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2nd LIEUTENANT MARTIN M. GROSS : 1945 ORIGINAL TYPESCRIPT REPORT OF RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MANILA HARBOR AFTER ITS DEVASTATING IN WORLD WAR II, WRITTEN BY A LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND CONTAINING HIS HAND DRAWN DIAGRAMS

4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. On offer is a fascinating, concise and exceptionally detailed history and evaluation of the ‘Reconstruction and Development of Manila Harbor’ following the tremendous destruction and devastation of the population following the Battle of Manila (February 3 - March 3, 1945). The manuscript was created as a request sent by Civil Engineering for an article on the harbor on 5 July 1945. 2nd Lieutenant Martin M. Gross, Corps of Engineers, was the one who answered the call and the manuscript offered here was produced five weeks later. The report does not seem to have been published. In addition to the manuscript, there is a cover page of sorts, consisting of a letter sent by “Mr. Don P. Reynolds” (ASCE, 1915-2002) the Associate Editor of the journal Civil Engineering on August 26, 1945 stating that “An article on the rehabilitation of Manila Harbor, requested in your letter of 5 July 1945 to Lt. Col. W. M. Hurley, Chief of Technical Information, Corps of Engineers, Washington D.C. is inclosed. It has been read and approved by Col. Dean, Commanding Officer of the 5202d Engineer Construction Brigade, and Col. Cron, Chief of Operations, Office of the Chief Engineer, AFWFSPAC.” The letter says that it comes with the three photographs. Only one photograph seems to have survived and is included in the collection. The letter was sent by “Headquarters, United States Army Forces Western Pacific, Public Relations Office”. This is an original typescript with manuscript corrections throughout the document. Each page contains a number of pencil corrections throughout, as well as instruction for a ‘typist’ to make changes in the manuscript. The words ‘Final Copy’ are written above the title on the first page. In regards to the accuracy of the report, it cannot be said for sure just how good it is, but it seems to have the detail and comprehensiveness of a good and thorough report. It is 13 pages long. Included as well are three figure spec drawings: Figure 1 - ‘Port of Manila’; Figure 2 - ‘Pier No. 7. Showing Breaches’; and Figure 3 - ‘Repairing damaged concrete piles’; The photograph included is of the rendered version of the map of the harbor (Figure 1). The three drawings are expertly done. There is also a typed page describing the three different drawings. Finally, a biographical sketch is included of Lt. Gross: “After graduating in Civil Engineering from Columbia University, Lt. Gross soon became Construction Superintendent for the H.R.H. Construction Corp. in New York City. Then Chief Engineer on the Castle Village Housing Project, he supervised construction for housing projects in New York, New Jersey, and Delaware , before entering the service. In the Army, he rose to Master Sergeant...Soon after the Engineers hit the Philippines, he was transferred to the Luzon Engineer District, the headquarters charged with most of the rehabilitation work in the Philippines. Commissioned in the field, Lt. Gross was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. Lt. Gross plans to enter the construction business for himself in Newark, N.J., his home, when he returns.” Gross would live in New Jersey till he died in 2015. The pages are 11” x 8.5" inches in size. There are 19 pages in total, unbound. Two pages are exhibit some significant wear. The pages are the letter that makes up the ‘cover’ and the page detailing the contents of the drawings. The actual typescript is on much sturdier paper and in better condition. The typing is clear throughout, and the pencil corrections are easy to read and not smudged or faded. There is also a bit of pen used. The drawings and photograph are also in good condition. (Provenance Note: David Katcher (1913-2002), editor at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory before World War II and later executive secretary of a theoretical physics division of the Institute for Defense Analysis, founding editor (in 1947) of the journal Physics Today, and a senior policy analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology policy during the Carter administration. During WWII David Katcher was Lt. Katcher, serving as a correspondent/writer in the public relations office of the U.S. Army Headquarters of the Western Pacific (GHQ USAFPAC), and served as Public Relations Assistant to High Commissioner Paul McNutt in Manila; One good, quick source on the reconstruction in the harbor facilities in Manila is: "Engineers of the Southwest Pacific, 1941-1945, Volume 6: Reports of Airfield and Base Development, 1951, pp 350-360.) OVERALL: G. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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