[ad_1]
On Jan. 30, 1945, the 6th Ranger Battalion led by Lt. Col. Henry Mucci, together with components of the famed Alamo Scouts and Filipino guerrillas, carried out a raid on the Pangatian POW Camp simply east of Cabanatuan City within the Philippines.
Three days earlier, American Guerrilla chief Maj. Robert Lapham had warned that in accordance with the Japanese War Ministry’s “kill-all order,” the remaining Allied prisoners at Cabanatuan — many of whom have been survivors of the Bataan Death March — can be executed earlier than the island may very well be liberated.
Lapham cited the 139 American POWs executed on the Palawan POW camp on Dec. 14.
The Americans ready a rescue mission.
The reconnaissance and assault pressure numbered 375.
Bestselling creator Jack Carr (left), together with a picture after the dramatic occasions of Jan. 30, 1945, involving the 6th Ranger Battalion. (Jack Carr/Getty Images)
One-hundred-and-twenty-eight of these people would conduct the actions on the target, the place there have been believed to be 500 Japanese troops, although they later discovered there have been roughly 225 on website.
In the encircling five-mile radius, there have been one other 8,000 Japanese troops.
At 1945 (7:45 p.m.) on Jan. 30, 1945, the Rangers initiated the assault.
The OPORD for the rescue mission was a single web page lengthy.
Time was of the essence.
Armed with M1 Garands, Thompson submachine weapons, BARs, 1911s and bazookas, the Rangers foot-patrolled 20 miles behind enemy traces to their goal.
Shown are some of the Rangers of the U.S. 6th Ranger Battalion who participated within the daring commando raid on the Cabanatuan jail camp to launch American and Filipino prisoners of Corregidor and Bataan, Jan. 1945. In the middle, foreground, is Lieutenant John F. Murphy of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Notre Dame University, referred to as one of the most effective officers among the many Rangers and was one of the kingpins of the assault. (Getty Images)
At 1945 (7:45 p.m.) on Jan. 30, the Rangers initiated the assault.
The logbook for 6th Ranger Battalion for the next day, Jan. 31, 1945, merely reads: “Co ‘C’ and 2nd Platoon Co ‘F’ returned to Ranger Area. Mission Accomplished. Casualties: Capt. Fisher and Corporal Sweezy killed in action; Pvt Peters, Jack wounded. Enemy casualties estimated at 250 by the Rangers and 300 by the Guerrillas forces. 510 prisoners released from Japanese prison.”
The quantity of rescued personnel would later be amended to 512.
Jack Carr, bestselling creator, remembers the daring raid on Jan. 30, 1945, to free POWs held by the Japanese throughout the closing 12 months of World War II. Carr is a former Navy SEAL Task Unit commander and sniper with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. His upcoming nonfiction work, “Targeted: Beirut – The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing: The Untold True Origin Story of the War on Terror,” with co-author, army historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James Scott, shall be printed in Oct. 2024. (Simon & Schuster)
For extra info, please learn “Ghost Soldiers” by Hampton Sides.
(Follow Jack Carr on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jackcarrusa.)
More concerning the daring rescue on Jan. 30, 1945
The 6th Ranger Battalion was lively from Sept. 26, 1944, to Dec. 30, 1945.
When the Allied fleet landed at Lingayen Gulf on Luzon Island, the 6th Rangers “achieved legendary feats” — as they’d completed earlier as nicely — in combating the Japanese throughout World War II, because the U.S. Army notes on its web site.
JACK CARR’S TAKE ON ‘BLACK HAWK DOWN’ ON OCTOBER 3, 1993: ‘BOND SHARED BY BROTHERS IN BLOOD’
On Jan. 30, 1945, at Cabanatuan, the “6th Rangers pulled off a superb rescue of more than 500 Allied prisoners of war, survivors of the Bataan Death March,” who have been dealing with demise in captivity.
The 6th Rangers had the project to “bring the prisoners out alive,” in keeping with a number of accounts.
Writes Carr concerning the occasions of Jan. 30, 1945, “The number of rescued personnel would later be amended to 512.” ( Jack Carr)
“The rescuers departed on their mission at dusk to walk 30 miles to the prison camp, crawling the last mile on their stomachs,” reported the web site WWIIRangers.org, run by descendants of WWII Rangers.
“They arrived at the camp about daylight” on Jan. 30. “They hit the camp and brought out 512 prisoners of war [and] killed about 200 enemy troops.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
While some of the prisoners “were able to walk, others rode carabao carts provided Filipinos, while Rangers carried some [of the men] like babies who were too emaciated to walk or ride,” in keeping with studies.
Eventually, ambulances arrived and took the lads to an evacuation hospital.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
General MacArthur reportedly stated after the raid, “No incident in this war has given me greater pleasure.”
Fox News Digital workers contributed reporting.
For extra Lifestyle articles, go to www.foxnews.com/way of life.
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink