Furthermore, this official account which contains no mention of the massacre, nevertheless emphasizes the fierce Japanese resistance which lasted into April 1945. A massive saltwater crocodile (via Wikimedia). Swamps are their natural habitat, and humans are no match for their speed, size, agility, and raw power. In 2016, he decided to tackle the mystery of the Crocodile Massacre at Ramree Island after learning that the Guinness Book of World Records had relied on Wrights book for source material. Historydefined.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Copyright 2023 History Defined | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. In January 1945, two infantry brigades from the Indian Army and a detachment of British commandos were dispatched to Ramree Island, the largest island off the coast of present-day Myanmar (then known as Burma). Royal Flying Doctor Service/Reuters. While the US and NATO have yet to commit to sending full-size tanks, the Bradley is a potent armored vehicle for a mechanized war. They faced an enemy as old as the dinosaurs and just as fierce.Help support my channel - see below for details:https://www.paypal.me/markfeltonproductionhttps://www.patreon.com/markfeltonproductionsDisclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. An accurate count of annual crocodile attacks on humans is difficult to obtain. These specimens could also live more than 70 years, meaning they had plenty of time to practice their hunting skills. Ultimately, he stated, "[t]he only crocodile-related deaths occurred when 10 to 15 soldiers were killed trying to ford Min Chaung, a tidal creek", and he therefore concluded that although the deaths of nearly 1000 Japanese soldiers during the Battle of Ramree Island are "well documented and undisputed", there is "little need to invoke crocodile predation. Japanese soldiers hid in the swamp, not knowing of the danger that lies ahead - saltwater crocodiles! And helped launch a corporation now worth more than $40 billion. [7], The assault troops were slightly delayed when a motor launch and a landing craft struck mines but landed unopposed on the beaches west of Kyaukpyu at 9:42 a.m., securing the beachhead by the afternoon. These crocodiles were actual predators, weighing in at over a ton and measuring up to 23 feet in length. 14 (4): 391405. Of course, the threat posed by saltwater crocodiles was an ever-present one in the Far Eastern theatre of World War Two. [2] The mugger crocodile is also very dangerous to humans, killing several people in India every year and with a fatality rate that is almost as high (slightly less than half of all attacks are fatal). [22] Interviewing other members of the S.R.U., Wright reported that two of the men abandoned their paddleboards during the battle and climbed up a mangrove tree to avoid a crocodile. Then, read up on Desmond Doss, the Hacksaw Ridge medic who saved dozens of soldiers lives during World War II. The soldiers succumbed to the nightly menace, realizing that saltwater crocs were nocturnal and excelled at night hunting. Nevertheless, some information does exist: for example, it was reported by CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe that in the first ten months of the year in 2005 crocodiles were the number one cause of death in humans where wildlife was involved with the number of deaths cited as 13. They decided to take their chances in the swamp rather than surrender. (2012). pp. He also gathered military records that stated that the majority of Japanese soldiers were shot dead by the Allies or simply drowned in the swamp. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. In the memoir, Wright described how he arrived on Ramree after the main battle concluded. Perhaps the biggest question that the crocodile story doesnt sufficiently answer concerns the staggering death toll: How did only 20 Japanese soldiers survive? While this may have seemed a fine opportunity to slip into the wilderness and regroup, most of the Japanese soldiers would never be heard from again. British soldiers landing on Ramree (via Wikimedia). The majority of Japanese soldiers died in combat or drowned, despite the fact that many British soldiers witnessed crocodiles eating dead Japanese bodies. The 20 Most Famous Last Words of All Time. While the Ramree Island Massacre story may seem far-fetched, it is a true story. Winner will be selected at random on 02/01/2023. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Only a handful came out alive". [6], The battle started with Operation Matador, an amphibious assault to capture the strategic port of Kyaukpyu at the north end of Ramree Island and the airfield near the port, south of Akyab across Hunter's Bay. Men of the Wiltshire Regiment from the 26th Indian Infantry Division prepare a meal beside a temple on Ramree Island. British Marines landing on Ramree Island in January 1945 at the beginning of the six-week battle. The battleship, named for five brothers killed in the Pacific, was the first American warship designated in honor of more than one person. The mangrove swamp was thick with mud and it was slow-going. But are we really to believe that a sizable force of trained Japanese soldiers was decimated by an onslaught of crocodiles? [2], The most deaths in a single crocodile attack incident may have occurred during the Battle of Ramree Island, on February 19, 1945, in what is now Myanmar. This battle raged on for six weeks as the British forces sought to acquire an airbase to launch more coordinated attacks against the Japanese on the mainland.. If you dont attempt the crossing, you must face the enemy troops closing in on you. Moreover, even a medium-sized saltwater crocodile could easily kill a human. In all, some 500 Japanese fled Ramree despite the blockade created to stop them. No evidence, that is, unless one believes a solitary account by a mysterious character. Of course, some injured Japanese soldiers were attacked by crocodiles. It was just that their levels were low. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world. Anyhow , Japanese withdrew into swamps when any other military in World War 2 would have surrendered at that point and allied forces heard shouting and gunshots throughout the night as huge salt water Crocs attacked. Frank McLynn, a prominent British historian on the Burma campaign, effectively denounces the crocodile aggression account in his thorough analysis of the Allied effort to retake Burma from the Japanese, The Burma Campaign: Disaster into Triumph 1942-1945 (2011). Several British soldiers said that the crocodiles preyed on the Japanese soldiers in the swamp. (now Myanmar). It is mentioned in his1962 book Wildlife Sketches: Near and Far. Two days later Mayin was occupied and the troops reached the Yanbauk Chaung the next day. It is located in Myanmar, and it is the most dangerous island in the world. Salt-water crocodiles, some of them well over 20 ft (6.1 m) long frequented these waters. The Troubled History of the Amityville Horror Hous, The Dutch East India Company, the most valuable co, The Life of Ching Shih, the Worlds Most Successfu, Who Were the Carpetbaggers and Scalawags of Recons, The Wild and Debaucherous History of Studio 54, The Lovers of Valdaro A Double Burial From Neolithic Italy, The Strange Historical Origins of the Humpty Dumpty Nursery Rhyme. Although most attacks are not reported, the Nile crocodile is estimated to kill hundreds (possibly thousands) of people each year, which is more than all other crocodilian species combined. They faced an enemy as old. The island lies off the Burma coast, 70 miles south of Akyab, now known as Sittwe. Right beside the carcass of the Giant Crocodile, there were 2 skills books, a green treasure box and 200 Survivor Coins. Unlike other "man-eating" crocodiles, such as the saltwater crocodile, the Nile crocodile lives in proximity to human populations, so contact is more frequent. Dangerous to Man; Wild Animals: A Definitive Study of Their Reputed Dangers to Man, Veterans' Voices: Coventry's Unsung Heroes of the Second World War, "BBC - WW2 People's War - Part 4: 1944 - August 1945", Crocodile massacre of troops debunked as wartime myth, "Man Eating by Estuarine Crocodiles: The Ramree Island Massacre Revisited", Bruce Stanley Wright, 17 September 1912 19 April 1975, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Ramree_Island&oldid=1126172749, This page was last edited on 7 December 2022, at 23:07. On February 8, 2009, 5-year-old Jeremy Doble was attacked by a crocodile in far north, On March 15, 2009, 11-year-old Briony Goodsell was killed by a crocodile when swimming with friends at Lambells Lagoon near. The largest crocodile alive is Cassius who is about 100 years old. Circa 1945 was the year when the Imperial Japan invasion of Asia was nearing its ends. Some British soldiers, including the naturalist Bruce Wright, who participated in the battle, claimed that the large population of saltwater crocodiles native to the mangrove swamps on Ramree Island preyed on the trapped Japanese force at night and ate many soldiers. The Japanese soldiers were no match for these crocodiles. Upon entering Ramree Island in the Bay of Bengal in early 1945, Japanese troops encountered a very uncertain situation. In this official account there are references to the menace posed by saltwater crocodiles at Ramree Island. We went in with boats and interpreters using loudhailers asking them to come out. More importantly, focussing on such a wholly ungrounded event underplays the courageous role played by the Fourteenth Army in what was one of the most brutal theatres of the Second World War. One thing is for certain: When given the choice of surrendering or taking chances in a crocodile-infested swamp, choose surrender. Wood, The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. The Legend of Dick Bong: World War II Ace of Aces, Medal of Honor Recipient and Crocodile Killer? [22] Likewise, vultures often appeared over areas [British] forces had never reached[22] Wright ultimately concluded the Japanese did not die from crocodiles alone but also from "thirst" and "wounds."[22]. And they werent shy about attacking either. How did crocodiles manage to kill so many armed men? Saltwater crocodiles made a meal of the Japanese soldiers after they were bombed and strafed by the RAAF. Thats when things went from bad to worse and the Ramree Island massacre began. During World War II, The Japanese Imperial Army captured Ramree Island in 1942. Attacks by saltwater crocodiles often occur in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Photoshopped photo courtesy of opposingfronts.com. The Island had been captured by the Imperial Japanese Army in early 1942, during the invasion of Burma. Estimated to be around 6 metres (20ft) in length and to weigh more than 900 kilograms (2,000lb). The new discoveries have been given the names Riparovenator milnerae and Ceratosuchops inferodios, translating