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{{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]]
|date=January 30, 1945
|place=[[Cabanatuan City]], [[Nueva Ecija]], [[Philippines]]
|result=Decisive Allied victory
|combatant1={{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[United States]] <br /> {{flagicon|Philippines|1919}} [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|Philippine Commonwealth]]
|combatant2={{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Empire of Japan]]
|commander1={{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Henry Mucci]]<br />{{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Robert Prince (Captain)|Robert Prince]]<br />{{flagicon|Philippines|1919}} [[Juan Pajota]]<br />{{flagicon|Philippines|1919}} [[Eduardo Joson]]
|commander2={{flagicon|Japan}} [[Tomoyuki Yamashita]]
|strength1=133&nbsp;U.S. Rangers 6th Battalion and [[Alamo Scouts]]<br />250&nbsp;Filipino guerrillas
|strength2=est. 220&nbsp;Japanese guards and soldiers<br />est. 1,000&nbsp;Japanese near the camp
|casualties1='''United States:'''<br />2&nbsp;killed<br />4&nbsp;wounded<br />1&nbsp;prisoner died <br />'''Philippine Commonwealth:'''<br />20&nbsp;wounded
|casualties2=530–1,000&nbsp;killed
}}
{{Campaignbox Philippines}}
The '''Raid at Cabanatuan''' was a rescue of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] (POWs) and civilians from a Japanese camp near [[Cabanatuan City]], in the [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|Philippines]]. On January&nbsp;30, 1945, during World War II, [[United States Army Rangers]], [[Alamo Scouts]], and [[Filipino people|Filipino]] [[guerrilla warfare|guerrillas]] liberated more than 500 from the [[POW camp]].

After the surrender of tens of thousands of American troops during the [[Battle of Bataan]], many were sent to a Cabanatuan prison camp following the [[Bataan Death March]]. The Japanese transferred most of the prisoners to other areas, leaving just over 500&nbsp;American and other 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 rush of resolve for the war against Japan. The rescuers were awarded commendations by MacArthur, and were also recognized by President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. A memorial now sits on the site of the former camp, and the events of the raid have been depicted in several films.

== Background ==
{{Main|Battle of Bataan|Bataan Death March}}
After the United States was [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|attacked at Pearl Harbor]] on December&nbsp;7, 1941 by Japanese forces, it entered World War II to join the [[Allies of World War II|Allied forces]] in their fight against the [[Axis powers]]. American forces led by General [[Douglas MacArthur]], already stationed in the Philippines as a deterrent against a Japanese invasion of the islands, were [[Philippines Campaign (1941–1942)|attacked by the Japanese]] hours after Pearl Harbor. On March&nbsp;12, 1942, General MacArthur and a few select officers, on the orders of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], left the American forces, promising to return with reinforcements. The 72,000&nbsp;American and Filipino soldiers, fighting with outdated weapons, lacking supplies, and stricken with disease and malnourishment, eventually surrendered to the Japanese on April 9, 1942.<ref name="Breuer 31">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=31}}</ref>

The Japanese had initially planned for only 10,000&ndash;25,000&nbsp;American and Filipino [[prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] (POWs). Although they had organized two&nbsp;hospitals, ample food, and guards for this estimate, they were overwhelmed with over 72,000&nbsp;prisoners.<ref name="Breuer 31">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=31}}</ref><ref name="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 (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 ==
[[File:Giving a sick man a drink as US POWs of Japanese, Philippine Islands, Cabanatuan prison camp.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A black-and-white pencil drawing of a man giving another a drink from a canteen. They are located in an enclosure surrounded by barbed wire with guards holding guns patrolling the perimeter.|A former POW's drawing of one prisoner giving a drink to another at the Cabanatuan camp]]
The Cabanatuan prison camp was named after the nearby city of 50,000&nbsp;people (locals also called it Camp Pangatian, after a small nearby village).<ref name="Sides 134">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=134}}</ref><ref name="Rottman 25">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=25}}</ref> The camp had first been used as an American [[United States Department of Agriculture|Department of Agriculture]] station and then a training camp for the Filipino army.<ref name="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 25&nbsp;acres, 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 [[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 39">{{harvnb|Wodnik|2003|p=39}}</ref><ref name="Carson 62">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=62}}</ref> Eight-foot (2.4-m) high [[barbed wire]] fences surrounded the camp, in addition to multiple [[Bunker#Pillbox|pillboxes]] and four-story guard towers.<ref name="Rottman 26">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=26}}</ref><ref name="McRaven 248">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=248}}</ref><ref name="King 61">{{harvnb|King|1985|p=61}}</ref>

At its peak, the camp held 8,000&nbsp;American soldiers (along with a small number of soldiers and civilians from other nations including the United Kingdom, Norway, and the Netherlands), making it the largest POW camp in the Philippines.<ref name="Sides 20">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=20}}</ref><ref name="Rottman 6">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=6}}</ref> This number dropped significantly as able-bodied soldiers were shipped to other areas in the Philippines, Japan, [[Formosa]], and [[Manchuria]] to work in slave labor camps. [[Geneva Convention]] provisions were ignored as POWs transported out of the camp were forced to work in factories to build Japanese weaponry, unload ships, and repair airfields.<ref name="Breuer 55">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=55}}</ref>

