A saltwater crocodile (photograph by Heather Paul). Estimated to be around 6 metres (20ft) in length and to weigh more than 900 kilograms (2,000lb). Phoebe also joined the bombardment, along with Consolidated B-24 Liberators, North American B-25 Mitchells and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts of 224 Group Royal Air Force (RAF), under the command of HQ RAF Bengal and Burma, that strafed and bombed the beaches. Platt also noted that Wright did not actually "attribute the majority of Japanese casualties to crocodile predation", but merely specified that only 20 out of 1000 Japanese soldiers survived the battle, with crocodiles being "just one of many hazards". Its estimated that 20 Japanese soldiers made it out of the other side of the swamp where British troops were waiting for them. He prides himself on uncovering the most fascinating tales of history by sharing them through any means of engaging storytelling. How he arrived at that number is unclear, but the Guinness Book of World Records accepted it as fact and began including Wrights version of the story in their annual book starting in 1968. [motor launch] crews ever experienced. [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]. The Burma campaign still lacks the coverage and interest afforded to events in the European theatre during the Second World War. For example, the British official history (War against Japan Volume IV: The Reconquest of Burma, 1965 (2004)) serves as the main source in the study of the Fourteenth Armys attempt to drive the overstretched Japanese from Burma beginning in the late summer of 1944. Crocodile attacks on humans are common in places where large crocodilians are native and human populations live. It's the noise of hell. And helped launch a corporation now worth more than $40 billion. Resistance at the chaung from the troops of the II Battalion, 121st Regiment increased and on 31 January, the 71st Brigade was ordered to move inland, north-east towards Sane, then head south towards Ramree town. Saltwater crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world. 13. 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. Details of a fatal attack on a human by a Morelets crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) in Belize. It took the lives of hundreds of Japanese soldiers. As for the truth, however, that may have been lost to history. [22] There, they heard shouting and rifle fire during the night far from the of Allied position. As a result, saltwater crocodiles are the largest crocodile species in the world and the largest reptile. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. While the Ramree Island Massacre story may seem far-fetched, it is a true story. This suggests that the Japanese did not suffer a major setback of over 900 men finished off on the night of February 19th. However, we must ask the question: did this event really occur? A SCIENTIST was eaten alive by a 17ft long crocodile after being dragged into its enclosure while she fed it last week. CrocBITE, Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database: Sideleau, B., and Britton A.R.C. The debacle was so bad that the Japanese troops were forced to retreat and flee into the mangrove swamps of Ramree Island. Crocodiles. On Feb. 24, 1945, Reuters war correspondents reported that Japanese soldiers trying to escape Ramree island were "being forced by hunger out of the mangrove swamps and many have been killed by crocodiles. The soldiers were viciously and mercilessly attacked by the crocodiles. Find out what happened when 900 Japanese soldiers, trapped by a British landing on Ramree Island, Burma in 1945, tried to retreat through 10 miles of mangrove swamps. It is estimated that each year hundreds of people die from crocodile attacks in Africa many of these attacks are never reported in the media. The story originated with news articles published around the time of the incident, but certain plot holes identified in the years since have raised questions about the veracity of those early reports. Wikimedia Commons photo. The rancid smell of blood automatically attracts the attention of this herd of reptiles. [7], On 26 January in Operation Sankey, a Royal Marine force landed on Cheduba island, about 6.2mi (10km) offshore of the south-west coast of Ramree Island and found it unoccupied. Photoshopped image courtesy of opposingfronts.com. The rest were reportedly eaten alive by hordes of prehistoric-looking saltwater crocodiles. What awaited them there was a horror beyond comprehension. The swamps were full of saltwater crocodiles. As part of his research, he visited the marshes of Ramree Island and interviewed locals. The crocodiles would silently stalk their prey before attacking with lightning speed; humans are no match for the saltwater crocodile when considering their power, size, and weight. At the time, British forces needed an airbase in the area of Ramree Island in order to launch more attacks against the Japanese. However, there is no specific mention of the crocodile attack devouring over 900 Japanese. Japanese Soldiers Burma Crocodiles? Where did Japanese soldiers get eaten by crocodiles? But what really happened?. They are also notorious for attacking humans who stray into their habitats. The Type 2 Mutant Giant Crocodile was obviously stronger than many other Type 2 Mutant Beasts, however, its blood essence had only allowed Yue Zhong to gain 8 points in Vitality. The invasion force was led by three Joint Assault Commanders, Captain Bush RN, Major-General Cyril Lomax and Wing Commander H. Smith. In April 2010, a 25-year-old woman from New Jersey was killed by a saltwater crocodile while snorkeling in India's Andaman Islands. Sideleau, B. You dont want to get bit by this creature, though, as their bite force is the strongest in the animal kingdom. The Allies also had to deal with challenges posed by logistics and supply problems, as well as malaria, cholera, and various other diseases. An event at the same time that was recorded as the deadliest known crocodile attack appeared on the Guinness Book of World Records. Military officials decided to press on, and the Japanese continued their journey through the mangrove swamps. The only account that seems to prove any of this information comes from Bruce Stanley Wright, who participated in the battle of Ramree. A biologist solves the mystery of two dozen missing animal mummies. [2] Contents [8], On 7 February, the 71st Indian Infantry Brigade and supporting tanks reached the town of Ramree and encountered determined Japanese resistance. Conservation & Society. However, thousands of enemy troops held the island, causing an exhausting battle that went on for six weeks. pp. