Bataan Death March prisoners were forced to march as they were beaten and stabbed and random, then shot or run over if they got tired.
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1 of 18Bataan Death March prisoners are forced to march by their Japanese captors.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 2 of 18A Japanese soldier watches as prisoners line up at the beginning of the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 3 of 18Prisoners sit with their hands tied behind their backs.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 4 of 18Soldiers use makeshift litters to carry those who cannot walk anymore.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 18Prisoners are forced to view the dead bodies of their fellow POWs.The National Museum of the US Air Force 6 of 18The body of a prisoner who was burned to death is buried. 1945.U.S. Army Signal Corps/Wikimedia Commons 7 of 18A surrender ticket distributed to American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese. However, soldiers who handed this ticket in were instead executed by the Japanese.National Museum of the US Air Force 8 of 18Servicemen prepare to bury two dead soldiers. The National Museum of the US Air Force 9 of 18American soldiers wait to be transferred to a base hospital. Corbis/Getty Images 10 of 18American soldiers at rest during the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 18American and Filipino prisoners continue their march. Bettmann/Getty Images 12 of 18Japanese soldiers guard their prisoners during the Bataan Death March.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 13 of 18An anti-Japanese flier featuring an article about the Bataan Death March. 1944.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March celebrate Christmas in their POW camp. 1943.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 15 of 18American and Japanese generals negotiate the surrender of the Philippines. 1942.Corbis/Getty Images 16 of 18Rescued POWs receive medical attention. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 17 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March are freed from their prison camp in Cabanatuan. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 18 of 18Like this gallery?Share it:
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17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was View Gallery
In World War II’s Pacific Theater, the Philippines was a hotly contested area due to its proximity to Japan and its status as a U.S. Commonwealth. Throughout the war, many a bloody battle was fought there, including the Battle of Bataan.
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1 of 18Bataan Death March prisoners are forced to march by their Japanese captors.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 2 of 18A Japanese soldier watches as prisoners line up at the beginning of the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 3 of 18Prisoners sit with their hands tied behind their backs.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 4 of 18Soldiers use makeshift litters to carry those who cannot walk anymore.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 18Prisoners are forced to view the dead bodies of their fellow POWs.The National Museum of the US Air Force 6 of 18The body of a prisoner who was burned to death is buried. 1945.U.S. Army Signal Corps/Wikimedia Commons 7 of 18A surrender ticket distributed to American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese. However, soldiers who handed this ticket in were instead executed by the Japanese.National Museum of the US Air Force 8 of 18Servicemen prepare to bury two dead soldiers. The National Museum of the US Air Force 9 of 18American soldiers wait to be transferred to a base hospital. Corbis/Getty Images 10 of 18American soldiers at rest during the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 18American and Filipino prisoners continue their march. Bettmann/Getty Images 12 of 18Japanese soldiers guard their prisoners during the Bataan Death March.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 13 of 18An anti-Japanese flier featuring an article about the Bataan Death March. 1944.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March celebrate Christmas in their POW camp. 1943.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 15 of 18American and Japanese generals negotiate the surrender of the Philippines. 1942.Corbis/Getty Images 16 of 18Rescued POWs receive medical attention. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 17 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March are freed from their prison camp in Cabanatuan. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 18 of 18Like this gallery?Share it:
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33 Powerful Photos Of The March On Washington That Changed Civil Rights In America
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1 of 18Bataan Death March prisoners are forced to march by their Japanese captors.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 2 of 18A Japanese soldier watches as prisoners line up at the beginning of the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 3 of 18Prisoners sit with their hands tied behind their backs.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 4 of 18Soldiers use makeshift litters to carry those who cannot walk anymore.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 18Prisoners are forced to view the dead bodies of their fellow POWs.The National Museum of the US Air Force 6 of 18The body of a prisoner who was burned to death is buried. 1945.U.S. Army Signal Corps/Wikimedia Commons 7 of 18A surrender ticket distributed to American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese. However, soldiers who handed this ticket in were instead executed by the Japanese.National Museum of the US Air Force 8 of 18Servicemen prepare to bury two dead soldiers. The National Museum of the US Air Force 9 of 18American soldiers wait to be transferred to a base hospital. Corbis/Getty Images 10 of 18American soldiers at rest during the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 18American and Filipino prisoners continue their march. Bettmann/Getty Images 12 of 18Japanese soldiers guard their prisoners during the Bataan Death March.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 13 of 18An anti-Japanese flier featuring an article about the Bataan Death March. 1944.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March celebrate Christmas in their POW camp. 1943.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 15 of 18American and Japanese generals negotiate the surrender of the Philippines. 1942.Corbis/Getty Images 16 of 18Rescued POWs receive medical attention. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 17 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March are freed from their prison camp in Cabanatuan. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 18 of 18Like this gallery?Share it:
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33 Powerful Photos Of The March On Washington That Changed Civil Rights In America
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1 of 18Bataan Death March prisoners are forced to march by their Japanese captors.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 2 of 18A Japanese soldier watches as prisoners line up at the beginning of the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 3 of 18Prisoners sit with their hands tied behind their backs.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 4 of 18Soldiers use makeshift litters to carry those who cannot walk anymore.Wikimedia Commons 5 of 18Prisoners are forced to view the dead bodies of their fellow POWs.The National Museum of the US Air Force 6 of 18The body of a prisoner who was burned to death is buried. 1945.U.S. Army Signal Corps/Wikimedia Commons 7 of 18A surrender ticket distributed to American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese. However, soldiers who handed this ticket in were instead executed by the Japanese.National Museum of the US Air Force 8 of 18Servicemen prepare to bury two dead soldiers. The National Museum of the US Air Force 9 of 18American soldiers wait to be transferred to a base hospital. Corbis/Getty Images 10 of 18American soldiers at rest during the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images 11 of 18American and Filipino prisoners continue their march. Bettmann/Getty Images 12 of 18Japanese soldiers guard their prisoners during the Bataan Death March.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons 13 of 18An anti-Japanese flier featuring an article about the Bataan Death March. 1944.Wikimedia Commons 14 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March celebrate Christmas in their POW camp. 1943.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 15 of 18American and Japanese generals negotiate the surrender of the Philippines. 1942.Corbis/Getty Images 16 of 18Rescued POWs receive medical attention. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 17 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March are freed from their prison camp in Cabanatuan. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images 18 of 18Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 18Bataan Death March prisoners are forced to march by their Japanese captors.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
2 of 18A Japanese soldier watches as prisoners line up at the beginning of the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images
3 of 18Prisoners sit with their hands tied behind their backs.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons
4 of 18Soldiers use makeshift litters to carry those who cannot walk anymore.Wikimedia Commons
5 of 18Prisoners are forced to view the dead bodies of their fellow POWs.The National Museum of the US Air Force
6 of 18The body of a prisoner who was burned to death is buried. 1945.U.S. Army Signal Corps/Wikimedia Commons
7 of 18A surrender ticket distributed to American and Filipino soldiers by the Japanese. However, soldiers who handed this ticket in were instead executed by the Japanese.National Museum of the US Air Force
8 of 18Servicemen prepare to bury two dead soldiers. The National Museum of the US Air Force
9 of 18American soldiers wait to be transferred to a base hospital. Corbis/Getty Images
10 of 18American soldiers at rest during the Bataan Death March.Bettmann/Getty Images
11 of 18American and Filipino prisoners continue their march. Bettmann/Getty Images
12 of 18Japanese soldiers guard their prisoners during the Bataan Death March.Department of Defense/Wikimedia Commons
13 of 18An anti-Japanese flier featuring an article about the Bataan Death March. 1944.Wikimedia Commons
14 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March celebrate Christmas in their POW camp. 1943.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
15 of 18American and Japanese generals negotiate the surrender of the Philippines. 1942.Corbis/Getty Images
16 of 18Rescued POWs receive medical attention. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
17 of 18Survivors of the Bataan Death March are freed from their prison camp in Cabanatuan. 1945.The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
18 of 18Like this gallery?Share it:
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17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was View Gallery
17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was View Gallery
17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was View Gallery
17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was View Gallery
17 Photos That Show How Excruciating The Bataan Death March Really Was
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After a grisly three-month campaign in early 1942 that left around 10,000 American and Filipino troops dead, the Japanese emerged victorious. Nearly 80,000 Allied troops laid down their weapons, making it the largest American surrender in history.
All told, the total number of prisoners was double what Japanese Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma was expecting. Since he lacked the vehicles to move the prisoners elsewhere, he decided to make the prisoners march 70 miles in the sweltering tropical heat. On April 9, 1942, the Bataan Death March began.
With little food or water, the prisoners soon began dropping like flies. Others were made to sit in direct sunlight without helmets or protection. Some were stabbed or beaten at random while others were shot if they asked for water. Trucks would run over those who were unable to continue the march.
After the long march, the prisoners arrived at the train station of San Fernando, where they were forced into boxcars in which temperatures reached heights of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Many prisoners died in the trains.
After disembarking from the train, the prisoners then marched another 10 miles to Camp O’Donnell. At long last, this was the final destination of the Bataan Death March, but not the end of its terror.
Some 20,000 soldiers who’d survived the march and made it to the camp soon died there thanks to disease, sweltering heat, and brutal executions.
Eventually, after Japan’s surrender three years later, eight generals, including Masaharu Homma, were all executed for war crimes related to the unforgettable horrors of the Bataan Death March.
After this look at the Bataan Death March, read up on some of the war’s worst war crimes committed by the U.S. and the worst Japanese war crimes as well. Then, see some of the most powerful World War 2 photos and Holocaust photos ever taken.