The imprisoned soldiers received two meals a day of steamed rice, occasionally accompanied by fruit, soup, or meat.<ref name="Parkinson 132">{{harvnb|Parkinson|2006|p=132}}</ref> To supplement their diet, prisoners were able to smuggle food and supplies into the camp during Japanese-approved trips to Cabanatuan, usually in their underwear. To prevent extra food, jewelry, diaries, and other valuables from being confiscated, items were hidden in clothing, latrines, or were buried before scheduled inspections.<ref name="Wright 64">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=64}}</ref><ref name="Carson 81">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=81}}</ref> Prisoners collected food using a variety of methods including stealing, bribing guards, planting gardens, and killing animals which entered the camp such as mice, snakes, ducks, and stray dogs.<ref name="Breuer 59">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=59}}</ref><ref name="Wright 71">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=71}}</ref><ref name="Sides 146">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=146}}</ref> The Filipino underground collected thousands of [[quinine]] tablets to smuggle into the camp to treat malaria, saving hundreds of lives.<ref name="Breuer 97">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=97}}</ref><ref name="Sides 187">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=187}}</ref> When the Japanese had an American radio technician fix their radios, he would steal parts, allowing the prisoners to have several radios to listen to newscasts of the war efforts outside the camp.<ref name="Breuer 74">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=74}}</ref> One group of Corregidor prisoners, before first entering the camp, had each hidden a piece of a radio under their clothing, to later be reassembled into a working device.<ref name="Breuer 75">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=75}}</ref> The radios were able to pick up a [[San Francisco]]-based radio station, allowing the POWs to hear about the status of war outside the gates of the prison.<ref name="Sides 160">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=160}}</ref><ref name="Wright 70">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=70}}</ref> A smuggled camera was used to document the camp's living conditions.<ref name="Bilek 125">{{harvnb|Bilek|2003|p=125}}</ref> Prisoners also constructed weapons and smuggled ammunition into the camp for the possibility of securing a handgun.<ref name="Breuer 125">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=125}}</ref>

[[File:Cabanatuan Prison Hut.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white image a grass nipa hut raised a few feet off the ground by wooden supports. Another hut can be seen in the background.|A hut used to house prisoners in the camp]]
Multiple escape attempts were made throughout the history of the prison camp, but the majority ended in failure. In one attempt, four&nbsp;soldiers were recaptured by the Japanese. The guards forced all prisoners to watch as the four&nbsp;soldiers were beaten, forced to dig their own graves, and then executed.<ref name="Breuer 56">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=56}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, the guards put up signs declaring that if other escape attempts were made, ten&nbsp;prisoners would be executed for every escapee.<ref name="Breuer 56"/><ref name="Wright 58">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=58}}</ref> Prisoners' living quarters were then divided into groups of ten, which motivated the POWs to keep a close eye on others to prevent them from making escape attempts.<ref name="Breuer 56"/><ref name="Sides 149">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=149}}</ref> One&nbsp;week later, after two&nbsp;Americans attempted to escape, guards collected 18&nbsp;other soldiers and lined them up against a fence. The 20&nbsp;men were executed as the other prisoners watched.<ref name="Breuer 57">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=57}}</ref>

The Japanese permitted the POWs to build septic systems and irrigation ditches throughout the prisoner side of the camp.<ref name="Sides 1356">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=135-136}}</ref><ref name="Wright 60">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=60}}</ref> An onsite commissary was available to sell items such as bananas, eggs, coffee, notebooks, and cigarettes.<ref name="Wright 59">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=59}}</ref> Recreational activities allowed for baseball, horseshoes, and ping pong matches. In addition, a 3,000-book library was allowed (much of which was provided by the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]]), and films were shown occasionally.<ref name="Sides 1356"/><ref name="Wright 61">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=61}}</ref><ref name="Parkinson 124">{{harvnb|Parkinson|2006|p=124}}</ref> A bulldog was kept by the prisoners, and served as a mascot for the camp.<ref name="Sides 148">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=148}}</ref> Each year around Christmas, the Japanese guards gave permission for the Red Cross to donate a small box to each of the prisoners, containing items such as corned beef, instant coffee, and tobacco.<ref name="Bilek 125"/><ref name="Wright 62">{{harvnb|Wright|2009|p=62}}</ref><ref name="Sides 1423">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=142-143}}</ref> Prisoners were also able to send postcards to relatives, although they were censored by the guards.<ref name="Sides 1423"/><ref name="Bilek 121">{{harvnb|Bilek|2003|p=121}}</ref>

As American forces continued to approach Luzon, the Japanese Imperial High Command ordered that all able-bodied POWs be transported to Japan. From the Cabanatuan camp, over 1,600 soldiers were removed in October&nbsp;1944, leaving over 500&nbsp;sick, weak, or disabled POWs.<ref name="Breuer 137">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=137}}</ref><ref name="Breuer 144">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=144}}</ref><ref name="Sides 202">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=202}}</ref> On January&nbsp;6, 1945, all of the guards withdrew from the Cabanatuan camp, leaving the POWs alone.<ref name="Breuer 1401">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=140–141}}</ref> The guards had previously told prisoner leaders that they should not attempt to escape, else suffer the consequence of being killed.<ref name="Sides 2378">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=237–238}}</ref> When the guards left, the prisoners heeded the threat, fearing that the Japanese were waiting near the camp and would use the attempted escape as an excuse to execute them all.<ref name="Sides 2378"/> Instead, the prisoners went to the guards' side of the camp and ransacked the Japanese buildings for supplies and large amounts of food.<ref name="Breuer 1401"/> Prisoners were alone for several weeks, except when retreating Japanese forces would periodically stay in the camp. The soldiers mainly ignored the POWs, except to ask for food. Although aware of the consequences, the prisoners sent a small group outside the prison's gates to bring in two&nbsp;[[carabao]]s to slaughter. The meat from the animals, along with the food secured from the Japanese side of the camp, helped many of the POWs to regain their strength, weight, and stamina.<ref name="Breuer 145">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=145}}</ref><ref name="Sides 2434">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=243–244}}</ref><ref name="McRaven 282">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=282}}</ref> In mid-January, a large group of Japanese troops entered the camp and returned the prisoners to their side of the camp.<ref name="Sides 2456">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=245–246}}</ref> The prisoners, fueled by rumors, speculated that they would soon be executed by the Japanese.<ref name="Sides 2645">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=264–265}}</ref>

== Planning and preparation ==
On October&nbsp;20, 1944, General [[Douglas MacArthur]]'s forces [[Battle of Leyte|landed on Leyte]], paving the way for the [[Philippines campaign, 1944-45|liberation of the Philippines]]. Several months later, as the Americans consolidated their forces to prepare for the main invasion of [[Luzon]], nearly [[Palawan#The Palawan Massacre|150&nbsp;Americans were executed]] by their Japanese captors on December&nbsp;14, 1944 in a POW camp on the island of [[Palawan]]. These Americans were herded into [[Air-raid shelter|air raid shelters]], sealed in, doused with gasoline, and burned alive.<ref name="SanJoseNews"/> One of the survivors, [[Private First Class|PFC]] Eugene Nielsen, recounted his tale to U.S. Army Intelligence on January&nbsp;7, 1945.<ref name="Sides 12">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=12}}</ref> Two days later, MacArthur's forces landed on Luzon and began a rapid advance towards the capital, [[Manila]].<ref name="Eug52Years"/>

