U.S. Military Operation: Raid at Cabanatuan

Raid at Cabanatuan: U.S. Military Operation

The ROF (Raid at Cabanatuan) is a military operation aimed to rescue American and Allied (POWs) prisoner of wars from the Japanese camp very close to Cabanatuan City in Philippines. The rescue was carried out by 6th Ranger Battalion and reinforced by Filipino and Alamo Scouts guerillas, which had liberated 511 American and Allied prisoners, was the most complex and difficult operation ever carried out by Rangers during the Second World War. (King,1985).However, the rescue was one of the most successful operations.

Objective of this paper is to evaluate the MDMP (The Military Decision Making Process) regarding the rescue operation carried out by the 6th Ranger Battalion. The paper discusses the running estimate to develop a competent movement that LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) Mucci and his staff would employ to analyze and develop a course of action.

#1:Running Estimate

The running estimate provides the strategy and complete movement that LTC Mucci and his personnel will develop to rescue the 511 American prisoner of war and its allied. The running estimate also discusses and analyzes various course actions to use in carrying out the rescue operations. One of the best strategies that can be used to carry out the rescue operation is to secretly evaluate the complete picture of the Japanese camp where Americans and allied are being held as prisoners. Typically, the U.S. military force should send one of the top and experienced military men to the location and collect as much information as possible about the camp. This operation should be treated with top secret so that the military personnel will be successful in carrying out the operation. In the present day rapid development of technology, the American intelligent unit can use satellite to collect information from the camp. However, this paper is discussing about the event that takes place during the World War II where the development of technology is still in its rudimentary form. As being discussed previously, the information that must be collected include number of military guards in the camp. The report that should be collected must also involve the total Japanese soldiers at the camp. More important, it is very important to take important pictures of the strategy locations of the camps which include the entrance of the camp. It is also very critical to locate where the prisoners are being kept because the major objective of the operation is to liberate all the Americans and allied held in the Japanese camp. However, this paper suggests that the U.S. intelligent unit should use a surveillance plane to take the pictures of the images. The images that will be taken will assist in estimating the number of Japanese force within the camp. The picture will also estimate the number of Japanese force within the Cabanatuan City. (King,1985).

Nevertheless, the paper estimates that the Japanese force in the camp should be between 100 and 300 soldiers guiding the camp. The paper also estimates that there will be 1,000 Japanese soldiers across the Cabu River, which is located at the northern part of the camp. More importantly, there are up 5,000 soldiers within the Cabanatuan city. The best time to carry out the operation should be on January 29 at UTC+8 (17:30 PST). After collecting all the necessary information about the camp from the air reconnaissance photos, the next step is to develop a planning strategy to rescue the prisoners. The information collected is precise. The stockade is at the southern part of the Cabanatuan highway, which is measured 600 by 800 yards. The stockade is fenced with three barbed wires. The main entrance is secured with heavy lock. In essence, it is believed that 73 Japanese soldiers are on guard, however, there are 153 additional troop. The prisoners are housed in a building in the northwest part of the compound. Based on the information collected, the activity in the building appears to be normal. From a complete strategic information collected, the best time to make an attack should be at dusk. Thus, all men should thoroughly briefed and must be assigned with their mission and instructed to carry out their responsibilities.

The first step was to use 10 Scouts that would make of two team to leave for the camp 24 hours ahead of the major force in order to survey the camp, the strategy would assist the main force to be equipped with the necessary information to be used in launching the rescue operations. In essence, the main force should consist of 30 Ranger from F. Company and 90 Rangers C. Company. The major task of these Rangers is to surround the camp and match 30 miles behind the Japanese lines and kill the camps in order to rescue and escort the Americans and Allied prisoners back to the American lines. The 80 Filipino guerillas will also be used to serve as guides and will assist in the rescue operations.

Each Scout should be armed with a rifle, one .45 pistol, three hand grenades, a knife, MI carbine as well as extra ammunition. The scout should be linked with the Filipino guerillas units within the village, which 3.2-kilometer at the north of the camp. The Rangers should be armed with the assorted, M1 Garand rifles, Thompson submachine guns, BARs, grenades, knives, extra ammunition pistols, and bazookas. Additionally, four combat photographers can volunteer to accompany the Rangers and Scout to record the events of the operations and document the raids after the rescue operation. Each photographers should be armed with a pistol. Handful of medical personnel should accompany the Scout and Ranges. It is advisable to allow the medical personnel to be armed with pistols and carbines based on the complexity of the operations. Although, the Geneva Convention restricts medical personnel to be armed, however, the paper suggests that it is essential for the medical personnel to be armed based on the complexity of the operations. (Black,2004, U.S. Marine Corps, 2007).

