025
THE BAMBAN TUNNEL DEPOT: THE LOST JAPANESE WAR TUNNELS OF BAMBAN HILLS
I have been researching on the Japanese WWII Tunnels of Stotsenburg-Bamban Hills for the past 2 decades now, and had the opportunity to conduct field survey, mapping and studying about 100 tunnels spread in the former battlefields.
Most of the tunnels of the area of Bamban – Clark were used for very specific reasons such as troop shelter, defensive positions, headquarters, field hospital and for logistics purpose. In one of our field reconnaissance, we were able to retrieve near the summit of the ridge overlooking the town of Bamban, small railroad tracks inside a blasted tunnel entrance. Later, through research, we came to know that such tunnel with railroad tracks inside were used to mount light artillery and used against American forces down the valley. The relics of these railroad tracks can be found in permanent exhibit at our Bamban WWII Museum.
We believe that there were also tunnels built and used by the Japanese forces, in Bamban town, the Takayama Detachment, Kembu Group, on the base of the hills for hiding and storing huge war materiel and supplies. These were mostly vertical tunnels, with rail tracks inside and at the entrance for easy mobility of supplies which were hidden to protect from massive American aerial bombardments conducted first by the U.S. Navy carrier-borne aircraft (fighters, torpedo-bombers and bombers) and later, with the B-24Js and B-25Js of the U.S. Army Air Forces, particularly from 494th Bomb Group and the V Bomber Command in 1945.
40th Division, U.S. Army Photograph
In our field survey conducted within the span of 2 decades, we have not yet discovered such tunnel system (vertical) with rail tracks on the base of the hills. It might be possible however, that such tunnels exist and were just sealed off or blasted by the Americans during the Battle of Bamban Hills in 1945.
Here is a photograph of such Japanese tunnel system with rail tracks visible at the entrance of the tunnel, used for logistical purpose and we believe that this type of tunnel is used by Takayama Detachment, Kembu Group, which was in charge of the Bamban Depot, or the supply and logistical command for the Kembu Group in 1945.
In fact, a detachment of the Manila Air Depot was dispatched at the Clark Area in 1944 which took command of the logistics operations of the 4th Air Army units of the Clark Air Center, with bases or airfields from Bamban to Mabalacat, Clark proper and Angeles. As for the Imperial Japanese Navy, there was the Air Arsenal under the command of Vice-Admiral Kazumae Kondo that might use of these massive Japanese WWII tunnels.
During the Battle of Bamban Hills and Clark Field, most of these tunnels were blasted by the American 40th and 37th Division with the use of artillery, tank, anti-tank, tank destroyer and mortar fires and sealed them off. So hopefully, soon, we can discover such tunnels with rail tracks on the base of the hills and ridges around Bamban Hills to shed light on these historically forgotten Japanese logistical tunnels of WWII.
Photographs:
(1) Japanese tunnels of the Takayama Shitai on the base of Asahiyama Mountain, February 1945.
Bamban WWII Museum collection.
(2) Details of the photograph show the entrance of the tunnels and the railroad tracks.
(3) Asahiyama (west sector), where the Japanese logistical tunnels, we believed, are still located, hidden and sealed off since 1945.
40th Division, U.S. Army Photograph
©Rhonie C. Dela Cruz
2025 Bamban Historical Society
Bamban WWII Museum
Center for Japanese Pacific War Studies
Provincial Government of Tarlac –
Tarlac Provincial Tourism Office