Major Bob Lapham, the American [[U.S. Army Forces Far East|USAFFE]] senior guerrilla chief, and another guerrilla leader, [[Juan Pajota]], had considered freeing the prisoners within the camp,<ref name="Breuer 1201">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=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, Major 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|p=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, 1,000 across the Cabu River northeast of the camp, and possibly around 5,000 within Cabanatuan City.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/> Pictures of the camp were also available, as planes had taken surveillance images as recently as January 19.<ref name="Sides 261">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=261}}</ref> White estimated that the [[I Corps (United States)|I Corps]] would not reach Cabanatuan City until January 31 or February 1, and that if any rescue attempt were to be made, it would have to be on January 29.<ref name="Rottman 10">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=10}}</ref> White reported the details to Krueger, who gave the order for the rescue attempt.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/>

[[File:Henry mucci.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A standing man is smiling and staring off to his left. He has a smoke pipe in his mouth and is wearing a military uniform and hat.|Lt. Col. Henry Mucci]]
White gathered [[Lieutenant Colonel|Lt. Col.]] [[Henry Mucci]], leader of the [[6th Ranger Battalion]], and three lieutenants from the [[Alamo Scouts]]&ndash;the special reconnaissance unit attached to his Sixth Army&ndash;for a briefing on the mission to raid Cabanatuan and rescue the POWs.<ref name="Breuer 1489"/> The group developed a plan to rescue the prisoners. Fourteen Scouts, made up of two teams, would leave 24&nbsp;hours ahead of the main force, to survey the camp.<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 (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 (TV channel)|History Channel]]|airdate=December&nbsp;1, 2006|season=2|number=5|minutes=32:20}}</ref> The agreed on plan figured the attack would commence at 17:30 on January&nbsp;29.<ref name="Breuer 150">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=150}}</ref>

On the evening of January&nbsp;27, the Rangers studied air reconnaissance photos and listened to guerrilla intelligence on the prison camp.<ref name="Breuer 154">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=154}}</ref> The two&nbsp;five-man teams of Alamo Scouts, led by [[First Lieutenant|1st Lts.]] William Nellist and Thomas Rounsaville, left Guimba at 19:00 and infiltrated behind enemy lines for the long trek to attempt a reconnaissance of the prison camp.<ref name="Breuer 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 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 bazookas.<ref name="Breuer 158"/><ref name="Sides 73">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=73}}</ref> Four&nbsp;combat photographers from the 832nd Signal Service volunteered to accompany the Scouts and Rangers to record the rescue after Mucci suggested the idea of documenting the raid.<ref name="Sides 645">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=64–65}}</ref> Each photographer was armed with a pistol.<ref name="Breuer 157">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=157}}</ref> Despite Geneva Convention restrictions on armed medical personnel, surgeon Captain Jimmy Fisher and his medics each carried pistols and carbines.<ref name="Breuer 158"/><ref name="Sides 73"/> To maintain a link between the raiding group and Army Command, a radio set was based outside of Guimba. The force had two&nbsp;radios, but their use was only approved in asking for aircraft support if they ran into large Japanese forces or if there were last-minute changes to the raid (as well as calling off friendy fire by American aircraft).<ref name="Breuer 158">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=158}}</ref><ref name="Rottman 19"/>

== Behind enemy lines ==
[[File:RangerstrektallgrassJan1945.jpg|alt=Black-and-white image of several soldiers carrying guns and walking away through tall grass.|thumb|right|Rangers using the cover of tall grass on their way to the prison camp]]
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 reconaissance 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 (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 confirmed reports that as many as 7,000&nbsp;enemy troops were deployed around Cabanatuan City located several miles away.<ref name="Sides 125">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=125}}</ref>  With the invading American forces from the southwest, a Japanese division was withdrawing to the north on a road close to the camp.<ref name="Breuer 162"/><ref name="King 56">{{harvnb|King|1985|p=56}}</ref> He recommended waiting for the division to pass so that the force would face minimal opposition. After consolidating information from Pajota and the Alamo Scouts about heavy enemy activity in the camp area, Mucci agreed 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 Lt. 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">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=4}}</ref> Shortly thereafter they were joined by three&nbsp;other Scouts, whom Nellist tasked to deliver the report to Mucci.<ref name="Sides 172">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=172}}</ref> Nellist and Vaquilar remained in the shack until the start of the raid.<ref name="Sides 225">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=225}}</ref>

Mucci had already given Nellist's January&nbsp;29 afternoon report and forwarded it to Capt. Prince, whom he entrusted to determine how to get the Rangers in and out of the compound quickly, and with as few casualties as possible. Price developed a plan, which was then modified in light of the new report from the abandoned shack reconnaissance received at 14:30.<ref name="Sides 174">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=174}}</ref> He proposed that the Rangers would be split into two groups: about 90&nbsp;Rangers of C Company, led by Capt. Prince, would attack the main camp and escort the prisoners out, while 30&nbsp;Rangers of a platoon from F Company, commanded by Lt. John Murphy, would signal the start of the attack 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 thirty&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.
[[File:Robert Prince.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Black-and-white image of a standing man in military attire facing forward and smiling. His left hand is resting on his belt.|Captain Robert Prince]]