The appropriate time for the Rangers to enter the Platero should be at dusk. Moreover, it essential to convert one-story building into an emergence hospital. The recommendation of this paper is that the American airplane should buzz the compound before the attack. The information collected reveals that almost all the Japanese soldiers raise up their heads to watch the American plane flying. Using this strategy, the American plane will assist in distracting the attention of Japanese when the Rangers and the Scouts are creeping into the camp.

#2:The Problem

One of the primary problems facing Lieutenant Colonel Mucci is to enter the Cabanatuan City and reaching the camp without raising suspicion based on the flatness of the countryside. It is essential to realize that Japanese maintains the terrain very clear and the vegetation is very low to ensure that the Japanese soldiers see an approaching guerilla. Moreover, the terrain is cleared to spot an escaping prisoner. It is very important to integrate in the planning operation not to raise the suspicion of Japanese soldiers when the Rangers are crawling to the camp. The Japanese should not to spot any of the American Rangers and Scout before reaching the camp for fear of Japanese killing any of the prisoners. Thus, this problems is very critical and it has to be solved to assist in carrying out a successful operation. Another problem facing LCT Mucci is the strategy of liberating all prisoners without being killed. The main objective of the operation is to liberate the prisoners and if all the prisoners are killed before being liberated, the operation will fail and will not be successful. Other problem facing Mucci is the strategy of not raising suspicion of local inhabitants because some local inhabitants may be loyal to the Japanese force and they may alert the Japanese before the Rangers reaching the camp. Moreover, Mucci faces the problem of how to distract the attention of the camps' guard and other Japanese soldiers so that the Rangers can successfully crawl into the camp without being seen. LTC Mucci understands that Rangers are to crawl with their bellies through an along open field and this should be carried out under the watching eyes of the Japanese guards. In the Cabanatuan City, a full darkness is only more than one hour because the sun is set below the horizon where the moon rises afterward. The time zone of the city will present the possibility of Japanese guards noticing the movement of Rangers during the full moon. The only alternative facing LTC Mucci is that if the Japanese soldiers notice the Rangers crawling towards the camp, the Rangers should immediately stand up and quickly rush to the camp. Although, Rangers have one advantage, the Japanese does not install the searchlights to illuminate the vast perimeter. More problem facing LTC Mucci is the strategy to employ in evacuating the wooded soldiers from the combat zone. Mucci decides that it is very critical to quickly evacuate the wooded soldiers to a makeshift hospital at the nearby Platero schoolhouse. Another critical problem facing LTC Mucci is the strategy that should be used to wipe out the guards to allow the Rangers penetrating the camp. It is essential to realize the camp guards are part of the major obstacles that the Mucci has to deal with. Killing all the guards is one of the critical elements in the operation. If all the guards have been killed, the Rangers will be able to penetrate the camp and free the prisoners.

#3:The Mission

The raid is a military operation or tactic used in a warfare operation to achieve a specific purpose. The raid is not intended to capture an enemy, however, the mission of a raid is to finish the opposing force and quickly retreat to defending position before the enemies has the time to respond and coordinate themselves and form a counter attack. A raid trained group may consist of regular soldiers, commando, guerilla fighters or militias. The purpose of raid can include to exhaust, demoralize or confuse enemies. A raid can also be used to gather an important intelligence information that will used to carry out a further operation.

On the other hand, liberate is a military doctrine used in setting people free from confinement, oppression or foreign control. Liberate is also used to set people free from an imprisonment.

However, the secure "is to gain possession of a position or terrain feature, with or without force, and to prevent its destruction or loss by enemy action. The attacking force may or may not have to physically occupy the area." (U.S. Marine Corps, 2007 p c6).

The secure can also be implemented in order to gain possession of enemy force. The mission of Rangers is to liberate the Americans and its Allied held as prisoners by the Japanese soldiers. The mission that LTC Mucci will carry out is not to secure or raid the enemy forces, however, his mission is to liberate the prisoners from the hostage of Japanese soldiers. Thus, LCT Mucci needs to implement different strategies to carry out this mission to free all the hostages alive from the Japanese. To carry out this operation, the LCT Mucci should use all the military tactics to ensure that the prisoners are freed without any prisoner suffers from any causality. By using all the military tactics, the Rangers should be able to liberate all the prisoners.

