Operations in Burma (1942-1943)-Wikipedia

The Burma campaign , during the Second World War, extended over a period of more than three years, from 1942 to 1945. The first year, the Japanese imperial army, with the help of Thai forces and Burmese independence insurgents, expelled From Burma British armed forces and Chinese troops.

After the torrential rains of the monsoon, the Allies launch two offensives. The failure of an attack on the coastal province of Arakan first of all has a very negative effect on the morale of the allies; Notable improvements in terms of administration and training, as well as the very publicized successes of the Raid of the Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate troops then restore them somewhat hope. The renewed activity of the Allies undoubtedly played a role in the decision of the Japanese commanders to launch the following year a major offensive, which will ultimately prove to be disastrous.

At the beginning of 1942, the Japanese pushed the allies to the Indo-Birmane border, leading them to take refuge in India. THE May 10, 1942 , Thailand, combined with the Japanese Empire, also entered Burma, pushing the Chinese into Yunnan and annexing the East of the Shan State ^{[ first ]} . The field and logistics conditions then lead to limiting Allied and Japanese operations. The border between Burma and India is, for the most part, an insurmountable region, with very few carriage roads and a mountainous topography covered with jungle. If the Japanese had access to railways or river tracks to the port of Kalewa on the Chindwin river, the allies could only use unsuitable railway and river links going to Dimapur, in the Brahmaputra river valley, D ‘Where only one road was available to access Imphāl.

Situation on the ally side [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The extremely oriental military theater had until then benefited from limited attention from the Chiefs of Staff of the United Kingdom, whose efforts were rather concentrated on the Middle East and Europe, The American administration of Franklin Roosevelt favoring the confrontation with Nazi Germany. Few means had been granted to the troops based in India; The new units of the British Army of India received more suitable training prepared for a war in the desert than a confrontation in the jungle. In December 1942 , however, it becomes obvious that the war of the desert is essentially completed ^{[ 2 ]} .

Allies’ efforts were also disrupted by political and social disorders taking place in the east of British India. After the defeat of the allies in early 1942, violent protests occurred in Bengal and Bihar ^{[ 3 ]} , the intervention of many British troops proving to be necessary to watch them. The passage of a typhoon in 1942 led the following year, in Bengal, a terrible famine which causes more than three million dead, carried away by malnutrition or by illness. The deprivation of rice supply from Burma, as well as the export of Indian rice to other theaters of operation contributed to the disaster by reducing food reserves, the situation being further aggravated by the sporadic bombardments Japanese, as well as by the corruption and ineffectiveness of the Government of Bengal.

Japanese side situation [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The Japanese consolidate their positions in Burma. The districts generally ask Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida, commander of the XV ^{It is} armed his opinion on the resumption of the offensive after the monsoon. Iida in turn consults its superiors on the spot, in particular the lieutenant-general Renya Mutaguchi, commander of the XVIII ^{It is} Imperial Japanese army, which believes that the terrain too difficult and logistical problems require delaying attack plans.

The Japanese dissolve the army for the Burmese independence of Aung San, whose workforce increased a lot during the Japanese invasion of Burma; This independence armed force is deemed too disorganized and, in some cases, experienced clashes with the Japanese. A new defense force, the Burmese defense army , supervised by Japanese officers and counting up to 3000 soldiers, was set up in the spring of 1942. The first ^is August 1943 , the Japanese grant independence to Burma, forming a Burmese government led by Ba Maw. However, this government has little real power, the Japanese essentially keeping the control of the Burmese administration. Aung San becomes Minister of War and takes the lead of the Burmese national army, a new army force which replaces the Burmese defense army and becomes the official army of the regime. The Burmese economy, already in poor condition, due to the fighting, is still weakened by the damage caused to its transport networks and by the absence of access to the external market for rice and other Burmese products.

The efforts of Lieutenant-General IIA to promote Burmese interests are constantly thwarted by Tokyo. Iida was finally transferred in 1943, mainly for opposing Japanese economic policy in Burma ^{[ 4 ]} .