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Salt-water crocodiles, some of them well over 20 ft (6.1 m) long frequented these waters. 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 navy also carried 54,000 men, 1,000 vehicles, 14,000 long tons (14,000t) of stores and 800 animals. Innumerable crocodiles had gathered in the swamps under the water, attracted by the smell of blood coming from the dead and wounded Japanese soldiers. [3] A plan was ready by 2 January, when it was clear that the advance of the Fourteenth Army (Lieutenant-General William Slim) would soon pass beyond the range of its airbases at Imphal and Agartala; replacements at Chittagong, Akyab and Ramree would be needed. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 34(2): 21-22. The quest for a bird that continues to defy international sanctions. Joseph Howard received a Navy and Marine Corps Medal for risking his life to save others. The route took the Japanese through 9.9mi (16km) of mangrove swamp and as they struggled through it, the British encircled the area. In addition, saltwater crocodiles are far from a misunderstood monster. Crocodiles appeared when the Japanese got deeper into the swamp. Reportedly, the Japanese troops, as if they hadn't endured enough, became victims to countless Saltwater crocodile attacks. And they werent shy about attacking either. 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. 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. [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." The Japanese commander refused and considered the options left before him. (2014). They faced an enemy as old. Some British soldiers, including naturalist Bruce Stanley Wright, who participated in the expedition, claimed that crocodiles attacked and ate numerous Japanese soldiers. "One arrow alone can be easily broken but many arrows are indestructible" ~Genghis Khan~, Stephen Gum Mark, Chinese American and 1914 San Rafael High School Graduate with Gift of Oratory, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard: Road of Many Names, THE BRITISH MONARCHY: A Case against Charles III, is a Case for Charles The Great and the Realm, READ/DOWNLOAD$] KAMPFRAUM ARNHEIM: A Photo Study of the German Soldier Fighting In and Around, Playing telephone with Edmund Burke and JFK. On December 7, 2010, South African outdoorsman, On May 29, 2016, 46-year-old Cindy Waldron and her childhood friend, Leann Mitchell, 47, went for a late night swim at Thornton Beach in, On April 30, 2018, 25-year-old former tennis player Zanele Ndlovu was canoeing on the, In July 2018, a man was reportedly killed by a saltwater crocodile in a breeding farm in, On January 11, 2019, scientist Deasy Tuwo was eaten alive by a crocodile after falling into an enclosure at a research facility in, In March 2019, a small research team from Australia visited, On November 30, 2021, 18-year-old Amelie Osborn-Smith was attacked by a Nile crocodile in the, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 20:31. Various British soldiers did indeed witness crocodiles devouring dead Japanese bodies, but Willis ultimately determined that the majority of Japanese soldiers died in combat or drowned. It was clear that the constant dosage of blood essences was losing its effectiveness for Yue Zhong, and if he continued at his current rate of consumption, it was most . They used to call the crocodiles the allies. 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. No evidence, that is, unless one believes a solitary account by a mysterious character. The Japanese understood that saltwater crocodiles have a reputation for eating humans but they went into the mangrove swamp of Ramree Island anyway. Inspired by actual events during World War 2. With a jump in Australia on Monday, Jan. 16, local time, a team of vets set skydiving records to raise money for Folds of Honor. 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. Finally, the British soldiers realized the Japaneses situation and urged them to surrender to avoid further bloodshed. Two days later Mayin was occupied and the troops reached the Yanbauk Chaung the next day. If 'thousands of crocodiles' were involved in the massacre, as in the urban (jungle) myth, how had these ravening monsters survived before and how were they to survive later? The Japanese understood that saltwater crocodiles have a reputation for eating humans but they went into the mangrove swamp of Ramree Island anyway. The island lies off the Burma coast, 70 miles south of Akyab, now known as Sittwe. The Saltwater crocodiles are the most magnificent reptiles in the world. That's why it was posted online: The chewing of huge reptiles, the shouting of humans, and the sound of rifle firing were heard in the woods. 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. Despite these numerous hazards, one danger stood out as the greatest. Many of the areas in which humans and large crocodiles come into contact are remote, impoverished, or in areas of political unrest. The Yanbauk Chaung the next day us on Facebook to get bit by this creature though... The strongest in the battle of Ramree Island in order to launch more against. 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