#4: Purpose and Task

The 1st Platoon is to force the front of the camp and compound open and kill all the Japanese stationed at several locations. The task of the 2d Platoon is to eliminate all the guards located at the rear entrance and prevent Japanese to move into the compound and area occupied by the prisoners. Moreover, six men chosen from the 2nd platoon is to destroy the pillbox located at the northern part of the stockade. The 2d Platoon is also provide protection for guerrillas antitank. The Alamo scout is to carry out a surveillance of all the stockade prior to the attack. The Filipino Guerrillas are to assist the Rangers during the liberation process. The Filipino guerillas are also be used to serve as guides and assist in the rescue operations. The Six U.S. Army is at the fore front of the operation. The 6th Army is to raid Cabanatuan and used all the military tactics to rescue the prisoners of war. The 6th Army will consist of 90 Rangers, 30 soldiers from F. Company and 90 Rangers selected from Company . The Filipino guerillas will also serve as a guide and assist in carrying out the rescuing operation.

#5: CCIRs ("Commander's Critical Information Requirements")

The CCIR is a comprehensive information requirement that has been identified by army commander as very critical to facilitate timely and management decision making in order to achieve successful accomplishment. The two key subcomponents of CCIR are prior intelligence and force information requirements . As being revealed by the CCIR concepts, time decision is very critical for a successful operation. The Raid at Cabanatuan to rescue the America and Allied prisoners is to be carried on January 30, 1945. LTC Mucci made a critical decision to launch the operation on the January 29 and 30 because there was a large number of Japanese forces at Cabanatuan. In essence, the LCT Mucci delay tactic is referred as retrograde tactics where LCT Mucci trades for a space of time in order to slow down the enemy's momentum as well as inflicting high level of damage on the enemy. It is essentially to realize that a delay can wear down the enemy powers to assist the Mucci force to gain initiative to develop an offensive action. In essence, LTC Muci delayed the offensive operation to 30th because Mucci had to face large number of Japanese force and assist the Rangers to ensure the platoon operate safely and evacuate the prisoners from the enemy zone. Added to the big amount of Japanese forces that Mucci had to face, a delay objective was also connected to the security measures in order not to endanger the operations and mission.

Thus, if LTC Mucci did not delay the operation until 30 January, Mucci would have not been able to plan tactically to liberate the prisoners. Essentially, liberation of the American prisoners was one of the top foreign American policy. And if the liberation of the prisoners was delayed more that the stipulated date the operation was carried out, the Japanese might have killed some of the Americans and allied prisoners because the number of the prisoners has outnumbered the total number of the prisoners that the Japanese had already anticipated.

It is essential to realize that the Japanese initially planned for between 10,5000 and 25,000 Filipino and American prisoners. To care for the prisoners, the Japanese had to organize for guards, hospitals, and ample foods. However, Japanese was overwhelmed with 72,000 prisoners. At the Camp O'Donnell, 20,000 died from hunger, illness, murder or torture. The decision of the Mucci to launch the operation at the exact date was to ensure that the operation was successful and the prisoners were liberated without loss of life of prisoners. During the Second World War, the Japanese economy had decline because the government was using the fund to service the war. Based on the decline of the Japanese economy, the Japanese government did not provide sufficient fund to take care of the prisoners. By consequence, Americans prisoners held at Cabanatuan had been subjected to summary execution, brutal treatment, and many prisoners had also be stricken with malaria. In fact, some of the prisoners who had attempted to escape had been executed. In short, the prisoners initially transferred to Cabanatuan were in thousands, however, many of the prisoners were subjected to torturing and execution making the American prisoners to be reduced to 511.

Thus, Mucci's decision to delay operation until 30 January is very good. However, if the operation was carried out after the January 30, the operation may be detrimental to the because the Japanese can decide the eliminate the prisoners after 30 January if the operation is not launched at the exact time the operation is launched. It is essential to realize that 511 prisoners were detained by the Japanese and any attempt to extend the operation might make the Japanese wipe out the prisoners because some of the prisoners had attempted to escape and those attempted to escape has been captured and executed.

