Deasy Tuwo, 44, was feeding croc Merry early on Friday morning at the CV. A thousand Japanese soldiers were purportedly killed by saltwater crocodiles in the Ramree mangroves. Crocodile attacks are not always reported to local authorities, and some reports are difficult to verify. These prehistoric holdovers can grow to over 20 feet in length and over 2,000 pounds in some cases, and although examples that size are rare, even a mid-sized crocodile of the species could easily kill a full grown adult human. Can an Old Coin Solve the Mystery of a Lost Roman Emperor? The Imperial Japanese Army decided that a full retreat was in order after their defeat in Burma at the hands of British forces. But what really happened?. Screenshot courtesy of the Guinness Book of World Records/National Geographic. As a result, saltwater crocodiles are the largest crocodile species in the world and the largest reptile. 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. It is not difficult to imagine what happened to the Japanese who took refuge in the mangroves! Men of the Wiltshire Regiment from the 26th Indian Infantry Division prepare a meal beside a temple on Ramree Island. This type of crocodile can grow as much as 20 feet in length and can weigh about 22,000 pounds. So when nearly 1,000 panicked soldiers came dripping blood and sweat into the cramped confines of the Ramree mangrove swamp, the giant lizards likely had the feast of their lives. So instead of following the Japanese into the swamps, they decided to wait them out. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 28(1): 911. Military officials decided to press on, and the Japanese continued their journey through the mangrove swamps. These crocs are the largest reptiles in the world and are capable of bringing down water buffalo. 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. With the ebb of the tide, the crocodiles moved in on the dead, wounded, and uninjured men who had become mired in the mud, The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of the 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. These Japanese troops told their captors about the crocodiles. It is located in Myanmar, and it is the most dangerous island in the world. Many of the areas in which humans and large crocodiles come into contact are remote, impoverished, or in areas of political unrest. Of the 1,000 troops who entered the swamp on Ramree Island, only a reported 480 survived. 1000 armed soldiers killed by crocodiles in 2 nights During world war 2, some 1000 armed Japanese soldiers were killed by a group of large crocodiles and medium crocodiles on Ramree island close to Bu. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. So while the historical accounts are unclear, the British almost certainly did encounter the 20 Japanese soldiers who explained the horrors they endured. The Battle of Ramree - World War II. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. [18], In 1974, journalist George Frazier reported having asked the Japanese War Office about the crocodile attack and being told that they could not confirm that it had happened. The current evidence, which is clear but limited, suggest we should not believe it. Human-Tomistoma interactions in central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. 13. No Japanese survived . Osama, a saltwater crocodile named after the terrorist Usama Bin Laden, reportedly killed and ate 80 people in Uganda over a period of 14 years beginning in 1991. They decided to flee. [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. [motor launch] crews ever experienced. To counter this, he tries to provide a rational argument and bring a voice of reason to the debate. An estimate put naval gunfire support from 4 January to 13 March for the land operations at Akyab, Ramree and Cheduba at 23,000 shells. Imagine youre part of a military force outflanked by the enemy on a tropical island. These specimens could also live more than 70 years, meaning they had plenty of time to practice their hunting skills. [1], The two species with the most well-known and documented reputation for preying on humans are the Nile crocodile and saltwater crocodile, and these are the perpetrators of the vast majority of both fatal and non-fatal crocodilian attacks. Who Were the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece? Sideleau, B. The Saltwater crocodiles are the most magnificent reptiles in the world. The two sides were stuck in a standoff until the British Royal Marines along with the 36th Indian Infantry Brigade outflanked a Japanese position. [1] These are the West African crocodile (often considered quite harmless,[4] but has been involved in several attacks, also fatal),[5] American crocodile (only a few documented fatalities),[3][6][7] the Morelet's crocodile (typically considered a relatively non-threatening species, but there have been several fatal attacks),[7][8] Orinoco crocodile (fatalities recorded in the 1930s and earlier when the species was more common, but today it is very rare),[9][10] Cuban crocodile (generally considered aggressive, but only one confirmed fatality),[3][11] black caiman (fatal attacks confirmed in Brazil, but possibly underreported because of its remote range),[3] American alligator (making up an estimated 6% of fatal crocodilian attacks),[2] and false gharial (only a few confirmed fatalities, all involving very large false gharials). In early 1945, as part of the Pacific War during World War II, Allied forces pinned down 1,000 Japanese soldiers in a mangrove swamp off the coast of Burma (now Myanmar). Nine hundred soldiers of an Imperial Japanese Army unit, in an attempt to retreat from the Royal Navy and rejoin a larger battalion of the Japanese infantry, crossed through sixteen kilometres (ten miles) of mangrove swamps that contained saltwater crocodiles. The United States and its allies realized that such an airbase would threaten. [9], In 1965, the British official historian, Stanley Woodburn Kirby, wrote that the Japanese defence of the island and the escape of about 500 men against "fearful odds", had been courageous and determined. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. [4], On 14 January, the 26th Indian Division was ordered to attack Ramree on 21 January, as a Royal Marine detachment from 3 Commando Brigade occupied the neighbouring Cheduba Island. You dont want to get bit by this creature, though, as their bite force is the strongest in the animal kingdom. 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. The Japanese soldiers were no match for these crocodiles. Innumerable crocodiles had gathered in the swamps under the water, attracted by the smell of blood coming from the dead and wounded Japanese soldiers. The majority of Japanese soldiers died in combat or drowned, despite the fact that many British soldiers witnessed crocodiles eating dead Japanese bodies. [2] Contents Saltwater crocodiles can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and have one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. However, gasoline demand has dropped to levels not seen since the early days of the pandemic, revealing how consumers' habits are changing. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. They are also notorious for attacking humans who stray into their habitats. 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. [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). 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. Moreover, even a medium-sized saltwater crocodile could easily kill a human. The likeliness of hearing of the Battle of Ramree Island is incredibly small due to it not being one of the Second World Wars most significant skirmishes, but many consider it one of the oddest and creepiest stories in the history of warfare. After just a few days, these ravenous creatures devoured more than 500 Japanese soldiers. In January 1996, I sat with 11 other scuba divers on the top deck of a 150 foot live aboard, watching the sunset over the mountains of Guadalcanal. 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The worst "mass attack" by crocodiles allegedly occurred during World War II on the night of 19 February 1945, when approximately 1000 Japanese soldiers found themselves pinned down in a mangrove swamp separating Ramree Island from the mainland of Myanmar (then Burma). [16], In 2006, Robert Duff, a veteran of the 26th Division, recorded an oral history for the BBC, stating, "after a few weeks we managed to push [the Japanese] to the swamp on the other side of the island, which was full of crocodiles. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 14 (4): 391405. 2023 Atlas Obscura. 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 British didnt pursue the fleeing troops closely because the Allies knew what awaited the enemy inside this natural death trap: crocodiles. This story has gained increasing credence in recent years. It just shows that you should never underestimate the power of nature. They didnt know what exactly caused the shouts of terror they heard, but only that the Japanese troops were being ravaged by some evil menace. Wikimedia Commons photo. Where did Japanese soldiers get eaten by crocodiles? A subject of much debate and intrigue among World War II historians, the story of how hundreds of Japanese troops met their gruesome fate in the crocodile-infested marshes of Ramree Island became so widely believed that it was included in the Guinness Book of World Records under the entry for most fatalities in a crocodile attack. ----------------Visit my unique travel channel on Youtube - Traveling on the Go ----------------- Here is the claim: Allied forces in the Pacific War during World War II trapped 1,000 Japanese soldiers in a mangrove swamp off the coast of Burma in the early months of 1945. Many historians debunk the tale of the massacre, but