On 23 January, the 71st Infantry Brigade advanced southwards, down the west coast. See. These specimens could also live more than 70 years, meaning they had plenty of time to practice their hunting skills. [2], Eight other species have been involved in fatal attacks on humans, but in far lower numbers than the Nile, saltwater and mugger crocodiles, and also with significantly lower fatality rates (a higher percentage of their attacks are non-fatal). Screenshot showing the 2017 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records adding a note to the previous edition correcting information about the claim that saltwater crocodiles killed hundreds of Japanese soldiers at Ramree Island in World War II. 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. Animal Weekis November 18 - 22, 2013 on Atlas Obscura. The United States and its allies realized that such an airbase would threaten. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Unfortunately, it seems that the Japanese didnt know what awaited them in the swamp, or they were so desperate to escape that they didnt care. He prides himself on uncovering the most fascinating tales of history by sharing them through any means of engaging storytelling. 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. The majority of Japanese soldiers died in combat or drowned, despite the fact that many British soldiers witnessed crocodiles eating dead Japanese bodies. On mainland Burma, diseases such as malaria accounted for almost half the total death toll of Allied forces. However, first they had to drive off the Japanese invasion force which had already claimed the island. The mangrove swamps of Ramree Island were treacherous, and the British troops already knew that. Even worse, saltwater crocodiles are nocturnal and excel at taking prey in the dark. [1] Unlike the predatory attacks by Nile and saltwater crocodiles, victims of mugger crocodiles are often not eaten, indicating that many attacks by this species are territorial or defensive rather than predatory. 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. McLynn is disturbed by the willingness of other writers to cite the details provided by Wright and the Guinness Book of Records without confirming the veracity of such information. 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.. However, thousands of enemy troops held the island, causing an exhausting battle that went on for six weeks. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.Thanks: Bernard Dupont In this official account there are references to the menace posed by saltwater crocodiles at Ramree Island. Details of a fatal attack on a human by a Morelets crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) in Belize. Conservation & Society. The smell of blood attracted nearby crocodiles, so the bodies of Japanese soldiers were eaten by crocodiles. A saltwater crocodile (photograph by Heather Paul). + A sting operation is a more sophisticated way to trap criminals. Why Did Ancient Egyptian Men Wear Makeup? Two days later Mayin was occupied and the troops reached the Yanbauk Chaung the next day. We do not need to add mythical tales when reality provides a drama played out in all its honor and tragedy. The rest were reportedly eaten alive by hordes of prehistoric-looking saltwater crocodiles. Only 20 of the Japanese fighters were able to escape unharmed. And they werent shy about attacking either. This is the terrible sound Wright heard in the night. A massive saltwater crocodile (via Wikimedia). 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 https://www.coffeeordie.com/crocodiles-eat-soldiers Trevor Pomfret Its estimated that 20 Japanese soldiers made it out of the other side of the swamp where British troops were waiting for them. The crocodiles, alerted by the din of warfare and the smell of blood, gathered among the mangroves, lying with their eyes above water, watchfully alert for their next meal. 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. The story of the Ramree massacre was reported in a number of papers, but the tale is still largely apocryphal. The largest crocodile ever killed was a saltwater crocodile that measured 23 feet and weighed 2,370 pounds. Recent reports of fatal attacks on humans by crocodiles in Mexico. 111114. [10], In the 1965 edition of the British official history, Stanley Woodburn-Kirby wrote that the Japanese force suffered about 500 men killed and twenty men taken prisoner; British losses were "trifling".[11]. February 1945, Japanese forces on Ramree island attempt to withdraw from the British and link up with a larger force. Many of the areas in which humans and large crocodiles come into contact are remote, impoverished, or in areas of political unrest. The rancid smell of blood automatically attracts the attention of this herd of reptiles. A preliminary analysis of worldwide crocodilian attacks. Many historians debunk the tale of the massacre, but some facts do point to some veracity of the incident. British troops in a landing craft make their way ashore on Ramree Island, 21 January 1945. 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. No Japanese survived . A SCIENTIST was eaten alive by a 17ft long crocodile after being dragged into its enclosure while she fed it last week. [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. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 28(1): 911. There was a story that hundreds of people died getting slaughter by crocodiles in just one night. The incident was even included in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1968 under worst crocodile disaster in the world as well as most fatalities in a crocodile attack (despite there being not a single death officially recorded). 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 didn't survive. They decided to flee. 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. These crocs are the largest reptiles in the world and are capable of bringing down water buffalo. [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. 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. However, those with a more investigative eye cannot help but be skeptical of this bizarre tale from history. Dont mess with mother nature. [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. pp. Deasy Tuwo, 44, was feeding croc Merry early on Friday morning at the CV. Explore this storyboard about World War II, Adolf Hitler, Military by HowStuffWorks on Flipboard. Reviews indicate that at least half of all attacks by the Nile and saltwater crocodiles are fatal[1] (in Australia, however, only about 25% of saltwater crocodile attacks are fatal). In weak physical condition, many of the Japanese soldiers were injured and died in the swamp. Sgt. 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. Unfortunately, the battle was at a standstill until the British Royal Marines and the 36th Indian Bridge flanked the Japanese soldiers. Not a single one did. Your email address will not be published. It has been estimated that about 1,000 people are killed by crocodilians each year. Circa 1945 was the year when the Imperial Japan invasion of Asia was nearing its ends. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 33(2): 29-30. The unit was trapped and had no way to reach the safety of the larger battalion. 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. During World War II, Ramree Island off the coast of Burma was the site of a number of military battles, but the truly terrifying action only began after the military maneuvers ended. 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. The battle is known for claims that many Japanese soldiers were killed by crocodiles in the mangrove swamps of Ramree. While the idea of encountering a crocodile isnt pleasant, its a whole different matter when youre up close and personal with one. Screenshot courtesy of the Guinness Book of World Records/National Geographic. The Japanese understood that saltwater crocodiles have a reputation for eating humans but they went into the mangrove swamp of Ramree Island anyway. It is not difficult to imagine what happened to the Japanese who took refuge in the mangroves! 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. 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. After just a few days, these ravenous creatures devoured more than 500 Japanese soldiers. In January 1945, forces of the Fourteenth Army landed on Ramree and the neighbouring island of Cheduba, to establish airfields for the supply of the mainland campaign. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. During the Battle of Ramree, crocs slaughtered and ate up between 500 and 900 people. The quest for a bird that continues to defy international sanctions. Royal Flying Doctor Service/Reuters. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. You dont want to get bit by this creature, though, as their bite force is the strongest in the animal kingdom. The navy and the 26th Indian Infantry Division then concentrated on blockading the chaungs (small streams) on the east coast, to prevent the Japanese from escaping to the mainland. Gas prices have fallen since mid-June. 2023 Atlas Obscura. 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. Perhaps the biggest question that the crocodile story doesnt sufficiently answer concerns the staggering death toll: How did only 20 Japanese soldiers survive? 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. It had been vital to complete the occupation of Ramree Island quickly, as Operation Dracula against Rangoon needed to commence in the first week of May at the latest, to have a chance of finishing before the monsoon. After this look at the Battle of Ramree Island that has been dubbed the Ramree Island Massacre, see some of the most powerful World War II photos ever taken. In April 2007, a 9-year-old Chinese child was killed in a crocodile pool at the Silver Beach holiday resort in southwest Guangxi region. Out of the 1,000 Japanese soldiers that ventured into the mangrove swamps, its estimated that only 480 made it out alive. 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