First campaign in Arakan [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Despite their difficulties, the Allies rose two operations during the dry season of 1942-43. A small -scale offensive is first carried out in the coastal region of Arakan in Burma. The Indian Eastern Army, under the command of British General Noel Irwin, intends to re-occupy the Mayu and Akyab island, where there is an important aviation ground. THE December 21, 1942 , La xiv ^{It is} Indian infantry division begins its offensive towards Donbaik, a short distance from the end of the peninsula; Indian troops are finally stopped by a small Japanese force (initially composed of two battalions, which however benefited from good artillery) occupying an almost impregnable bunker. The Indian and British forces, devoid of armored vehicles, tried on several occasions, but are repelled each time by losing staff.

Japanese reinforcements then arrive from the center of Burma. Crossing mountain ranges and rivers, they arrive at destination April 3, 1943 and strike the left flank of the XIV ^{It is} British division. The districts of the division are replaced by the XXVI ^{It is} Indian division, which holds a line of defense in the south of the village of Buthidaung. Despite an attempt to surround the Japanese, the division, whose troops are exhausted, cannot maintain this line of defense, and must withdraw towards the Indian border by abandoning its equipment.

This disaster helps that Irwin be dismissed from his functions. His successor, General George Giffard, strives to improve the administration of the army and the morale of the troops.

First expedition Chindit [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The British then lead a second offensive, more controversial as to its results. Under the command of the brigadier orde Charles Wingate, the LXXVII ^{It is} Indian infantry brigade, better known as chindits, infiltrates the Japanese lines and penetrates deep into Burma, with the aim of cutting the north-south railway from Burma. The operation (code name “Longcloth”) was initially designed as part of a large offensive plan, finally canceled for lack of equipment. In order not to lose the benefit of the training granted to chindits, Wingate still continues the operation.

3,000 men, divided into several columns, enter Burma and inflict damage to Japanese infrastructure in the north of the country interrupting rail communications for two weeks. However, they undergo heavy losses, leaving 818 men on the ground, or more than a quarter of the workforce. Survivors are often struck by diseases and are in deplorable physical conditions. Although the concrete results of Operation Chindit have been questioned, the raid is used for propaganda purposes, in order to demonstrate that the British and Indian forces can act and fight in the jungle just as effectively as the Japanese, who had seemed more comfortable on this ground during their invasion of Burma.

Some Japanese commanders said after the war that the decision to resume the offensive in Burma rather than adopting a defense position was directly linked to the operations of the chindits.

Border area [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Continuous patrols are carried out on the Indo-Birmane border south of Imphal, which also experiences sporadic fights; However, each camp lacks the resources necessary to set up decisive operations. The XVII ^{It is} Indian infantry division holds positions around the city of Tedim, after a precarious supply line to 100 miles (161 km) south of Imphal; Skirts take place there with the XXXXIII ^{It is} Japanese imperial army. The Japanese, for their part, benefit from a shorter supply line towards Kalewa, on the Chindwin river, which gave them an advantage of the years 1942 and 1943 ^{[ 5 ]} .

The Force in , an irregular armed force formed by the Indian headquarters in the border region of Burma and India, performs patrols and inspections on most of the regional territory, that none of the two camps is fully controlled. The border area, however, represents a secondary objective for the Japanese.

The Burma Route and the “Bosse” [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

An important objective for the Allies is to be able to continue to supply the Republic of China, governed by Tchang Kaï-Chek, from India. This supply line, via Rangoon, is cut during the invasion of Burma by the Japanese. The Liaisons headquarters, commanded by General Joseph Stilwell organizes a supply line by air transport above the Himalayan mountain range. The air route is designated by the name of “La Bosse” ( The Hump ), which is also used to qualify the entire operation. Natural dangers cause several losses to allies. At this stage of war, allied transport aircraft are particularly vulnerable to attacks on Japanese fighter planes, which have been operating since the base of Myitkyina in the north of Burma ^{[ 6 ]} .

Stilwell insists that the Allies begin the construction of the Burma road to carry out a junction between China in India, which represents a monumental engineering task. In order to build this road, in a territory occupied by the Japanese in the north and east of Burma, two divisions of the Chinese troops previously returned to India in 1942 were re -equipped and trained by the Americans. Following Wingate raids and the expansion of its forces during the 1943-1944 campaign, the Americans form a deep penetration unit which will be known as Merrill’s Marauders; They will be deployed in the Ledo region.

Americans also provide logistical units, especially the railway construction units, as well as their operational staff; The river and rail links in the north and east of Burma are improved, preparing the Allied offensives of 1944.