Tag: dolopwuropwur

The most extensive Japanese gun battery on Pohnpei lies on Temwen’s rounded central hill, Nindol, perched at its 60 meter peak, Dolopwuropwur.

Gun Stations

The four guns at the summit are identical to the one on Sokehs Mountain — British-made 15 cm Armstrong Whitworth naval canons manufactured in 1905. The guns are arranged in pairs with a concrete ammunition magazine between each set of stations. The semi-circular emplacements are constructed of concrete and local stone. There are also stone retaining walls along the corridors that lead to the stations. Steel girders running over Stations 1 and 4 are evidence that these two guns, at the very least, were covered to make them difficult to identify from the air. All of the stations are in relatively good condition, though the embankment around Station 3 has slipped down and partially buried the walls. Guns 1 and 4 point north and southeast, respectively, while Guns 2 and 3 point northeast. In combination, they would have had firing coverage of around 250 degrees. At the time of operation the hill was probably relatively clear of trees, providing an unobstructed view of the area islands and the two possible points of entry into the lagoon at Kepidauen Deleur and Kepidauen Nahkapw.

Stone Tower

West of Station 4 is a stone tower (possibly a look-out for targeting or even a searchlight emplacement). Presumably, the tower was crowned with a platform of wood or metal, but that is no longer present. Now a flight of twenty-odd steps lead to the edge of a gaping hole as deep as the tower is high. We didn’t find a searchlight, but it may lie hidden somewhere in the surrounding area.

Trench Network

A narrow 0.27 km-long (0.17 mi) trench begins at the tower base and meanders down the hill with short deviations going to a dug-out under the tower itself and a magazine-like structure built into the hillside and currently occupied by a colony of small insectivorous bats. The latter is almost large enough to park a jeep inside, but there’s no evidence of a road leading to it. It was probably additional storage for munitions. It’s possible to climb down into the trench and follow it until it connects with one of the well-trodden footpaths in the Temwen interior.

The 0.3 km (0.19 mi) trail to the battery begins not far from the end of a muddy residential road opposite Temwen Elementary School and can be easily followed without a guide.

The family at the last house on the road charges $3.00 per person to visit Dolopwuropwur.

• Plan for 1-2 hours to fully explore the area and 1 hour (each way) for the drive.

Map Guides >> Temwen Vicinity >> Dolopwuropwur Gun Battery