Cabanatuan Raid
Part of World War II, Pacific theater
Former Cabanatuan POWs in celebration, 30 January 1945 U.S. National Archives
Date 30 January 1945 Location Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines Result Successful Allied operation
Combatants
United States and The Philippines	Empire of Japan
Commanders
Henry Mucci Robert Prince Juan Pajota Eduardo Joson	unknown
Strength
127 U.S. troops Alamo Scouts & 6th Ranger Battalion 200 Filipino guerrillas	est. 700 Japanese guards est. 8,000 Japanese around camp
Casualties
3 killed {1 POW; 2 Rangers} 21 wounded	523 killed 40 wounded

The Raid on Cabanatuan in the Philippines on 30 January 1945 by US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas resulted in the liberation of 511 prisoners of war (POWs) from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan and was a celebrated historic achievement involving Allied special forces during World War II. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links POWs_celebrate. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Cabanatuan City is a 1st class city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. ... Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_-_variant. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister (many other Prime Ministers preceded the below list)  - 1916–1918 Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1937-1939, 1940-1941 Prince Fumimaro Konoe  - 1941–1944 Hideki... Colonel Henry Mucci Henry A. Mucci (1909—April 20, 1997) was an Army Colonel and Ranger. ... Robert Prince (1920) was captain of the US Armys elite 6th Ranger Battalion, chosen personally by Lt. ... Captain Juan Pajota was involved in the Raid at Cabanatuan, an action which took place in Philippines on 30 January 1945 by US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas and resulted in the liberation of more than 500 American prisoners of war (POWs) from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan. ... Eduardo L. Joson was a captain of Filipino guerrillas during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. He later became the Governor of the Nueva Ecija Province in the Philippines from 1959 to 1992, making him the longest serving politician serving one government position in the Philippines. ... The Alamo Scouts was a reconnaissance unit for the U.S. Sixth Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. The unit is most well-known for their participation in liberating American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Japanese Cabanatuan POW camp near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines... The 6th Ranger Battalion was a US Army Ranger Battalion which saw action in the Pacific during World War II. The Battalion is best known for its role in the Raid at Cabanatuan in January 1945. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Combatants United States, Australia, The Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 153,000 Australian troops 856,000 Filipino troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese... Combatants  United States  Australia  Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura â€  (Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa (Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer... The Battle of Ormoc Bay was a series of air-sea battles between Imperial Japan and the United States in the Camotes Sea in the Philippines between 11 November 1944 and 21 December 1944, part of the Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II. The battles... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones (503rd PRCT) Roscoe B. Woodruff (24th Infantry Division) Rikichi Tsukada (Kembu Group, Japanese Army) Strength 10,000 U.S. troops 1,200 Japanese troops Casualties 148 killed and 271 wounded 200 killed and 375 wounded The Battle of Mindoro presaged the main... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Walter Krueger Tadamichi Kuribayashi Strength 68,000 unknown Casualties none none The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf was an American amphibious operation of WWII carried out in the Phillipines. ... Luzon, home to the Filipino capital Manila, saw the showdown between Japanese commander Tomoyuki Yamashita and General Douglas MacArthur on December 15, 1944. ... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Charles P. Hall Henry L.C. Jones Aubrey S. Newman Rikichi Tsukada Nagayoshi Sanenobu Strength 200,000 Filipino troops 35,000 U.S. troops 2,800 Japanese troops Casualties 338 killed 688 wounded 2,400 killed 75 wounded 25 prisoners The Battle for... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert S. Beightler (37th Infantry Division) Verne D. Mudge (1st Cavalry Division) Oscar W. Griswold (U.S. XIV Corps) Joseph M. Swing (11th Airborne Division) Iwabuchi Sanji (Manila Naval Defense Forces) Strength 35,000 US troops 16,000 Japanese sailors, marines, and Army troops Casualties... Combatants United States Japan Commanders George M. Jones Edward M. Postlethwait Rikichi Tsukada Strength 7,000 U.S. troops 6,650 Japanese troops Casualties 207 killed 684 wounded 6,600 killed 50 wounded 19 prisoners The Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor , from February 16 to 26, 1945 , on the... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Edward Lahti John Ringler Robert Soule Gustavo Ingles Sadaaki Konishi Strength 130 U.S. paratroopers 800 Filipino guerrillas 243 Japanese guards 8,000 Japanese marines near camp Casualties 2 U.S. paratroopers killed 2 wounded 2 Filipino guerrillas killed 4 wounded 80 Japanese... The Invasion of Palawan was part of the final phases of the liberetion of the Philippines from occupation by the Imperial Japanese Army. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Robert Eichelberger (U.S. Eighth Army) Rapp Brush (U.S. 40th Division) William H. Arnold (Americal Division) Sosaku Suzuki (35th Japanese Army) Takeo Manjome (Japanese forces in Cebu) Strength 17,000 U.S. troops, 18,500 Filipino guerrillas 32,000 Japanese troops Casualties 835 killed... Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Franklin C. Sibert Albert G. Noble Roscoe B. Woodruff Clarence A. Martin Wendell W. Fertig Gyosaku Morozumi Strength 35,000 U.S. troops 400,00 Filipino Troops 24,000 Filipino guerrillas 43,000 Japanese troops Casualties 820 killed 2,880 wounded 10,000... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Official force name 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Other names Airborne Rangers Army Rangers Task Force Ranger U.S. Army Rangers Branch U.S. Army Chain of Command USASOC Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ... Guerrilla warfare (also guerilla) is the unconventional warfare and combat with which small group combatants (usually civilians) use mobile tactics (ambushes, raids, etc) to combat a larger, less mobile formal army. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Prisoner of War camps Contents // Categories: Substubs | Prisons and detention centres ... Cabanatuan City is a 1st class city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. ... A representation of the changes in territory controlled by Allies and Axis powers over the course of the war. ... Special Forces (SF) or Special Operations Forces (SOF) are highly-trained military units that conduct specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Edward Dmytryk's 1945 film Back to Bataan starring John Wayne opens by retelling the story of the raid on the Cabanatuan POW camp. The raid was recreated, with great attention to historical accuracy, in the 2005 John Dahl film The Great Raid. Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 - July 1, 1999) was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy era red scare. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) was an iconic, Academy Award-winning, American film actor. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Dahl (born 1956) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for the neo-noir films Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, and The Last Seduction. ... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... The Great Raid is a 2005 war film which tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco and Connie Nielsen with Filipino actor Cesar Montano. ...

