Ramree Island

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     In January, 1945, the British forces under Lt. General Slim descended on Ramree Island, off the west coast of Burma, in order to use the flat, 50 mile long island as an airbase.  The target area was defended by a battalion of Japanese with artillery support.  It also was home to many, many saltwater crocodiles.




Salt water crocodile.

     The night of Feb. 19th the battalion of Japanese entered the swamp to join up with a larger force on the other side of the island.    Of those 900 men, 20 were alive the next morning.  They had to cross a mangrove forest swarming with-   



These.




The Guinness Book of  Records calls this the worst mass animal attack in history.  The veracity of the story is disputed, after all the Brits were pouring fire into the swamp, but something very nasty happened on Ramree.





Abayo!

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