Difference between revisions 119849522 and 119849523 on dewiki

{{Coord|15|30|34|N|121|02|40|E|region:PH_type:landmark|display=title}}
{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Raid at Cabanatuan
|image=[[File:POWs celebrate.jpg|300px|alt=A couple hundred men are all facing the camera, smiling and cheering. Many have their hands raised. The men are wearing uniforms, t-shirts, and shorts. Huts and trees can be seen in the background.]]
|caption=Former Cabanatuan POWs in celebration, January 30, 1945
|partof=World War II, [[Pacific War|Pacific theater]]
(contracted; show full) Allied POWs and civilians in the prison. Facing brutal conditions including disease, torture, and malnourishment, the prisoners feared they would all be executed as General [[Douglas MacArthur]] and his American forces returned to [[Luzon]]. In late January 1945, a plan was developed by [[Sixth United States Army|Sixth Army]] leaders and Filipino guerrillas to send a small force to rescue the prisoners. A group of over a hundred Rangers and Scouts and several hundred guerrillas traveled {{convert|30|mi|km
|abbr=off}} behind Japanese lines to reach the camp.

In a nighttime raid, under the cover of darkness and a distraction by a [[P-61 Black Widow]], the group surprised the Japanese forces in and around the camp. Hundreds of Japanese troops were killed in the 30-minute coordinated attack; the Americans suffered minimal casualties. The Rangers, Scouts, and guerrillas escorted the POWs back to American lines. The rescue allowed the prisoners to tell of the death march and prison camp atrocities, which sparked a new rus(contracted; show full)e="McRaven 247">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=247}}</ref> When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, they used the camp to house American POWs. It was one of three camps in the Cabanatuan area and was designated for holding sick detainees.<ref name="Waterford 252">{{harvnb|Waterford|1994|p=252}}</ref><ref name="Carson 37">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=37}}</ref> Occupying more than {{convert|25|acres|km2}}, the rectangular-shaped camp was {{convert|800|yd|m
|abbr=off}} deep by {{convert|600|yd|m|abbr=off}} across, divided by a road that ran through its center.<ref name="Alexander 231">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=231}}</ref><ref name="Sides 169"/><ref name="Shoot3303">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=33:03}}</ref> One side of the camp housed Japanese guards, while the other included(contracted; show full)er, [[Juan Pajota]], had considered freeing the prisoners within the camp,<ref name="Breuer 1201">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|pp=120–121}}</ref> but feared logistical issues with hiding and caring for the prisoners.<ref name="Hunt 196">{{harvnb|Hunt|1986|p=196}}</ref> An earlier plan had been proposed by Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Anderson, leader of the guerrillas near the camp. He suggested that the guerrillas would secure the prisoners, escort them {{convert|50|mi|km
|abbr=off}} to Debut Bay, and transport them using 30&nbsp;submarines. The plan was denied approval as MacArthur feared the Japanese would catch up with the fleeing prisoners and kill them all.<ref name="Alexander 231"/> In addition, the Navy did not have the required submarines, especially with MacArthur's upcoming invasion of Luzon.<ref name="Breuer 1201"/>

On January&nbsp;26, 1945, Lapham traveled from his location near the prison camp to [[Sixth United States Army|Sixth Army]] headquarters, {{convert|30|mi|km|abbr=off}} away.<ref name="Breuer 1489">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|pp=148–149}}</ref> He proposed to [[Lieutenant general (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Walter Krueger]]'s intelligence chief Colonel Horton White that a rescue attempt be made to liberate the estimated 500&nbsp;POWs at the Cabanatuan prison camp before the Japanese possibly killed them all.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/> Lapham estimated Japanese forces to include 100–300&nbsp;soldiers within the camp, 1(contracted; show full)uer 3">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=3}}</ref><ref name="Zedrick 187">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=187}}</ref><ref name="Sides 124">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=124}}</ref> The Scouts were armed with a .45&nbsp;pistol, three&nbsp;hand grenades, a rifle or [[M1 carbine]], a knife, and extra ammunition.<ref name="Breuer 154"/> The next morning, the Scouts linked up with several Filipino guerrilla units at the village of Platero, {{convert|2|mi|km
|abbr=off}} north of the camp.