One of Prince's primary concerns was the flatness of the countryside. The Japanese had kept the terrain's vegetation clear to ensure that approaching guerrilla attacks could be seen as well as to spot prisoner escapes.<ref name="Rottman 25"/> Prince knew his Rangers would have to crawl through a long, open field on their bellies, right under the eyes of the Japanese guards. There would only be just over an hour of full darkness, as the sun set below the horizon and the moon rose.<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 (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 patrol the perimeter.<ref name="Rottman 27">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=27}}</ref> Pajota suggested that to distract the guards, an [[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 request was sent to command to ask for a plane to fly over the camp while the men made their way across the field.<ref name="Sides 17980">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=179–180}}</ref> In preparation for possible injuries or wounds received during the encounter with the Japanese, the battalion surgeon, Cpt. Jimmy Fisher, developed a makeshift hospital in the Platero schoolhouse.<ref name="Rottman 38">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=38}}</ref>

By dawn on January&nbsp;30, the road in front of the camp was clear of traveling Japanese troops.<ref name="Sides 168">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=168}}</ref> Mucci made plans to protect the POWs once they were freed from the camp. Two groups of guerrillas of the [[Robert Lapham|Luzon Guerrilla Armed Forces]], one under Capt. Pajota and another under Capt. Eduardo Joson,<ref name="Hunt 198">{{harvnb|Hunt|1986|p=198}}</ref> would be sent in opposite directions to hold the main road near the camp. Pajota and 200&nbsp;guerrillas were to set up a roadblock 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 to pull back (gradually, if they faced opposition) and head to Plateros.<ref name="Breuer 165"/>

As the POWs had no knowledge of the upcoming assault, they went through their normal routine that night. The previous day, two Filipino boys had thrown rocks into the prisoner side of the camp with notes attached, "Be ready to go out."<ref name="Rottman 40">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=40}}</ref> Assuming that the boys were pulling a prank, the POWs disregarded the notes. The POWs were increasingly becoming more wary of the Japanese guards, believing that anytime in the next few days they could be massacred for any reason. They figured that the Japanese would not want them to be rescued by advancing American forces, regain their strength, and return to fight the Japanese again. In addition, the Japanese could kill the prisoners to prevent them from telling of the atrocities of the Bataan Death March or the conditions in the camp.<ref name="Sides 234">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=234}}</ref> With the limited Japanese guard, a small group of prisoners had already decided that they would make an escape attempt at about 20:00.<ref name="Breuer 166">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=166}}</ref><ref name="Sides 268">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=268}}</ref>

== Prisoner rescue ==
[[File:Northrop P-61.jpg|thumb|alt=Black and white image of a two-seater airplane in flight|A P-61 Black Widow, similar to the one that distracted Japanese guards as American forces crawled towards the camp]]
At 17:00, a few hours after Mucci approved Prince's plan, the Rangers departed from Platero. White clothes 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, Cpt. Prince and Lt. Murphy's men parted ways to surround the camp.<ref name="Sides 224"/><ref name="Breuer 166"/> Cpts. 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|p=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=[[History (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, Lt. Carlos Tombo and his guerrillas along with a small number of Rangers cut the camp's [[telephone line]]s to prevent communication with the large force stationed in Cabanatuan.<ref name="Breuer 165"/>

[[File:Pajota's Guerrillas.jpg|200px|thumb|left|alt=Three men, wearing uniforms and hats are standing and looking to the right. They are armed with grenades, guns, and have pouches. Other men can be seen in the background.|Captain Pajota's guerrillas at Cabanatuan]]
At 19:40, the whole prison compound erupted into small arms fire after Murphy and his men fired on the guard towers and barracks.<ref name="Breuer 173">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=173}}</ref> Within the first fifteen&nbsp;seconds, all of the camp's guard towers and pillboxes were targeted and destroyed.<ref name="Sides 271">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=271}}</ref> Sgt. Ted Richardson rushed to shoot a padlock off of the main gate using his .45 pistol.<ref name="Sides 271"/><ref name="Breuer 174">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=174}}</ref> The Rangers at the main gate maneuvered to bring the guard barracks and officer quarters under fire, while the ones at the rear eliminated the enemy near the prisoners' huts and then proceeded with the evacuation. A [[bazooka]] team from F Company ran up the main road to a tin shack which the Scouts had told Mucci held tanks. Although Japanese soldiers attempted to escape with two&nbsp;trucks, the team was able to destroy the trucks and then the shack.<ref name="Breuer 177">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=177}}</ref><ref name="Alexander 248">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=248}}</ref>

At the beginning of the gunfire, many of the prisoners thought that it was the Japanese beginning to massacre them.<ref name="Sides 269">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=269}}</ref> One prisoner stated that the attack sounded like "whistling slugs, Roman candles, and flaming meteors sailing over our heads."<ref name="Sides 2689">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=268–269}}</ref> Prisoners immediately hid in their shacks, latrines, and irrigation ditches.<ref name="Sides 2689"/> When the Rangers yelled to the POWs to come out and be rescued, many of the POWs feared that it was the Japanese attempting to trick them into being killed.<ref name="Breuer 178">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=178}}</ref> Also, a substantial number resisted because the Rangers' weapons and uniforms looked nothing like those of a few years earlier.<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 (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 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 some Rangers carried two men on their backs.<ref name="Sides 281">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=281}}</ref> Once out of the barracks, they were told by the Rangers to proceed to the main, or front gate. Prisoners were disoriented because the "main gate" meant the entrance to the American side of the camp.<ref name="Sides 276">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=276}}</ref> POWs collided with each other in the confusion but were eventually led out by the Rangers.