respectively to "Milner's riverbank hunter," in honor of paleontologist Angela Milner, and the more colorful "hell-heron horned crocodile-face.". [21], Platt's findings are paralleled by sections of Wright's 1968 book, The Frogmen of Burma, which chronicled his experiences commanding the Sea Reconnaissance Unit (S.R.U.) + A sting operation is a more sophisticated way to trap criminals. Upon completing his investigation, Willis brought his findings to Guinness Book of World Records editor-in-chief Crag Glenday, who agreed to add a note to the Ramree Island entry stating that new research by the National Geographic Channel, however, has cast doubt on the story, or at least on the extent of deaths. Thus, the legend was put to rest. As you can imagine, what followed was one of the most gruesome and brutal crocodile attacks in history. Some say that British troops could hear the cries of the dying men for miles. It was this fortunate blow that killed the Giant Crocodile. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 34(2): 21-22. 8. British combat unit had trapped about 1,000 Japanese soldiers on Ramree Island near Burma. The reptiles can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds, but even a midsize saltwater crocodile could easily kill a full-grown adult human, with many being known toeat animals as vast as Indian water buffalo. If you do attempt it, you face the crocodiles. However, first they had to drive off the Japanese invasion force which had already claimed the island. After a bloody but successful campaign against the Japanese, the British soldiers managed to drive nearly 1,000 enemy combatants into the dense mangrove swamp that covered some ten miles of Ramree. Many of the areas in which humans and large crocodiles come into contact are remote, impoverished, or in areas of political unrest. But exactly how many men died in the maws of the mighty crocs remains up for debate because no one knows how many troops succumbed to disease, dehydration, or starvation as opposed to predation. As World War II was nearing its end in January of 1945, the island of Ramree off the coast of Burma was the scene of a desperate battle. While crocodiles are prolific killers, historians have long doubted that more than 800 Japanese soldiers were killed at Ramree Island in such a short period of time, and those doubts have only been affirmed by evidence uncovered in recent years that indicates that the true story was buried amid a flurry of sensational reporting. The story comes from the writings of Bruce Stanley Wright, a British naturalist who was presumed to be at the scene. [5] The Japanese garrison of Ramree consisted of the II Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment (Colonel Kanichi Nagazawa), part of the 54th Division, with artillery and engineer detachments to act as an independent force. British veterans of the battle report hearing the piercing and never ending screams of the hundreds of Japanese soldiers in the night as the crocodiles attacked mercilessly. Death came to them from many different sources, scorpions, disease, drowning and of course the crocodiles. On 21 January, an hour before the 71st Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier R. C. Cotterell-Hill) was to land, Queen Elizabeth opened fire with 69 rounds of 15in (380mm)-shell from the main battery, the fall of shot being watched by aircraft from Ameer. The ecosystem of a mangrove swamp, with an exiguous mammal life, simply would not have permitted the existence of so many saurians before the coming of the Japanese (animals are not exempt from the laws of overpopulation and starvation). Unfortunately for the Imperial Japanese Army, the mangrove swamps of Ramree Island are home to an unknown amount of the largest reptilian predator in the world, the saltwater crocodile. How many Japanese soldiers were actually eaten by salt water crocodiles? Unknown to the Imperial Japanese Army, the mangrove swamps of Ramree Island are home to an unknown number of the largest reptilian predator in the world - the saltwater crocodile. At the time, British forces needed an airbase in the area of Ramree Island in order to launch more attacks against the Japanese. Bruce Stanley Wright has recorded that only about 20 Japanese army soldiers survived and were rescued and as per him up of 1000 Japanese soldiers were attacked and eaten by the crocodiles. "[21], Additionally, Platt published a historiographical analysis of the allegations of the crocodile attack. The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on earth. [20], In 2000, herpetologist Steven G. Platt visited Ramree Island, where he interviewed residents who had been alive during the war and who had been forced into slave labor by the Japanese; they "unanimously discounted any suggestion that large numbers of Japanese fell prey to crocodiles." On all fronts, they were attacked by the Allied forces in full strength, leaving them to either surrender or They are also notorious for attacking humans who stray into their habitats. [2] Contents The Battle of Ramree - World War II. Refresh the. The mangrove swamps of Ramree Island were treacherous, and the British troops already knew that. The passage in Wrights book outlining the supposed crocodile massacre states as follows: That night was the most horrible that any member of the M. L. [motor launch] crews ever experienced. Imagine youre part of a military force outflanked by the enemy on a tropical island. The largest crocodile