The Battle of Alcatraz

From 2 to 4 May, 1946, six inmates participated in an escape attempt that was unprecedented in its violence. Later dubbed the “Battle of Alcatraz,” the 48-hour incident began when prisoners, having noticed flaws in the prison’s security, overpowered their guards and obtained firearms and keys to the cell block. Frustrated by a locked door, the prisoners were trapped in the cellhouse and exchanged gunfire with the remaining guards.

Warden James A. Johnston asked for federal troops from the nearby Naval Station, Treasure Island, to help deal with the situation. Two platoons of Marines were dispatched to the island to guard the general population of convicts and take the cellhouse from the outside. The Marines drilled holes in the prison roof and dropped grenades into areas where they believed the convicts were located, to force them into a corridor where they could be cornered.

Order was restored only when U.S. Marines stormed the cell block under a hail of grenades and rifle fire, after nearly 48 hours of battle. “The battle of Alcatraz” was the most violent escape attempt in the prison’s history. unprecedented sans précédent, inédit / to dub surnommer, baptiser / flaw faille / to overpower maîtriser, neutraliser / cell cellule (prison) / block ici, bâtiment / locked verrouillé, fermé à clé / to be trapped être piégé, coincé / gunfire coups de feu / warden directeur (établissement pénitentiaire) / nearby situé à proximité / to deal, dealt, dealt with faire face à, gérer / platoon peloton, groupe, section / to dispatch envoyer / to drill forer, percer / hole trou / roof toit / to drop lâcher, jeter / to corner acculer, coincer / to storm prendre d’assaut / hail grêle, pluie, ici rafale / rifle fusil, carabine / fire tirs.