A lone Japanese soldier was able to fire off three mortar rounds toward the main gate. Although members of F Company quickly located the soldier and killed him, several Rangers, Scouts, and POWs were wounded in the attack.<ref name="Zedrick 192">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=192}}</ref><ref name="Sides 283">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=283}}</ref> Battalion surgeon Capt. James Fisher was mortally injured in the stomach and was carried to the nearby village of Balincari.<ref name="Sides 285">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=285}}</ref> Scout Alfred Alfonso had a shrapnel wound to his abdomen.<ref name="Breuer 1823">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=182–183}}</ref><ref name="Sides 284">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=284}}</ref> Scout Lt. Tom Rounsaville and Ranger Pvt. 1st Class Jack Peters were also wounded by the barrage.<ref name="Breuer 1823"/>

[[File:Raid at Cabanatuan (2D action).svg|thumb|right|300px|alt=Overhead map of the layout of the prisoner camp. Arrows indicate the directions the American soldiers attacked the camp, and a legend at the right indicates the types of buildings located in the camp|Illustration of the layout of the camp and the positions of the attacking American forces]] 
A few seconds after Pajota and his men heard Murphy fire the first shot, they fired on the alerted 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 (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 by the Filipino guerrillas repulsed each attack.<ref name="Alexander 248">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=248}}</ref> One&nbsp;guerrilla, who had been trained to use the bazooka only a few hours earlier by the Rangers, destroyed or disabled four tanks that were hiding behind a clump of trees.<ref name="Sides 293">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=293}}</ref> A group of Japanese soldiers made an effort to flank the ambush position by crossing the river away from the bridge, but the guerrillas spotted and eliminated them.<ref name="Sides 293"/>

At 20:15, the camp was secured from the Japanese and Capt. Prince fired his flare to signal the end of the assault.<ref name="Sides 295">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=295}}</ref> No gunfire had occurred for the last fifteen minutes.<ref name="Breuer 185">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=185}}</ref> However, as the Rangers headed towards the meetup, Cpl. Roy Sweezy was shot twice by friendly fire, and later died.<ref name="Sides 297">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=297}}</ref> The Rangers and the weary, frail, and disease-ridden POWs made their way to the appointed Pampanga River rendezvous, where a caravan of 26&nbsp;carabao carts waited to transport them to Plateros, driven by local villagers organized by Pajota.<ref name="Breuer 186">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=186}}</ref> At 20:40, once Prince determined that everyone had crossed the Pampanga River, he fired his second flare to indicate to Pajota and Joson's men to withdraw.<ref name="Sides 298">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=298}}</ref> The Scouts stayed behind at the meetup to survey the area for enemy retaliatory movements.<ref name="Breuer 187">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=187}}</ref> Meanwhile, Pajota's men continued to resist the attacking enemy until they could finally withdraw at 22:00, when the Japanese forces stopped charging the bridge.<ref name="McRaven 271">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=271}}</ref> Captain Joson and his men met no opposition, and they returned to help escort the POWs.<ref name="Sides 299">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=299}}</ref>

Although the combat photographers were able to shoot images of the trek to and from the camp, they were unable to use their cameras during the night-time raid, as the flashes would indicate their positions to the Japanese.<ref name="Sides 222">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=222}}</ref> One of the photographers reflected on the nighttime hindrance: "We felt like an eager soldier who had carried his rifle for long distances into one of the war's most crucial battles, then never got a chance to fire it."<ref name="Breuer 165"/> The Signal Corps photographers instead assisted with escorting the POWs out of the camp.<ref name="Sides 222"/>

== Trek to American lines ==
{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|qalign=left|quote="I made the Death March from Bataan, so I can certainly make this one!"|source=—one of the POWs during the trek back to American lines<ref name="Breuer 18890">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=188–190}}</ref>}}
By 22:00, the Rangers and ex-POWs arrived at Plateros, where they rested for half an hour.<ref name="Breuer 187"/><ref name="Sides 299"/><ref name="Sides 302">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=302}}</ref> A radio message was sent and received by Sixth Army at 23:00 that the mission had been a success, and that they were returning with the rescued prisoners to American lines.<ref name="Rottman 54">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=54}}</ref> After a headcount, it was discovered that POW Edwin Rose, a deaf British soldier, was missing.<ref name="Sides 300">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=300}}</ref> Mucci dictated that none of the Rangers could be spared to search for him, so he sent several guerrillas to do so in the morning.<ref name="Sides 300"/> It was later learned that Rose had fallen asleep in the latrine before the attack.<ref name="Breuer 184">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=184}}</ref> Rose woke early the next morning, and realized the other prisoners were gone and that he was left behind. Nevertheless, he took the time to shave and put on his best clothes that he had been saving for the day he would be rescued. He walked out of the prison camp, thinking that he would soon be found and led to freedom. Sure enough, Rose was found by passing guerrillas.<ref name="Breuer 1945"/><ref name="Sides 327">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=327}}</ref> Arrangements were made for a tank destroyer unit to pick him up and transport him to a hospital.<ref name="Zedrick 198">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=198}}</ref>

[[File:POW March.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Over twenty men are walking in a line. Some look at the camera. The men wear assorted vests, t-shirts, uniforms, shorts, and pants. Brush can be seen in the background.|Former Cabanatuan POWs marching to American lines]]
In a makeshift hospital at Plateros, Scout Alfonso and Ranger Fisher were quickly put into surgery. The shrapnel was removed from Alfonso's abdomen, and he was expected to recover if returned to American lines. Fisher's shrapnel was also removed, but with limited supplies and widespread damage to both his stomach and intestines, it was decided more extensive surgery would need to be completed in an American hospital.<ref name="Breuer 18890"/><ref name="Sides 310">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=310}}</ref> Mucci ordered that an airstrip be built in a field next to Plateros so that a plane could airlift him to American lines. Some Scouts and freed prisoners stayed behind to construct the airstrip.

As the group left Plateros at 22:30 to trek back towards American lines, Pajota and his guerrillas continually sought out local villagers to provide additional carabao carts to transport the weakened prisoners.<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&ndash;it was all I ever needed."<ref name="Sides 3067">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=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|p=194–195}}</ref>

[[File:Route map of Raid at Cabanatuan.svg|thumb|right|300px|alt=Map of the Philippines, indicating the path taken from Guimba to the prisoner camp, as well as the path to return to Guimba. The map details roads, rivers, towns, and Japanese positions.|Different routes were used for the infiltration and extraction behind Japanese lines]]
During one leg of the return trip, the men were stopped by the [[Hukbalahap]], Filipino Communist guerrillas who hated both the Americans and the Japanese. They were also rivals to Pajota's men. One of Pajota's lieutenants conferred with the Hukbalahap and returned to tell Mucci that they were not allowed to pass through the village. Angered by the message, Mucci sent the lieutenant back to insist that pursuing Japanese forces would be coming. The lieutenant came back and told Mucci that only Americans could pass, and Pajota's men had to stay. Both the Rangers and guerillas were finally allowed through after an agitated Mucci told the lieutenant that he would call in an artillery barrage and level the whole village. In fact, Mucci's radio was not working at that point.<ref name="Sides 314">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=314}}</ref>