Background

By early 1943 Imperial Japan's fortunes of war experienced a complete turnaround from its previous dominance. Defeat met the Japanese Imperial Army facing the British in the China-Burma-India theater, and against the U.S. and Australians in the Pacific islands. The increasing superiority of the Allied war machine was mostly because of the successful U.S. submarine campaign against Japanese merchant shipping, and the devastating losses the Japanese Navy suffered in the Battle of Midway in 1942. The Imperial Japanese Army (大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was in existence from the Meiji Reformation to the end of World War II. It was created to replace the traditional Japanese samurai with a modern Western-style conscript army. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi â€  Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier...

In August 1944, the War Ministry in Tokyo apparently was piqued by the U.S. State Department's communiqué concerning Japan's war crimes against Allied POWs and issued the Kill-All policy to annihilate the principal witnesses—the last surviving POWs. Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Communiqué is the second album by British rock band Dire Straits, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music). ... In the context of war, a war crime is a punishable offense under International Law, for violations of the laws of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ...

On 20 October 1944, General Douglas MacArthur's forces landed on Leyte, paving the way for the liberation of the Philippines. On 14 December 1944, as the Americans consolidated their forces to prepare for the main invasion of Luzon, nearly 150 Americans were executed by their Japanese captors in a POW camp at the island of Palawan. These Americans were herded into air raid shelters, sealed in, doused with gasoline, and burned alive. One of the escaped survivors, PFC Eugene Nielsen, recounted his tale to U.S. Army intelligence on 7 January 1945. is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ... Combatants United States, Australia, The Philippines Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Walter Krueger Franklin C. Sibert John R. Hodge Ruperto C. Kangleon Tomoyuki Yamashita Sosaku Suzuki Shiro Makino Strength 200,000 U.S. troops 153,000 Australian troops 856,000 Filipino troops 3,189 Filipino guerrillas 55,000 Japanese... aaaaaaaaaaa ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ... Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. ... US Military In the U.S. Army, Private First Class is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above Private and below Corporal or Specialist. ... is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Two days later, MacArthur's forces landed on Luzon and began a rapid advance towards the capital, Manila. During this time, Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger, the U.S. Sixth Army commander, was notified of the Cabanatuan camp's existence by Major Robert Lapham, the senior USAFFE guerrilla leader in Luzon. Nickname: Motto: Linisin Ibangon Maynila Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Alfredo Lim (2007-2010 GO)  - Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (AM/PDP-Laban... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Walter Krueger (1881-1967) was a German-American soldier and general in the first half of the 20th century. ... Shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Sixth Army. ... USAFFE (United States Army Forces - Far East) included the Philippine Department, Philippine Army (2 regular and 10 reserve divisions), and the Far East Air Force (formerly, Philippine Army Air Corps). ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ...

By 26 January, with Sixth Army forward units nearing Cabanatuan, Gen. Krueger became increasingly concerned of the situation at the camp, and with his intelligence officer, Col. Horton White, called in the special reconnaissance unit attached to his Sixth Army—the Alamo Scouts—for a briefing. The next day, Krueger assigned Lt. Col. Henry Mucci and his 6th Ranger Battalion the mission to raid Cabanatuan and rescue the POWs. is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Alamo Scouts was a reconnaissance unit for the U.S. Sixth Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. The unit is most well-known for their participation in liberating American prisoners of war (POWs) from the Japanese Cabanatuan POW camp near Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Colonel Henry Mucci Henry A. Mucci (1909—April 20, 1997) was an Army Colonel and Ranger. ... The 6th Ranger Battalion was a US Army Ranger Battalion which saw action in the Pacific during World War II. The Battalion is best known for its role in the Raid at Cabanatuan in January 1945. ...

Behind enemy lines

Lt. Col. Henry Mucci, left

On the evening of 27 January, two teams of Alamo Scouts, led by 1st Lts. William Nellist and Thomas Roundsville, infiltrated behind enemy lines to attempt a reconnaissance of the prison camp. The next morning, the Scouts linked up with several Filipino guerrilla units at the village of Platero, two miles (3 km) north of the camp. Image File history File links Mucci. ... Image File history File links Mucci. ... is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ...

In the early afternoon, Mucci and a reinforced company of 127 Rangers under Capt. Robert Prince slipped through Japanese lines near Guimba. Guided by the guerrillas, the Rangers hiked through forests and open grasslands, narrowly avoiding a Japanese tank on the national highway by following a ravine that ran under the road. Robert Prince (1920) was captain of the US Armys elite 6th Ranger Battalion, chosen personally by Lt. ...

The following day at Balincarin, five miles (8 km) north of the camp, Mucci met with USAFFE guerrilla Captain Juan Pajota, whose intimate knowledge of enemy activity, the locals, and the terrain proved crucial. Upon learning that Mucci wanted to push through with the attack that evening, Pajota resisted, insisting that it would be suicide. 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 hours. The Rangers withdrew to Platero. Captain Juan Pajota was involved in the Raid at Cabanatuan, an action which took place in Philippines on 30 January 1945 by US Army Rangers and Filipino guerrillas and resulted in the liberation of more than 500 American prisoners of war (POWs) from a Japanese POW camp near Cabanatuan. ...

