With the British naval forces chasing the swamps of Ramree Island during World War II, the regiment of about 1,000 Japanese soldiers did not expect it to be a fateful journey, with no escape.
According to the Vintage News, during World War II, the Imperial Japanese army occupied Ramree Island in 1942. The island is off the coast of Myanmar, about 112 km south of Akyabk, today known as Sittwe.
Because Ramree was an important strategic base, the Allies attacked the island in 1945 and set up an air base to support ground operations. Struggle was fierce but with support from the air, the Allies repeatedly won a resounding victory, forcing the regiment of about 1,000 Japanese soldiers to flee.
In order to escape the pursuit of British troops, the Japanese fascists approached the 16-km long wetlands in the middle of the island. Japanese soldiers did not know that it was one of the most tragic tragedies in the history of war.
Ignoring the British surrender call, the regiment entered a swampy, wilderness swamp and many of the dangers were slowing down. Many people fall victim to mosquitoes, spiders, snakes, and scorpions lurking in the bushes of the marshes.
Alligator lost almost 1,000 Japanese soldiers during World War 2 - 2
British troops landed on Ramree Island.
During the journey of several days through this wetland, the Japanese gradually lacked clean drinking water and famine began to occur. But it's not the biggest nightmare, the real disaster is waiting for the Japanese fascists.
On a night of patrol around the area, the British troops heard the sound of laughter and gunfire in the darkness. They did not know what happened, only the Japanese knew that they were the targets of bloodthirsty crocodiles.
The fascist Japanese regiment was unlucky because the swamp on Ramree Island was inhabited by countless giant saltwater crocodiles in an unspecified amount. These crocodiles grow up to 6 meters in length, weighing more than a ton and are one of the largest reptiles in the world.
Tired soldiers with bloody wounds between the marshes became the crocodile's bait. Even a medium-sized saltwater crocodile can easily kill an adult.
Alligators lost nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers during World War II - 3
Japanese soldiers in World War II.
They were attacked and massacred by merciless monsters. The survivors later recalled how ferocious animals attacked them in the swamp, and the soldiers in panic attacked in every direction.
Survivors describe crocodiles who suddenly rush out of the swamp, grabbing screaming soldiers and pulling them down the mud. This tragedy was described by naturalist Bruce Stanley Wright, a British soldier, described in the 1962 "Wildlife Sketches Near and Far" (Wildlife Sketches Near and Far).
"It was the most horrible night that our team members experienced. The crocodiles were awakened by the gunshots and the smell of blood, gathered around the mangroves, while their eyes rose from their eyes. In tidal waves, crocodiles rushed to wounded, dead and even healthy men trapped in mud, "Wright wrote in the book.
Alligators wiped out nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers during World War II
Saltwater crocodile.
"Such a sight, I think, very few people on Earth can see. At dawn, vultures flock to clean up what the crocodiles have left ... Nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers enter the Ramree swamp, only to find more than 20 survivors. "
So far, Wright's story is the only surviving history of the tragedy on the Battle of Ramree Island. Some historians and biologists are skeptical of the authenticity of this story. Others believe that the story told by Wright is true, but the number of crocodiles and the number of Japanese soldiers killed in the wetlands may actually be lower.
In spite of the controversy, the Ramree Island War recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most victims of a crocodile attack".
The scary story on Ramree Island has become one of the legends of World War II. Years later, the island of Ramree still brings with it a fear. Saltwater crocodiles remain there until today.
According to Nguyen Nguyen - Vintage News (Dan Viet)