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> The Scouts and the remaining POWs who had stayed behind to get James Fisher onto a plane also encountered resistance by the Hukbalahap.<ref name="Zedrick 195">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=195}}</ref> After threatening the communist band, the Scouts and POWs were granted safe passage and reached Talavera on February&nbsp;1.<ref name="Zedrick 195"/>

A few days after the raid, Sixth Army troops inspected the camp. They collected a large number of death certificates and cemetery layouts,<ref name="Zedrick 198"/> as well as diaries, poems, and sketchbooks.<ref name="Sides 327"/> The American soldiers also paid 5&nbsp;pesos to each of the carabao cart drivers who had helped to evacuate the POWs.<ref name="Zedrick 198"/><ref name="Alexander 255">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=255}}</ref>

== Outcome and historical significance ==
{| class="wikitable" align="right" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="font-size:95%; width:20%; border:1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF;"
| align="center" colspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Prisoners rescued'''<ref name="Rottman 61">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=61}}</ref>
|-
| American soldiers||464
|-
| British soldiers||22
|-
| Dutch soldiers||3
|-
| American civilians||28
|-
| Norwegian civilians||2
|-
| British civilian||1
|-
| Canadian civilian||1
|-
| Filipino civilian||1
|-
| Total||522
|}
The raid was considered successful&ndash;489 POWs were liberated, along with 33 civilians. The total included 492&nbsp;Americans, 23&nbsp;British (including Edwin Rose), three&nbsp;Dutch, two&nbsp;Norwegians, one&nbsp;Canadian, and one&nbsp;Filipino.<ref name="Rottman 61"/> The rescue allowed the prisoners to tell of the Bataan and Corregidor atrocities, which sparked a new wave of resolve for the war against Japan.<ref name="Zedrick 199">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=199}}</ref><ref name="Johnson 264">{{harvnb|Johnson|2002|p=264}}</ref> Prince gave a great deal of credit for the success of the raid to others: "Any success we had was due not only to our efforts but to the Alamo Scouts and Air Force. The pilots (Capt. Kenneth R. Schrieber and Lt. Bonnie B. Rucks) of the plane that flew so low over the camp were incredibly brave men."<ref name="LJLiberation"/> Some of the Rangers and Scouts went on bond drive tours around the United States and also met with President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].<ref name="Alexander 255"/><ref name="Zedrick 199"/> In 1948, the [[United States Congress]] created legislation which provided $1 (${{Inflation|US|1|1948|r=2}} in current U.S. dollars) for each day the POWs had been held in a prisoner camp, including Cabanatuan.<ref name="Breuer 211"/> Two&nbsp;years later, Congress again approved an additional $1.50 per day (a combined total of ${{Inflation|US|2.50|1950|r=2}} in current U.S. dollars).<ref name="Breuer 211"/>

An estimated 530 to a high of 1,000 Japanese soldiers were killed during the assault.<ref name="Sides 326">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=326}}</ref><ref name="Zedrick 199"/> The estimates include the 73 guards and approximately 150 traveling Japanese who stayed in the camp that night, as well as those killed by Pajota's men attempting to cross the Cabu River.<ref name="King 61"/><ref name="McRaven 249">{{harvnb|McRaven|1995|p=249}}</ref><ref name="Kelly 33">{{harvnb|Kelly|1997|p=33}}</ref> Several Americans died during and after the raid. A prisoner weakened by illness died of a heart attack as a Ranger carried him from the barracks to the main gate.<ref name="Breuer 180">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=180}}</ref><ref name="Kerr 246">{{harvnb|Kerr|1985|p=246}}</ref> The Ranger later recalled, "The excitement had been too much for him, I guess. It was really sad. He was only a hundred&nbsp;feet from the freedom he had not known for nearly three&nbsp;years."<ref name="Breuer 180"/> Another prisoner died of illness just as the group had reached Talavera.<ref name="Sides 316">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=316}}</ref> Although Mucci had ordered that an airstrip be built in a field next to Plateros so that a plane could evacuate Battalion surgeon Captain James Fisher to get medical attention, it was never dispatched, and Fisher died the next day.<ref name="Zedrick 193">{{harvnb|Zedrick|1995|p=193}}</ref> His last words were "Good luck on the way out."<ref name="Alexander 253">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=253}}</ref> The other Ranger killed during the raid was Cpl. Roy Sweezy, who was struck in the back by two rounds from friendly fire. Both Cpt. Fisher and Cpl. Sweezy are buried at Manila National Cemetery. Twenty of Pajota's guerrillas were injured, as were two&nbsp;Scouts and two&nbsp;Rangers.<ref name="Sides 326">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=326}}</ref><ref name="Zedrick 199"/>
[[File:AlamoScoutsRaidCabanatuanFeb1945.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white image of ten men in two rows, the top row standing and the bottom row crouching, are all facing the camera. They are wearing military attire and are holding rifles.|Alamo Scouts after the raid]]

The American prisoners were quickly returned to the United States, most by plane. Those who were still sick or weakened remained at American hospitals to continue to recuperate. On February&nbsp;11, 1945, 280 POWs left Leyte aboard the transport USS ''General A.E. Anderson'' bound for [[San Francisco]] via Hollandia, [[New Guinea]].<ref name="Breuer 207">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=207}}</ref> In an effort to quell the increase in American morale, [[Tokyo Rose|Japanese propaganda radio announcers]] broadcasted to American soldiers that submarines, ships, and planes were hunting the ''General Anderson''.<ref name="Sides 324">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=324}}</ref> The threats proved to be a bluff, and the ship safely arrived in [[San Francisco Bay]] on March&nbsp;8, 1945.<ref name="Sides 329">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=329}}</ref>