At 11:30 on 30 January, Alamo Scouts Lt. Nellist and Pvt. Rufo Vaquilar, disguised as locals, managed to gain access to an abandoned shack above the camp where they were rewarded with a view of the prison compound. They prepared a detailed report on the camp's major features and the best attack routes. Shortly thereafter they were joined by three other Scouts, whom Nellist tasked to deliver the report to Mucci. is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Strategy

Captain Juan Pajota

Lt. Col. Mucci received Nellist's report at 14:30 and forwarded it to Capt. Prince, whom he entrusted to figure out how to get the Rangers in and out of the compound quickly, with all the sickly prisoners and with as few casualties as possible. Image File history File links Juan_Pajota. ... Image File history File links Juan_Pajota. ...

He sent two groups of guerrillas, one under Capt. Pajota and another under Capt. Eduardo Joson, in opposite directions to hold the main road near the camp. The Rangers were split into two groups as well: C Company, led by Capt. Prince, would attack the main camp and escort the prisoners out, while thirty members from F Company commanded by Lt. John Murphy would signal the start of the attack by firing into various Japanese positions. He predicted that the raid would be accomplished in thirty minutes or less.

One of Prince's primary concerns was the flatness of the countryside. He knew his Rangers would have to crawl through a long, open field on their bellies, right under the eyes of the Japanese guards. At Pajota's suggestion, Mucci arranged for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to have a P-61 Black Widow night fighter buzz the camp while the men made their way across the field. It proved to be the biggest factor in achieving the element of surprise. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom, monoplane night fighter and night intruder aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was the first American – and only Allied – purpose-built aircraft to serve as a radar-equipped...

Prince gives 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.”

About 45 minutes before the attack, Capt Schrieber cut the left engine at 1,500 feet (450 m) over the camp. He restarted it, creating a loud backfire, and repeated the procedure twice more, losing altitude to 200 feet (60 m). Pretending to be a crippled plane, Schrieber headed toward low hills, clearing them by a mere 30 feet (10 m). To the Japanese observers, it seemed the plane had crashed and they watched, waiting for a fiery explosion. It created a much-needed diversion for the Rangers inching their way toward the camp on their bellies.

Liberation by fire

Captain Pajota's guerrillas at Cabanatuan.

Two hours after Mucci approved Prince's plan, the Rangers departed from Platero. Approaching the camp by stealth was relatively easy — Pajota had prevailed upon the villagers to muzzle their barking dogs during the night. Meanwhile the P-61 had taken off at 18:00, piloted by Kenneth Schrieber and Bonnie Rucks, to provide distraction for the next hour, while the Rangers at the camp's rear crawled toward the barbed wire fences. The others, under Prince, made their way nearer to the main gate. Image File history File links Pajotas_Guerrillas. ... Image File history File links Pajotas_Guerrillas. ...

At 19:40, the whole prison compound erupted into small arms fire. The Rangers at the main gate maneuvered to bring the guard barracks 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. Though a truck moved in with a dozen Japanese soldiers, the team was able to destroy the shack and the truck. The surviving Japanese were mowed down by F Company. For other uses, see Bazooka (disambiguation). ...

Cabanatuan Prison Hut

When the Rangers yelled to the POW's to come out and be rescued, many of the POWs feared that it might be a trap so the Japanese could mow them down. Also, a substantial number of the POWs resisted because the Rangers' weapons and uniforms looked nothing like those from a few years prior. Many of them hid, forcing the Rangers to go barracks to barracks. The Rangers were challenged by the POWs and asked who they were and where they were from. Many Rangers had to resort to physical force to remove the prisoners, throwing or kicking them out. Once out of the barracks, they were told by the Rangers to proceed to the main, or front gate. Prisoners were disoriented to them because the 'main gate' meant the entrance to the American side of the camp. Many of the POWs collided with each other in the confusion but were eventually led out by the Rangers. Image File history File links Cabanatuan_Prison_Hut. ... Image File history File links Cabanatuan_Prison_Hut. ...

Zero Ward was a makeshift hospital where the sick and weak were placed (zero being the chance of survival). Rangers carried the prisoners out, and many were so light that some Rangers carried two men on their backs.