some facts do point to some veracity of the incident. Some of them being so badly injured and mauled that they were later recaptured by the British forces. Unfortunately for the Japanese troops, the swamps of Ramree were infested by countless, very large saltwater crocodiles, which can grow upwards of 20 feet long and over a ton in weight. The island lies off the Burma coast, 70 miles south of Akyab, now known as Sittwe. Required fields are marked *. How The Stonewall Riots Changed The Course Of The Gay Rights Movement, 9 Abandoned Airports And The Tragic Stories Behind Them, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. "Level 3 Skill: Water Flow Manipulation. Reportedly, the Japanese troops, as if they hadn't endured enough, became victims to countless Saltwater crocodile attacks. There were 2 experts from the small Japanese village, one was Kyoko, the other was Kaori. Only a handful came out alive". Dont Call It A Tank': The M2 Bradley Hunted Russian Tanks in Iraq Now Itll Be In Ukraine, US Marine Corps Sergeant Decorated for Saving Lives, Mystery Marine Corps General Commandeers Plane for Funeral, Jumping For Gold Star Families, Triple 7 Jumpers Nail Down World Records, Iran Silent as US Senators Visit Bahrain, Neon Defender Kicks Off, No Sleep Til Abu Dhabi: Triple 7 Skydivers Clinch First World Record, In Hawaii, Americas Battalion Folds its Colors and Fades Away, Maybe, Just Maybe, We Were Flying With Our Fallen Friends: Triple 7 Over the Pyramids, Kyivs Yurt of Invincibility Highlights KazakhstanRussia Rift. He prides himself on uncovering the most fascinating tales of history by sharing them through any means of engaging storytelling. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. All of the above crocodile attacks could have been avoided. 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. 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. An Australian Army soldier suffered serious head and chest injuries after being mauled by a crocodile that attacked him late on Friday, Australia media . Galante elaborated that the crocodiles were hungry because the soldiers had already. The swamps were infested with mosquitoes, leeches, and snakes. It was just that their levels were low. Unfortunately, he died of congestive heart failure in February 2013. On Feb. 25, 1945, the British newspaper The Guardian reported that Japanese stragglers who are trying to escape from Ramree Island off the west coast of Burma, are being forced by hunger out of mangrove swamps and many have been killed by crocodiles. From there, the story took on a life of its own. CrocBITE, Worldwide Crocodilian Attack Database: Sideleau, B., and Britton A.R.C. Join us onFacebook,Twitter(#AnimalWeek), andTumblrfor even more animal action and to share your own tales of fascinating fauna. What awaited them there was a horror beyond comprehension. On 23 January, the 71st Infantry Brigade advanced southwards, down the west coast. The 4th Indian Infantry Brigade had advanced to Ledaung Chaung and then moved east to reinforce the attack; the town fell on 9 February. The navy also carried 54,000 men, 1,000 vehicles, 14,000 long tons (14,000t) of stores and 800 animals. The battle of Ramree isnt well known, but it should be considered one of the creepiest and most bizarre episodes of World War II. An army of 1000 Japanese soldiers was decimated by saltwater crocodiles during the Battle of Ramree Island of World War II. Wright combined the 20 soldiers found the next day to conclude that the crocodile had eaten a Japanese army. 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. In 1945 during the Battle of Ramree Island an estimated 500 Japanese soldiers entered the swamps of Ramree island, Burma, according to the stories less than 20 of them emerged. The swamps were full of saltwater crocodiles. Even worse, saltwater crocodiles are nocturnal and excel at taking prey in the dark. And in an incident not unlike the infamous U.S.S Indianapolis shark attack that befell American troops later that year, many of these troops didnt survive. In Burma, the Allies faced a fierce enemy not only adept in jungle warfare and but also notorious for their suicidal kamikaze charges. It took the lives of hundreds of Japanese soldiers. The crocodiles, alerted by the din of warfare and smell of blood, gathered among the mangroves, lying with their eyes above the water, watchfully alert for their next meal. However this has not stopped the Guinness Book of World Records to name the incident the Most Number of Fatalities in a Crocodile Attack. A dubious distinction for a horrible event, no matter the real numbers. [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. Japanese soldiers hid in the swamp, not knowing of the danger that lies ahead - saltwater crocodiles! pp. [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. Rachmawan, D., and Brend, S. (2009). 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