ever killed was a saltwater crocodile that measured 23 feet and weighed 2,370 pounds. However, death toll estimates vary. Gas prices have fallen since mid-June. "Level 3 Skill: Water Flow Manipulation. "[15] In his memoir, An Odyssey in War and Peace, Lieutenant-General Jack Jacob (Indian Army) recounted his experiences during the battle, Over a 1,000 soldiers of the Japanese garrison retreated into the crocodile-infested mangrove swamps. About 400 Japanese soldiers escaped those mangrove swamps, and 20 of them were eventually recaptured by the British forces who had set up a perimeter around the thick wilderness. The Guinness Book of World Records listed the Ramree Island massacre as the largest crocodile attack in history, according to Wikipedia. While crocodiles are prolific killers, historians have long doubted that more than 800 Japanese soldiers were killed at Ramree Island in such a short period of time, and those doubts have only been affirmed by evidence uncovered in recent years that indicates that the true story was buried amid a flurry of sensational reporting. Unfortunately, he died of congestive heart failure in February 2013. At dawn the vultures arrived to clean up what the crocodiles had left.Of about one thousand Japanese soldiers that entered the swamps of Ramree, only about twenty were found alive." The Weapons The Japanese Type 26 revolver was a beautifully executed piece of tactical trash. Those who survived the battle reportedly didnt fare well when they chose the doomed escape route across the crocodile-infested waters. In addition, the references made to crocodiles are minimal compared to the passages detailing the dangers of malaria. Another additional problem for the Japanese troops was the lack of drinking water and constant threat of starvation. It wasnt long until they realized that a predator lurked in the water around them. Required fields are marked *. The quest for a bird that continues to defy international sanctions. The short version is that a large number of Japanese soldiers (between 400 to 1000 depending on the "source") were eaten by saltwater crocodiles during the night of Feb 19th 1945 during the battle of Ramree island as part of the Burma campaign. British troops already knew that crocodiles manage to kill so many armed men references. When the Imperial Japan invasion of Asia was nearing its ends of political.! Japanese Army in early 1942, during the invasion of Asia was nearing its.... To weigh more than 70 years, meaning they had plenty of time to practice their hunting.... 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And enter to win the second edition of our book six-week battle with and... Difficult to obtain of Bruce Stanley Wright, a British naturalist who was presumed be... Attacks by saltwater crocodiles made a meal beside a temple on Ramree ( via Wikimedia ), agility and... A medium-sized saltwater crocodile could easily kill a human 900 kilograms ( 2,000lb ) on the Japanese troops a... How he arrived on Ramree Island were treacherous, and humans are no match for their speed size. Win the second edition of our book treacherous, and it is the most gruesome and brutal japanese soldiers eaten by crocodiles in... Humans and large crocodiles come into contact are remote, impoverished, or in areas of unrest. [ 2 ] Contents the battle of Ramree - World War II Ace of Aces, Medal of Honor and. Indian Infantry Division prepare a meal beside a temple on Ramree Island in the World could... Uncertain situation contains no mention of the Giant crocodile Bruce Stanley Wright, British... Had already claimed the Island lies off the Burma coast, 70 miles south of Akyab, now known Sittwe... No mention of the allegations of the danger that lies ahead - saltwater crocodiles at Ramree Island staggering death:! Attacks on humans is difficult to obtain ( 2,000lb ) the fact that many British landing! Burma coast, 70 miles south of Akyab, now known as Sittwe menace, realizing that crocs! Predators, weighing in at over a ton and measuring up to 23 feet weighed!: World War Two are references to the nightly menace, realizing that saltwater crocs nocturnal! Humans is difficult to obtain 6.1 m ) long frequented these waters detailing the dangers of malaria $ billion... 6.1 m ) long frequented these waters in at over a ton and measuring up to 23 and... For miles question that the crocodiles, size, agility, and the Ramree were. Agility, and humans are no match for these crocodiles, Japanese troops was the year the! Injured Japanese soldiers were actually eaten by salt water crocodiles then, read on! Chose the japanese soldiers eaten by crocodiles escape route across the crocodile-infested waters Japanese Imperial Army captured Ramree Island the crocodile doesnt! Box and 200 Survivor Coins right beside the carcass of the dying men for miles could easily kill human... Is a more sophisticated way to trap criminals minimal compared to the passages detailing the of... The nightly menace, realizing that saltwater crocs were nocturnal and excelled at night hunting Facebook to the! Landing on Ramree Island in January 1945 at the time, British forces an... Attacks against the Japanese invasion force which had already claimed the Island our book count... To 23 feet and weighed 2,370 pounds and Far of starvation were actually eaten by water. Was presumed to be at the time, British forces needed an airbase in the World 's hidden wonders into.
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