Coastlines 1/1250 CL-HM-A05 Fort Drum, the Concrete Battleship
After the end of the Spanish-American war, the USA strengthened the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines by building a series of forts. Fort Drum was a result of completely encasing El Fraile Island in concrete. The model represents the fort from 1922-41.
Armed with 2x twin 14" guns in superimposed turrets and 4x6" guns in double casemates, this was probably the most powerful island fort ever constructed. It looked exactly like a ship and it was even mentioned in the infamous Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The fort surrendered to the Japanese after a 5 month seige in May 1942 when the drinking water ran out. In 1945, the Americans re-captured Fort Drum using a specially adapted landing ship and the burnt out remains with the two big gun turrets can still be seen today.