When the Battle of Bataan finished, 72,000 Filipinos and Americans surrendered to the Japanese, where 20,000 American prisoners of war were killed. Moreover, nearly 8,000 Americans and Filipinos were taken to the Cabanatuan camp. Out of the 8,000 prisoners taken to the Cabanatuan camp, the prisoners remained 511 prisoners because these prisoners were subjected manual labor that make large number of prisoners to be killed. Thus, the decision to evacuate the prisoners at the exact time that Mucci had planned for the evacuation was correct because it would assist a safe rescuing of the prisoners. It essential to realize that the decision to delay the evacuation to the January 30 was very important because it would assist LCT to carry out the operation successfully without making a mistake. Based on the past attitude of the Japanese, the Japanese would have eliminated all the 511 American prisoners in Cabanatuan if the Rangers failed in the operation . Thus, the decision to carry out the operation at the exact date was to evacuate the prisoners successfully from the Japanese camp without failures.

#6: Commander's Judgment

The Mucci plan to attack the Japanese camp had started on the 27 January, and the Alamo scout played a critical role in the surveillance objectives. On 27 January, the scout team joined the guerilla headquarter at Guimba to carry out the surveillance objective in order to determine the number of Japanese troops. However, the Rangers would march to Guimba, which was 75 miles to the east of the camp on the 28. On the same date, native guides coupled with the eight-man guerilla force would move to the nearby guerilla camp. However, on January 29, the native guides marched

"a route chosen by local civilians and rendezvous with the Alamo Scouts and a second eighty-man guerrilla force at Balincarin, about five miles northeast of the objective, on 29 January." (King, 1985 p 62). On January 30, the Rangers and the Filipino as well as Americans left Platero to achieve their objectives.

In comparing the decision to delay actions between January 29 and 30, it is revealed that the planning situation on January 29 is quite different from the planning situation on January 30 because the assistance of the Alamo scout and the civilians is very critical for the operation. Without the assist of the civilians, the operations would not have been successful. Part of the functions of the civilians is to serve as guide for Rangers since the Rangers did not understand the topography of the place and Rangers would not have been able to carry out the operation of the prisoners liberation if the civilians had not participated in the operations. Moreover Alamo scout had participated in the surveillance. Based on the analysis of the operation, it is revealed that native, Alamo scouts, and the second eighty-man guerrilla had been the major actors to carry out their objectives on January 29.

However, the operation on January 29 is different from the operation of January 30 because no one understand the details of the interior of the camp. On January 30, Private Rufo Vaquilar and Lieutenant Nellist Bill dressed as civilian and explored the camp from a nearby building. Based on the information collected, LTC Mucci finalized the plan to carry out the rescue operation. At the 5:30 PM on January 30, the group split to set their ambush for the attack . On the same date January 30, the American plane was flew above the camp in order to distract the Japanese to allow the Rangers getting closer to the camp with being noticed. Thus, it is revealed that both actions of January 29 and January 30 were to prepare for the launching of the operation. Fundamental difference between the January 29 and 30 action plans was that the Alamo scout, the native and eight-man guerillas were at the center of the operations on January 29 however, the Rangers carried out the rescue operations on January 30.

REQUIREMENT #7: "COA Comparison, Analysis & Recommendation"

This section provides the comparison, recommendation and analysis of LTC Mucci different decision after the liberation operation is carried out on the 30. Typically, Mucci was concerned that the locals may be unable to provide enough carts that can assist in moving the prisoners of wars back to Gambia. This paper provides the war-game for the following three contingences:

Continuing moving towards Guimba, however, it is recognized that movement could be slow.

Stay with the prisoners in the camp while the 6th Army had sent a regimental team to link up with LCT Mucci.

Move the prisoners outside the camp and hide them at a first concealed location. Next is to establish a defensive perimeter around the location while the 6th Army sends the signal to a regimental combat in order to link up with LCT Mucci.

This section provides the analysis of the recommendations whether LCT should move POW towards Guimba. Typically, moving the POW towards Guimba might be too risky because the local might not be able to deliver enough carts towards the Gumbia. It is essential to realize that Gumbia was a long distance and it could take approximately 60 hours to lead the POW to Gumbia. The time taken that would be used to reach the Guimba should be approximately 2 days and 12 hours which might be too long for the prisoners who had already passed the hard times in the prison. By consequences, some prisoners might not be able to arrive safely because some of them might get sick or die along the road. Moreover, if the locals were unable to provide enough carts that would guide them towards Guimba, it would be very difficult to get to the Guimba. Moreover, journey to the Guimba can be too slow and moving the prisoners to safety might dangerous because one of the Japanese might send the signal to the headquarter in order to send the troops to prevent the Rangers from reaching the safety location.