News of the rescue was released to the public on February 2.<ref name="Rottman 56">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=56}}</ref> The feat was celebrated by MacArthur's soldiers, Allied correspondents, and the American public, for the raid had touched an emotional chord among Americans concerned about the fate of the defenders of [[Bataan]] and [[Corregidor]]. Family members of the POWs were contacted by telegram to inform them of the rescue.<ref name="StTelegram"/> News of the raid was broadcast on numerous radio outlets and newspaper front pages.<ref name="Breuer 202">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=202}}</ref> The Rangers and POWs were interviewed to describe the conditions of the camp, as well as the events of the raid.<ref name="Hogan 88">{{harvnb|Hogan|1992|p=88}}</ref> The enthusiasm over the raid was later overshadowed by other Pacific events, including the [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Battle for Iwo Jima]] and the dropping of the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].<ref name="Johnson 264"/><ref name="Sides 328">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=328}}</ref> The raid was soon followed by an even more successful [[raid at Los Baños]] on February&nbsp;23 where 2,147 Allied POWs and civilian prisoners were rescued.<ref name="Alexander 270">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=270}}</ref>
[[File:POWs in Hospital.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Several men are sitting and laying down near a building. Some are bandaged, and others have no shirts. Various boxes and cots are nearby.|Former Cabanatuan POWs at a makeshift hospital in Talavera]]

A Sixth Army report indicated that the raid demonstrated "...what patrols can accomplish in enemy territory by following the basic principles of scouting and patrolling, 'sneaking and peeping,' [the] use of concealment, reconnaissance of routes from photographs and maps prior to the actual operation, ... and the coordination of all arms in the accomplishment of a mission."<ref name="King 71">{{harvnb|King|1985|p=71}}</ref> General [[Douglas MacArthur]] spoke about his reaction to the raid: "No incident of the campaign in the Pacific has given me such satisfaction as the release of the POWs at Cabanatuan. The mission was brilliantly successful."<ref name="O'Donnell 178">{{harvnb|O'Donnell|2003|p=178}}</ref> He presented awards to the soldiers who participated in the raid on March&nbsp;3, 1945. Although Lt. Col. Mucci was nominated for the [[Medal of Honor]], he and Capt. Prince both received [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Crosses]]. Mucci was promoted to colonel and was given command of the 1st Regiment of the [[6th Infantry Division (United States)|6th Infantry Division]].<ref name="Breuer 211">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=211}}</ref> All other American officers and selected enlisted received [[Silver Star]]s.<ref name="Breuer 205">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=205}}</ref> The remaining American enlisted men and the Filipino guerrilla officers were awarded [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Stars]].<ref name="Breuer 205"/> Lts. William Nellist and Thomas Rounsaville and the other twelve Scouts received Presidential Unit Citations.<ref name="Alexander 6">{{harvnb|Alexander|2009|p=6}}</ref>

In late 1945, the bodies of the American troops who died at the camp were exhumed, and the men moved to other cemeteries.<ref name="Johnson 276">{{harvnb|Johnson|2002|p=276}}</ref> Land was donated in the late 1990s by the Filipinos to create a memorial. The site of the Cabanatuan camp is now a park that includes a memorial wall listing the 2,656 American prisoners who died there.<ref name="Sides 334">{{harvnb|Sides|2001|p=334}}</ref> The memorial was financed by former American POWs and veterans, and is maintained by the [[American Battle Monuments Commission]].<ref name="Johnson 276"/><ref name="Rottman 62"/> A joint resolution by Congress and President [[Ronald Reagan]] designated April 12, 1982 as "American Salute to Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Memorial Day".<ref name="Carson 247">{{harvnb|Carson|1997|p=247}}</ref> In Cabanatuan City, a hospital is named for guerrilla leader Eduardo Joson.<ref name="Rottman 62">{{harvnb|Rottman|2009|p=62}}</ref>

== Depictions in film ==
{{quote box|width=30em|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|qalign=left|quote="People everywhere try to thank us. I think the thanks should go the other way. I'll be grateful for the rest of my life that I had a chance to do something in this war that was not destructive. Nothing for me can ever compare with the satisfaction I got from helping to free our prisoners."|source=—Capt. Prince, reflecting on the public reaction to the mission<ref name="Breuer 206">{{harvnb|Breuer|1994|p=206}}</ref> }}
Several films have focused on the raid, while also including archival footage of the POWs.<ref name="WarEthos"/> [[Edward Dmytryk]]'s 1945 film ''[[Back to Bataan]]'', starring [[John Wayne]], opens by retelling the story of the raid on the Cabanatuan POW camp. Based on the books ''The Great Raid on Cabanatuan'' and ''[[Ghost Soldiers]]'', the 2005 [[John Dahl]] film ''[[The Great Raid]]'' focused on the raid intertwined with a love story.  Prince served as a consultant on the film, and believed it depicted the raid accurately.<ref name="SeattlePiRP"/><ref name="SeatNative"/> [[Marty Katz]] conveyed his interest in producing the film: "This [rescue] was a massive operation that had very little chance of success. It's like a Hollywood movie&ndash;it couldn't really happen, but it did. That was why we were attracted to the material."<ref name="DailyMost"/>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=25em|refs=
<ref name="SeattlePiRP">{{cite news|last=Barber|first=Mike|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/237842_raid25.html|title=Leader of WWII's "Great Raid" looks back on real-life POW rescue|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|date=August&nbsp;25, 2005|accessdate=March&nbsp;15, 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5risK4xd9|archivedate=August&nbsp;4, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="WarEthos">{{cite news|last=Pullen|first=Randy|title=Great Raid on Cabanatuan depicts Warrior Ethos|work=[[Fort Bliss|The Fort Bliss Monitor]]|url=http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=7723|date=August&nbsp;18, 2005|accessdate=February&nbsp;21, 2010|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080603130948/http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=7723|archivedate=June&nbsp;3, 2008|deadurl=yes}}</ref>
<ref name="SeatNative">{{cite news|last=Hui Hsu|first=Judy Chia|title="The Great Raid" includes Seattle native who helped save POWs|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20050820&slug=prince19|date=August&nbsp;20, 2005|accessdate=June&nbsp;20, 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5risM7wKI|archivedate=August&nbsp;4, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="DailyMost">{{cite news|last=Tariman|first=Pablo A.|title='Most Successful Rescue Mission in US History'|work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PFc1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=hyUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1078,18045383&dq|publisher=[[Google News]]|date=February&nbsp;9, 2005|accessdate=March&nbsp;15, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="StTelegram">{{cite news|title=Visitor is Thrilled to Get Word Son Among Yanks Rescued From Cabanatuan|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wtsKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x04DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6599,5923529&dq|publisher=[[Google News]]|date=February&nbsp;6, 1945|accessdate=March&nbsp;15, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="SanJoseNews">{{cite news|last=Reichmann|first=John A.|title=Massacre of Americans is Charged|work=[[San Jose Mercury News|San Jose News]]|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FCciAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CKQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2439,5620215&dq|publisher=[[Google News]]|date=September&nbsp;4, 1945|accessdate=March&nbsp;15, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="Eug52Years">{{cite news|agency=[[Associated Press]]|title=General MacArthur Had Remarkable Military Career...52 Years|work=[[The Register-Guard|Eugene Register-Guard]]|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SJgRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-uIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2707,1127487&dq|page=2|publisher=[[Google News]]|date=April&nbsp;6, 1964|accessdate=March&nbsp;15, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="LJLiberation">{{cite news|last=Goff|first=Marsha Henry|title=Rangers Played Heroic Role in Camp Liberation|work=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/may/23/rangers_played_heroic_role_camp_liberation/|date=May&nbsp;23, 2006|accessdate=March&nbsp;29, 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5risMPgb7|archivedate=August&nbsp;5, 2010}}</ref>
}}

