Ulat ni Archie Bergosa
How did the Raid of Los Baños become one of WWII’s most successful rescue missions?
As the country commemorates Araw ng Kagitingan, stories of courage during World War II take center stage, and among them, the Raid of Los Baños stands out as one of the most audacious acts of wartime rescue.
During the final months of World War II, a high-risk rescue mission was conducted in the Philippines to save more than 2,000 civilian prisoners faced with the constant threat of execution.
And after the plan was set in motion, the day of February 23, 1945 would later be called by military historians as the “liberation Los Baños,” one of the most precise and successful operations ever carried out.
On February 23, 1945, US airborne troops launched a daring mission to liberate 2,147 civilian internees held in a Japanese prison camp in Los Baños, Laguna. These prisoners, many of which are Americans and other Allied civilians, had faced and experienced harsh conditions since the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942.
With insider information suggesting that Japanese forces might execute or abandon the prisoners at any moment, there was no time to waste for the move.
The camp was located nearly 40 miles behind enemy lines and surrounded by an estimated 9,000 to 11,000 Japanese troops. Therefore, a direct assault without preparation would have been disastrous, yet instead, the operation relied heavily on human intelligence gathered by Filipino and Chinese guerrillas operating in and around the camp.
Filipino guerrillas played a vital and underrecognized role in the Raid of Los Baños, demonstrating a form of heroism rooted in strategy, sacrifice, and local resistance, as well as their familiarity with the terrain and coordination with Allied forces.
The operation began on February 12, 1945, when Freddy Zervoulakas, a 19-year-old internee, escaped from the camp and successfully made contact with local guerrilla forces. His escape opened a direct line of communication between the prisoners and Allied forces.
By February 18, Major Henry Burgess of the 11th Airborne Division was ordered to Manila, where he was briefed on a bold plan to liberate over 2,000 internees. On the next day, Pete Miles, another escaped internee, provided much needed critical details about the camp’s layout and guard routines which are central to planning a multi-pronged assault.
Preparations intensified on February 21, when Lieutenant Skau’s reconnaissance platoon set out for Los Baños. Traveling in small Filipino boats across Laguna de Bay, the team faced mechanical problems and strong winds that stretched what should have been a two- to three-hour journey into an eight-hour trip. Despite the delay, the mission succeeded in positioning forces for the upcoming attack.
On February 23, every element was in place. Paratroopers from the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment dropped behind the camp at dawn, catching the Japanese garrison off guard and vehicles advanced across the lake while guerrilla forces engaged nearby enemy units, preventing reinforcements from interfering.
After the coordinated assault, approximately 250 Japanese guards at the camp were quickly overwhelmed, and within a short period, the 2,147 internees were successfully liberated.
The Raid of Los Baños is often regarded as a “textbook airborne operation” because it exemplified the highest standards of military planning and execution — high stakes and high rewards.
Intelligence integration ensured that every move was informed and its operational precision allowed thousands to be saved with minimal loss.
As the nation observes Araw ng Kagitingan, the Raid of Los Baños stands as a powerful reminder that valor is not only found on the battlefield, but also in acts of courage and sacrifice of Filipinos that changed the course of history.