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- As a land invasion had long been thought unlikely, the defences of Burma (now Myanmar) had been neglected. When the Japanese attack began in January 1942, the British position there quickly deteriorated. By early March, the capital Rangoon (now Yangon) and its vital port had been lost.
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On the Allied side, operations in Burma over the remainder of 1942 and in 1943 were a study of military frustration. Britain could only maintain three active campaigns, and immediate offensives in both the Middle East and Far East proved impossible through lack of resources.
Allied air attacks strangled the Japanese communications via the Burma Railway and the port of Rangoon and only 30,000 of the intended reinforcements reached Burma. Under pressure of events in the Pacific, Terauchi even withdrew some units from Burma during the campaign.
- December 1944-7 August 1945
- Burma returned to British control
- Burma
Feb 17, 2011 · The campaign in which Allied forces defeated the Japanese in Burma was unique in that neither side particularly wished to wage war there.
- The Battle of Sittang Bridge. Aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Sittang Bridge in southern Burma, which was destroyed in the face of the advancing Japanese on 23 February 1942.
- Retreat and evacuation. © IWM (JAR 1230) As the Japanese advance into Burma gained momentum, British reinforcements began to arrive. But they couldn't prevent the fall of Burma's capital city, Rangoon, or of Mandalay, Burma's second city.
- Operation 'Longcloth' © IWM (IND 2290) In September 1942, the Indian 14th Division launched a failed campaign to recapture the Arakan coastal plain in western Burma.
- Mules and supplies. © IWM (HU 87182) During the campaign, mules became the preferred method of transporting supplies over Burma's difficult terrain. Bordered by India, China and Thailand, the country is surrounded by jungle-covered mountain ranges and divided by several major rivers.
British troops were greatly aided by Allied airpower, which had almost complete control of the sky. Control of the air was absolutely vital, as 4 Corps was tethered to the 14th Army by aerial resupply alone, through the airstrip northeast of town.
Jun 12, 2006 · With the general collapse of the entire Allied position in late April, Stilwell found himself unable to control the movements of his troops. Chiang, from his headquarters in Chungking, persisted in issuing contradictory orders both to Stilwell and the Chinese generals in Burma.
After their defensive victory, the British planned a new offensive to clear the last Japanese forces from northern Burma and drive them south towards Mandalay and Meiktila. Fighting through the monsoon and supplied by air, troops of the Fourteenth Army now crossed the River Chindwin.
