Bernard Coy: The Battle Of Alcatraz Prison

Battle of Alcatraz made headlines all over the world. Biggest secured prison battled for its control back against the prisoners. This historical event happened back in May 2nd 1946, and lasted for 2 days. The prison was located in San Francisco Bay about 1.5 miles of shore. The prison sat on 22 acres of an old military fort for the most violent offenders. It was made to be unbreakable with 3 stories high. It was designed to be a prison within a prison. The battle started because of an unsuccessful escape attempt at Alcatraz federal prison. It was the most violent attempt to escape Alcatraz prison. There were total of five dead bodies, two of them were guards and three of them were the inmates. Seventeen guards and one inmate remained injured.
An inmate by the name of Bernard Coy, bank robber who was serving 25 years at Alcatraz was the mastermind. Bernard coy studied the routines and patterns of the guards for months before he acted out on his plan. Some believe he intentionally starved himself so he can fit between the bars. “Coy smeared axle grease over his chest, head, and extremities, and started climbing the West End Gun Gallery from the juncture at Times Square and Michigan Avenue. Climbing hand over hand, he scaled the barred cage until he reached the top.” (Battle of Alcatraz, pg1).With a device that was made from a workshop, he managed to bend the bars 10 inches apart. Finally Bernard Coy squeezed his body through the prison bars and made his way to the gun gallery. Coy successfully strikes the officers down and leaves him unconscious. Coy also recruited an inmate who was serving time, Joseph Paul Cretzer. Cretzer was a part of a gang that robbed banks and found himself being wanted by the FBI. He also escaped from prison in 1940 and when he was apricanted Cretzer managed to escape and kill a U.S Marshal. He was sentenced for life in Alcatraz. Armed they continued moving forward while helping the inmates to get out of their cells. The inmates
When he was found more charges were added. He was serving 99 years in Alcatraz. This team on convects overpowered the guards and locked them into 2 cells, 404 and 403. Their perfect escape could have worked out but, the key to the recreation yard was missing. A guard by the name Miller had a chance to hide the key in the toilet where he was held hostage. “When the breakout was discovered the distress sirens of Alcatraz wailed, indicating grave trouble at the prison, and the sound could easily be heard from the shores of San Francisco. The Coast Guard and the Marines were mobilized to furnish the support of demolition and weapon experts, and all the off-duty correctional officers were brought in to help take back the cellhouse from the armed and desperate convicts.” (Battle of Alcatraz, pg1). The violents increase when the inmates realized that there escape plan was coming to an end. It was horrifying and gruesome. The rifles were unloaded on the guards trapped in the cells. The Marines and the guards tried to clear out each cell block to get a handle on the situation. They even threw hand grenades into the window and made holes in