Difference between revisions 119849551 and 119849552 on dewiki

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{Coord|15|30|34|N|121|02|40|E|region:PH_type:landmark|display=title}}
{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Raid at Cabanatuan City
|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 City POWs in celebration, January 30, 1945
(contracted; show full)t;McRaven 245">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=245}}</ref> By the end of the 60-mile (97-km) march, only 52,000&nbsp;prisoners (approximately 9,200&nbsp;American and 42,800&nbsp;Filipino) reached [[Camp O'Donnell]], with an estimated 20,000 having died from illness, hunger, torture, or murder.<ref name="McRaven 245"/><ref name="Shoot24:52">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=24:52}}</ref><ref name="Breuer 40">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=40}}</ref> Some of the imprisoned soldiers were diverted to the Cabanatuan prison camp to join the POWs from the [[Battle of Corregidor]].<ref name="Parkinson 121">{{harvnb|Parkinson|2006|p=121}}</ref>

== POW camp ==
(contracted; show full) 37">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=37}}</ref> Occupying more than {{convert|25|acres|km2}}, the rectangular-shaped camp was {{convert|800|yd|m}} deep by {{convert|600|yd|m}} 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 (
U.S. 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 [[bamboo]] barracks for the prisoners as well as a section for a hospital.<ref name="Carson 79">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=37}}</ref> Nicknamed the "Zero Ward", the hospital housed the sickliest prisoners as they waited to die from diseases such as [[dysentery]] and [[malaria]].<ref name="Wodnik(contracted; show full);ref name="Rottman 19">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=19}}</ref> The main force would consist of 90&nbsp;Rangers from C Company and 30 from F Company who would march 30&nbsp;miles behind Japanese lines, surround the camp, kill the guards, and rescue and escort the prisoners back to American lines.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/><ref name="Shoot2920">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=29:20}}</ref> The Americans would join up with 80&nbsp;Filipino guerrillas, who would serve as guides and help in the rescue attempt.<ref name="Shoot3220">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=32:20}}</ref> The initial plan was to attack the camp at 17:30 [[Time in the Philippines|PST]] ([[UTC+08:00|UTC+8]]) on January&nbsp;29.<ref name="Breuer 150">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=150}}</ref>

(contracted; show full)nce 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 activity, the locals, and the terrain proved crucial.<ref name="Shoot3242">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=32:42}}</ref> Upon learning that Mucci wanted to push through with the attack that evening, Pajota resisted, insisting that it would be suicide. He revealed that the guerrillas had been watching an estimated 1,000&nbsp;Japanese soldiers camped out across the Cabu River just a few hundred&nbsp;yards from the prison.<ref name="Sides 127">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=127}}</ref> Pajota also co(contracted; show full)lt;ref name="Rottman 25"/> This would still present the possibility of the Japanese guards noticing their movement, especially with a nearly full moon. If the Rangers were discovered, the only planned response was for everyone to immediately stand up and rush the camp.<ref name="Sides 226">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=226}}</ref><ref name="Shoot3533">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=35:33}}</ref> The Rangers were unaware that the Japanese did not have any searchlights that could be used to illuminate the perimeter.<ref name="Rottman 27">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=27}}</ref> Pajota suggested that to distract the guards, a [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) airplane should buzz the camp to divert the guards' eyes to the sky. Mucci agreed with the idea and a radio(contracted; show full)e 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=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=36:20}}</ref> Prince later commended the pilots' actions: "The idea of an aerial decoy was a little unusual and honestly, I didn't think it would work, not in a million years. But the pilot's maneuvers were so skillful and deceptive that the diversion was complete. I don't know where we would have been without it."<ref name="Sides 2480"/> As the plane buzzed the camp,(contracted; show full)reuer|1994|p=178}}</ref> Also, a substantial number resisted because the Rangers' weapons and uniforms looked nothing like those of a few years earlier, for example, the Rangers wore caps, earlier soldiers had M1917 Helmets and incidentally, the Japanese also wore caps..<ref name="Sides 275">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=275}}</ref><ref name="Shoot4144">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=41:44}}</ref> The Rangers were challenged by the POWs and asked who they were and where they were from. Rangers sometimes had to resort to physical force to remove the detainees, throwing or kicking them out.<ref name="Sides 277">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=277}}</ref> Some of the POWs weighed so little due to illness and malnourishment that several Rangers carried two men on their backs.<ref n(contracted; show full)erted Japanese contingent situated across the Cabu River.<ref name="Sides 291">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=291}}</ref><ref name="Zedrick 191">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=191}}</ref> Pajota had earlier sent a demolitions expert to set charges on the unguarded bridge to go off at 19:45.<ref name="Sides 176"/><ref name="Shoot34:56">{{Cite episode|title=WWII: Raid on the Bataan Death Camp|series=Shootout!|serieslink=Shootout!|network=[[History (
U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=34:56}}</ref> The bomb detonated at the designated time, and although it did not destroy the bridge, it formed a large hole over which tanks and other vehicles could not pass.<ref name="Breuer 184">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=184}}</ref><ref name="Sides 292">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=292}}</ref> Waves of Japanese troops rushed the bridge, but the V-shaped [[choke point]] created(contracted; show full)
[[ar:اقتحام كاباناتوان]]
[[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]]