== References ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Larry|title=Shadows in the Jungle: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines in World War II|publisher=[[Penguin Group]]|date=2009|isbn=0-4512-2593-7|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Bilek|first=Tony|coauthor=Gene O'Connell|title=No Uncle Sam: The Forgotten of Bataan|publisher=[[Kent State University Press#University Press|The Kent State University Press]]|location=[[Kent, Ohio]]|date=2003|isbn=0-87338-768-6|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Black|first=Robert W.|title=Rangers in World War II|publisher=[[Random House]]|date=1992|isbn=0-8041-0565-0|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Breuer|first=William B.|title=The Great Raid on Cabanatuan|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|location=New York|date=1994|isbn=0-4710-3742-7|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Carson|first=Andrew D.|title=My Time in Hell: Memoir of an American Soldier Imprisoned By the Japanese in World War II|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|date=1997|isbn=0-7864-0403-5|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Hogan|first=David W.|title=Raiders or Elite Infantry?: The Changing Role of the U.S. Army Rangers from Dieppe to Grenada|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|date=1992|isbn=0-3132-6803-7|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Hunt|first=Ray C.|title=Behind Japanese Lines: An American Guerrilla in the Philippines|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|date=1986|isbn=0-8131-0986-8|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Johnson|first=Forrest Bryant|title=Hour of Redemption: The Heroic WWII Saga of America's Most Daring POW Rescue|publisher=[[Hachette Book Group USA|Warner Books]]|date=2002|isbn=0-4466-7937-2|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Arthur L.|title=BattleFire!: Combat Stories from World War II|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|date=1997|isbn=0-8131-2034-9|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Kerr|first=E. Bartlett|title=Surrender & Survival: The Experience of American POWs in the Pacific 1941–1945|publisher=[[William Morrow and Company]]|date=1985|isbn=0-68804-3445|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=King|first=Michael J.|title=Rangers: Selected Combat Operations in World War II|publisher=DIANE Publishing|date=1985|isbn=1-4289-1576-1|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=McRaven|first=William H.|title=Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare Theory and Practice|location=New York|publisher=Presidio Press|date=1995|isbn=0-8914-1544-0|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=O'Donnell|first=Patrick K.|title=Into the Rising Sun: In Their Own Words, World War II's Pacific Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|date=2003|isbn=0-7432-1481-1|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkinson|first=James W.|coauthor=Lee Benson|title=Soldier Slaves: Abandoned by the White House, Courts, and Congress|publisher=[[United States Naval Institute|Naval Institute Press]]|location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]]|date=2006|isbn=1-59114-204-0|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Rottman|first=Gordon|title=The Cabanatuan Prison Raid – The Philippines 1945|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|date=2009|isbn=1-8460-3399-3|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Sides|first=Hampton|title=[[Ghost Soldiers]]: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission|publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]|location=New York|date=2001|isbn=0-3854-9564-1|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Waterford|first=Van|title=Prisoners of the Japanese in World War II|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]]|date=1994|isbn=0-8995-0893-6|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Wodnik|first=Bob|title=Captured Honor|publisher=[[Washington State University Press]]|location=[[Pullman, Washington]]|date=2003|isbn=0-87422-260-5|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Wright|first=John M.|title=Captured on Corregidor: Diary of an American P.O.W. in World War II|publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]|date=2009|isbn=0-78644-251-4|ref=harv}}
* {{cite book|last=Zedric|first=Lance Q.|title=Silent Warriors of World War II: The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines|publisher=Pathfinder Publishing of California|location=[[Ventura, California]]|date=1995|isbn=0-9347-9356-5|ref=harv}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons cat|Raid at Cabanatuan}}
* [http://www.abmc.gov/memorials/memorials/cb.php Cabanatuan American Memorial]
* [http://www.alamoscouts.org Alamo Scouts Website]
* [http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=cabanatuan+%28POW+OR+POWs+OR+survivor+OR+survivors%29+source%3ALIFE ''LIFE''{{'}}s unpublished photos of the aftermath of the raid]
* [http://www.us-japandialogueonpows.org/index.htm U.S.&ndash;Japanese Dialogue on POWs]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cabanatuan, Raid at}}
{{good article}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 1945]]
[[Category:1945 in the Philippines]]
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Southeast Asia Theatre]]
[[Category:Military history of the Philippines during World War II]]
[[Category:Nueva Ecija]]
[[Category:United States Army Rangers]]
[[Category:Japanese prisoner of war and internment camps]]
[[Category:Bataan Death March]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Japan]]
[[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]]