The Rangers were armed with assorted [[Thompson submachine gun]]s, [[M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle|BARs]], [[M1 Garand|M1 Garand rifles]], pistols, grenades, knives, extra ammunition, as well as a few [[bazooka]]s.<ref name="Breuer 158"/><ref name="Sides 73">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=73}}</ref> Four&nbsp;combat photographers from a unit of the 832nd Signal Service Battalion volunteered to accompany the Scouts and Rangers to record the rescue afte(contracted; show full)
Shortly after 05:00 on January 28, Mucci and a reinforced company of 121&nbsp;Rangers<ref name="Sides 645"/><ref name="Breuer 153">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=153}}</ref><ref name="Rottman 22">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=22}}</ref> under [[Robert Prince (Captain)|Capt. Robert Prince]] drove {{convert|60|mi|km
|abbr=off}} to Guimba, before slipping through Japanese lines at just after 14:00.<ref name="Breuer 158"/><ref name="Breuer 155">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=155}}</ref> Guided by Filipino guerrillas, the Rangers hiked through open grasslands to avoid enemy patrols.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/> In villages along the Rangers' route, other guerrillas assisted in [[Muzzle (device)|muzzling]] dogs and putting chickens in cages to prevent the Japanese from hearing the traveling group.<ref name="Black 280">{{harvnb|Black|1992|p=280}}</ref> At one point, the Rangers narrowly avoided a Japanese tank on the national highway by following a ravine that ran under the road.<ref name="Breuer 160">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=160}}</ref><ref name="Sides 79">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=79}}</ref><ref name="Alexander 237">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=237}}</ref>

The group reached Balincarin, a barrio {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=off}} north of the camp, the following morning.<ref name="Breuer 161">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=161}}</ref> Mucci linked up with Scouts Nellist and Rounsaville to go over the camp reconnaissance from the previous night. The Scouts revealed that the terrain around the camp was flat, which would leave the force exposed before the raid.<ref name="Breuer 161"/> Mucci also met with USAFFE guerrilla Captain [[Juan Pajota]] and his 200&nbsp;men, whose intimate knowledge of enemy(contracted; show full)eed to postpone the raid for 24&nbsp;hours,<ref name="Breuer 162">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=162}}</ref> and alerted the Sixth&nbsp;Army Headquarters to the development by radio.<ref name="Sides 131">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=131}}</ref> He directed the Scouts to return to the camp and gain additional intelligence, especially on the strength of the guards and the exact location of the captive soldiers. The Rangers withdrew to Platero, a barrio {{convert|2.5|mi|km
|abbr=off}} south of Balincarin.<ref name="Breuer 162"/>

== Strategy ==
{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|qalign=left|quote="We couldn't rehearse this. Anything of this nature, you'd ordinarily want to practice it over and over for weeks in advance. Get more information, build models, and discuss all of the contingencies. Work out all of the kinks. We didn't have time for any of that. It was now, or not."|source=—Capt. Prince reflecting on the time constraints on planning the raid<ref name="Sides 122">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=122}}</ref>}}
At 11:30 on January&nbsp;30, Scouts Nellist and Pvt. Rufo Vaquilar, disguised as locals, managed to gain access to an abandoned shack {{convert|300|yd|m|abbr=off}} from the camp.<ref name="Breuer 3"/><ref name="Alexander 241">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=241}}</ref> Avoiding detection by the Japanese guards, they observed the camp from the shack and prepared a detailed report on the camp's major features, including the main gate, Japanese troop strength, the location of telephone wires, and the best attack routes.<ref name="Sides 169">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=169}}</ref><ref name="Breuer 4">(contracted; show full)by firing into various Japanese positions at the rear of the camp at 19:30.<ref name="Sides 224">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=224}}</ref><ref name="Breuer 165">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=165}}</ref> Prince predicted that the raid would be accomplished in 30&nbsp;minutes or less. Once Prince had ensured that all of the POWs were safely out of the camp, he would fire a red flare, indicating that all troops should fall back to a meetup at Pampanga River {{convert|1.5|mi|km
|abbr=off}} north of the camp where 150&nbsp;guerrillas would be ready with carabao-pulled carts to transport the POWs.<ref name="Breuer 164"/> This group would help to load the POWs and escort them back to American lines.
(contracted; show full)ck next to the wooden bridge over the Cabu River.<ref name="Breuer 164">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=164}}</ref><ref name="Sides 176">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=176}}</ref> This setup, northeast of the prisoner camp, would be the first line of defense against the Japanese forces camped across the river, which would be within earshot of the assault on the camp. Joson and his 75&nbsp;guerrillas, along with a Ranger bazooka team, would set up a roadblock {{convert|800|yd|m
|abbr=off}} southwest of the prisoner camp to stop any Japanese forces that would arrive from Cabanatuan.<ref name="Breuer 164"/> Both groups would each place 25 land mines in front of their positions, and one&nbsp;guerrilla from each group was given a bazooka to destroy any armored vehicles.<ref name="Breuer 164"/> After the POWs and the remainder of the attacking force had reached the Pampanga River meeting point, Prince would fire a second flare to indicate to the ambush sites (contracted; show full)e cloths were tied around their left arms to prevent friendly fire.<ref name="Rottman 43">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=43}}</ref> They crossed the Pampanga River and then, at 17:45, Prince and Murphy's men parted ways to surround the camp.<ref name="Sides 224"/><ref name="Breuer 166"/> Pajota, Joson, and their guerrilla forces each headed to their ambush sites. The Rangers under Prince made their way to the main gate and stopped about {{convert|700|yd|m
|abbr=off}} from the camp to wait for nightfall and the aircraft distraction.<ref name="Breuer 166"/>