A lone Japanese soldier was able to fire off three mortar rounds toward the main gate. F Company located the soldier and killed him. Several Rangers and POWs, including battalion surgeon Capt. James Fisher, were wounded in the attack.

The alerted Japanese contingent poured over the bridge in the nearby Cabu River and into the waiting guns of Pajota's guerrillas. Pajota had sent a demolitions expert several hours earlier to set charges to go off at 19:40. The bomb went off and did not destroy the bridge, but blew a hole over which tanks could not pass. Squads of Japanese troops rushed the bridge, and the Filipino guerrillas repulsed all attacks. One guerrilla, who had been trained to use the bazooka only a few hours earlier, destroyed or disabled four tanks which were hiding behind a clump of trees.

Prince checked all parts after the raid, but he missed a deaf British soldier, Edwin Rose who had been in the latrines. Rose was found later by passing guerillas.

Long trek to freedom

Weak and sickly POWs on water buffalo-driven carts.

At 20:15, the camp was secured from the Japanese and then Capt. Prince fired his flare to signal the end of the assault. The Rangers and the weary, frail and disease-ridden POWs made their way to the appointed rendezvous at the Pampanga River, a mile away. The Alamo Scouts stayed behind to help with casualties and survey the area for enemy retaliatory movements. Meanwhile, Pajota's men continued to resist the attacking enemy until they finally could withdraw. Image File history File links POWs_on_Carts. ... Image File history File links POWs_on_Carts. ...

Thirty minutes later, the Rangers and POWs reached the river. A caravan of about a dozen water buffalo carts waited there, driven by local villagers organized by Pajota.

During one leg of the return trip, the men were stopped by the Hukbalahap, a group that hated both American and Japanese. They were also rivals to Pajota's men. One of Pajota's lieutenants conferred with the Hukbalahap and came back and told 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. The Hukbalahap was the militant arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), formed in 1942 to fight the Japanese occupation in the Philippines during World War II. The term is a contraction of the Filipino term Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon which means Peoples Army...

Former Cabanatuan POWs march to freedom.

The agitated Mucci told the lieutenant that both Rangers and guerrillas were passing through, or he would call in an artillery barrage and level the whole village. (Actually, Mucci's radio was not working). They agreed to let both groups through. Mucci, now a little paranoid, worried that the lieutenant might be working with the Hukbalahap. He took out his .45 pistol, cocked it, and asked the lieutenant if the road was clear. The lieutenant answered yes and Mucci responded, "It's like this. It better be clear. Because you're going to head the column. I'll be right behind you. If there's even a hint of trouble, I'll shoot you first." Image File history File links POW_March. ... Image File history File links POW_March. ...

As the forces moved through the village, the unharmed Mucci apologized to the Lieutenant.

At 20:00, Mucci's radioman was able to get Sixth Army headquarters on the line. The Sixth Army had captured Talavera, a town ten miles (16 km) from Mucci's current position. Mucci was directed to go there. At Talavera, the POWs were ordered to board trucks for the last leg of their journey home. A number of nations have had a Sixth Army: US Sixth Army German Sixth Army This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Outcome and historical significance

The raid was a tremendous success — 511 POWs were liberated.

Three Americans died. One prisoner apparently died of malaria after the raid. Battalion surgeon James Fisher succumbed one day later from his mortar wounds. Private First Class Daly of F Company was shot by an enemy sniper. Twenty-one Filipino guerrillas were injured.

An estimated 523 Japanese troops were killed or wounded.

Captain James Fisher with Robert Prince

This 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. Image File history File links Capt. ... Image File history File links Capt. ... REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Province of Bataan Region: Central Luzon (Region III) Capital: Balanga City Founded: —1754 Population: 2000 census—557,659 (46th largest) Density—406 per km² (12th highest) Area: 1,373. ... Corregidor and the entrance to Manila Bay Corregidor in 1941 Corregidor is an island in the entrance of the Philippines Manila Bay. ...

Former Cabanatuan POWs at makeshift hospital in Talavera.

