▁off ensive ▁to ▁re capt ure ▁Man ila , ▁the ▁heavily ▁fort ified ▁island ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁bay ▁that ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁A ▁Land ing ▁Sh ip ▁Med ium ▁( LS M ) ▁was ▁modified ▁with ▁a ▁bridge ▁structure ▁to ▁allow ▁troops ▁to ▁run ▁directly ▁from ▁the ▁ship ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁deck ▁of ▁the ▁fort . ▁After ▁a ▁heavy ▁aer ial ▁and ▁naval ▁bomb ard ment , ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁gained ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁deck ▁of ▁the ▁fort ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁April ▁and ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁conf ine ▁the ▁g arrison ▁below . ▁R ather ▁than ▁attempting ▁to ▁break ▁in , ▁the ▁troops ▁and ▁engine ers ▁adapted ▁the ▁solution ▁first ▁used ▁some ▁days ▁earlier ▁in ▁the ▁assault ▁of ▁a ▁mort ar ▁battery ▁on ▁Fort ▁Hugh es . ▁There , ▁the ▁troops ▁p ump ed ▁ ▁of ▁two ▁parts ▁dies el ▁fuel ▁and ▁one ▁part ▁gas oline ▁through ▁a ▁vent ▁sh aft ▁into ▁the ▁battery , ▁and ▁ign ited ▁it ▁with ▁white ▁ph osph orus ▁mort ar ▁r ounds , ▁repeating ▁this ▁twice ▁on ▁subsequent ▁days . ▁Company ▁F ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Battalion , ▁ 1 5 1 st ▁Infantry ▁Regiment , ▁ 3 8 th ▁Infantry ▁Division , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Fort ▁Hugh es ▁attack , ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁the ▁assault ▁on ▁Fort ▁Dr um ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁det achment ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 3 th ▁Com bat ▁Engine er ▁Battalion . ▁ ▁At ▁Fort ▁Dr um , ▁a ▁similar ▁technique