Meanwhile, a [[P-61 Black Widow]] from the 547th Night Fighter Squadron had taken off at 18:00, piloted by Capt. Kenneth Schrieber and 1st Lt. Bonnie Rucks.<ref name="Sides 2480">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|pp=248–250}}</ref> About 45&nbsp;minutes before the attack, Schrieber cut the power to the left engine at {{convert|1500|ft|m|abbr=off}} over the camp. He restarted it, creating a loud backfire, and repeated the procedure twice more, losing altitude to {{convert|200|ft|m|abbr=off}}. Pretending to be a crippled plane, Schrieber headed toward low hills, clearing them by a mere {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=off}}. To the Japanese observers, it seemed the plane had crashed and they watched, waiting for a fiery explosion. Schrieber repeated this several times while also performing various aerobatic maneuvers. The ruse continued for twenty minutes, creating a diversion for the Rangers inching their way toward the camp on their bellies.<ref name="Sides 2480"/><ref name="Shoot3620">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[H(contracted; show full)t;ref name="Breuer 186"/> The majority of the prisoners had little or no clothing and shoes, and it became increasingly difficult for them to walk.<ref name="Breuer 179">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=179}}</ref> When the group reached Balincarin, they had accumulated nearly 50&nbsp;carts.<ref name="Breuer 191">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=191}}</ref> Despite the convenience of using the carts, the carabao traveled at a sluggish pace, only {{convert|2|mph|km/h
|abbr=off}}, which greatly reduced the speed of the return trip.<ref name="Breuer 187"/> By the time the group reached American lines, 106&nbsp;carts were being used.<ref name="Breuer 196">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=196}}</ref>

In addition to the tired former prisoners and civilians, the majority of the Rangers had only slept for five to six hours over the past three days. The soldiers frequently had hallucinations or fell asleep as they marched. [[Benzedrine]] was distributed by the medics to keep the Rangers active during the long march. One Ranger commented on the effect of the drug: "It felt like your eyes were popped open. You couldn't have closed them if you wanted to. One pill was all I ever took&mdash;it was all I ever needed."<ref name="Sides 3067">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|pp=306–307}}</ref>

P-61 Black Widows again helped the group by patrolling the path they took on its way back to American lines. At 21:00, one of the aircraft destroyed five Japanese trucks and a tank located on a road {{convert|14|mi|km|abbr=off}} from Plateros that the group would later travel on.<ref name="Breuer 18890"/> The group was also met by hovering P-51 Mustangs that guarded them as they neared American lines. The freed prisoner George Steiner stated that they were "jubilant over the appearance of our airplanes, and the sound of their strafing was music to our ears".<ref name="Breuer 1945">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|pp=194–195}}</ref>

(contracted; show full)

At 08:00 on January&nbsp;31, Mucci's radioman was able to finally contact Sixth Army headquarters. Mucci was directed to go to [[Talavera, Nueva Ecija|Talavera]], a town captured by the Sixth Army {{convert|11|mi|km
|abbr=off}} from Mucci's current position.<ref name="Breuer 196"/> At Talavera, the freed soldiers and civilians boarded trucks and ambulances for the last leg of their journey home.<ref name="Breuer 197">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=197}}</ref> The POWs were [[Treatment of human head lice|deloused]], and given hot showers and new clothes.<ref name="Sides 326">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=326}}</ref> At the POW hospital, one of the Rangers was reunited with his res(contracted; show full)[[Category:Battles of World War II involving the United States]]

[[es:El gran rescate]]
[[fr:Raid de Cabanatuan]]
[[ru:Рейд на Кабанатуан]]
[[vi:Cuộc đột kích Cabanatuan]]
[[zh:卡巴那图营救]]
[[he:הפשיטה על מחנה השבויים בקבנטואן]]