Two hundred seventy-two former Cabanatuan POWs left Leyte on 11 February 1945, aboard the transport USS General A.E. Anderson bound for San Francisco via Hollandia, New Guinea. The Japanese were dealt a great propaganda blow, and their radio announcer Tokyo Rose announced that Japanese submarines, ships and planes were hunting the ship. The threats proved to be a bluff, and the General Anderson safely arrived in San Francisco Bay on 8 March 1945. Image File history File links POWs_in_Hospital. ... Image File history File links POWs_in_Hospital. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Tokyo Rose (alternate spelling Tokio Rose) was a generic name given by Allied forces in the South Pacific during World War II to any of approximately one dozen English-speaking female broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

General Douglas MacArthur presented the following awards on 3 March 1945: Lt. Col. Mucci and Capt. Prince both received Distinguished Service Crosses. The other American officers received Silver Stars. The American enlisted men and the Filipino guerrilla officers were awarded Bronze Stars. This article is about the American general; for the municipality in the Philippines, see General MacArthur, Eastern Samar. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ...

The raid, coupled with the equally successful raid at Los Baños on 23 February, marked the high point of cooperation between American ground and air units and Filipino guerrillas. Without the assistance of Filipino citizens both operations would have been much more difficult, if not impossible. Combatants United States and Philippines Japan Commanders Edward Lahti John Ringler Robert Soule Gustavo Ingles Sadaaki Konishi Strength 130 U.S. paratroopers 800 Filipino guerrillas 243 Japanese guards 8,000 Japanese marines near camp Casualties 2 U.S. paratroopers killed 2 wounded 2 Filipino guerrillas killed 4 wounded 80 Japanese... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ranger Captain James Fisher's memorial at Barrio Balangkara, Cabanatuan.

Image File history File links Barrio_Balangkara_Fisher_Memorial. ... Image File history File links Barrio_Balangkara_Fisher_Memorial. ...

See Also

• Claire Phillips - An American spy who helped smuggle supplies to the camp.
• Margaret Utinsky - An American nurse (posing as a Lithuanian) who helped smuggle supplies to the camp.

Claire Phillips (1908-1960), also known as Clara Fuentes or High Pockets, was an American spy who worked in the Japanese controlled Philippines during World War II. In 1951, upon the recommendation of General Douglas MacArthur, she became the first woman to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ... Margaret Elizabeth Utinsky (August 26, 1900—August 30, 1970) was a Medal of Freedom recipient who provided medicine food and other things that might aid prisoners of war in the Philippines during World War II. External Links Medal of Freedom Recipient Margaret Elizabeth Utinsky Categories: | | | | | ...

References

• Johnson, Forrest Bryant. Hour of Redemption: The Heroic WW II Saga of America's Most Daring POW Rescue. Warner Books, 2002. Originally published in 1978.
• Sides, Hampton. Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission. New York: Doubleday, 2001.
• The Great Raid - John Dahl (director), starring Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco and Connie Nielsen, with Filipino actor Cesar Montano, Miramax Films (2005)

Ghost Soldiers is a book about the Raid at Cabanatuan written by Hampton Sides. ... The Great Raid is a 2005 war film which tells the story of the January 1945 liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp during World War II. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes, James Franco and Connie Nielsen with Filipino actor Cesar Montano. ... John Dahl (born 1956) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for the neo-noir films Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, and The Last Seduction. ... Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor. ... Joseph Fiennes (IPA: ) (born May 27, 1970) is an English actor. ... James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, film producer, and artist. ... Connie Nielsen in Mission to Mars (2000) Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born July 3, 1965) is a Danish actress. ... Cesar Manhilot, known by his popular screen name Cesar Montano, is a multi-awarded Filipino actor and film director. ... Miramax Films is a film production and distribution brand that was a Big Ten film motion picture distribution and production company headquartered in New York City before being bought out by The Walt Disney Company. ...

External links

• Leavenworth Papers, No. 11; Rangers: Selected Combat Operations in World War II
• General A.E. Anderson Website