JAPAN TAKES BURMA 121
BURMA
F R E N C H I N D O C H I N A
C
H
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N
A
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D
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A T H A I L A N D
Bay of
Bengal
Gulf of
Tonkin
Gulf
of Siam
Andaman Islands TenasserimBrahmaputraChindwinSittangBilinSalween RougeMekongIrrawaddySHANVictoria Point
I
s
t
h
m
u
so
f(^) K
r
a
Chinese 5th
and 6th Army
Japanese
15th Army
Japanese
15th Army
Japanese
15th Army
Bu
rm
a^
R
oa
d
Ass
am
Phnom Penh
Bangkok
Mergui
Chumphon
Saigon
Tourane
Tavoy
Moulmein
Raheng
Rangoon
Sittang
Pegu
Paungde
Toungoo
Prome
Akyab
Yenangyaung
Migyaungye
Monywa
Mandalay
Chittagong
Imphal
Sittaung
Kohima
Sadiya
Myitkyina
Lashio
Calcutta
JAPAN TAKES
BURMA
The conquest of the British colony of Burma extended the Japanese
defensive perimeter to its westernmost point, and cut off Allied
supply routes to China. The fighting was fierce and costly, and the
result was a decisive Japanese victory in May 1942 that dealt yet
another blow to the British after the fall of Singapore.
Japan wished to conquer Burma to gain
access to its natural resources of oil,
cobalt, and rice, and to gain a buffer
zone to protect its planned conquests
in Malaya and Singapore. It also wanted
to close the Burma Road—a conduit for
supplies for the Nationalist forces of
Chiang Kai-shek, whom the Japanese
had been fighting in China since 1937
(see pp.26–27). Many Burmese, who
wished to see the end of British rule in
their country, supported the invasion.
Among them was Aung San, a Burmese
activist, and the Thirty Comrades, who
received military training from the
Japanese and returned to form the
Burma Independence Army.
“Two brigades still east of the river fought to break through
the great Sittang railway bridge. Then came tragedy.”
WILLIAM SLIM, COMMANDER OF THE BRITISH BURMA CORPS, 1956
The Japanese invasion began on
December 15, 1941. The British Empire
troops were no match for the battle-
trained Japanese infantry, who
exploited effective tactics and made
good use of limited air resources.
Delaying actions by the British and a
major battle fought at Toungoo by a
Chinese Nationalist army in March
failed to stop the invaders; the British
were forced out of the country by the
end of May. Fearful that the Japanese
would attack Ceylon, and so take
control over the Indian Ocean, the
British occupied Vichy-held Madagascar
in May 1942 to prevent the Japanese
establishing a submarine base there.
INDIAN OCEAN ATTACKS
On April 5, 1942, the Japanese launched
an aircraft carrier attack against Colombo,
Ceylon; this was followed by an assault on
Trincomalee on April 9. Eight British naval
ships and five merchantmen were sunk and
more than 40 aircraft were lost; hundreds
of servicemen and civilians were killed on the
ground. Five more merchantmen were sunk
by submarines off the west coast of India.
Attacks were also launched against three east
coast Indian ports, with the loss of a further
23 merchantmen.
Japanese fleet
movements
Japanese air attack
from aircraft carrier
Sites of British ship
and merchantmen
losses
KEY
JAPANESE SUCCESS APRIL–MAY 1942
After their successes in southern and central
Burma, the Japanese headed north, taking
Mandalay on May 1 and the rest of the country
by the end of the month. The British, cut off from
supplies and facing a reinforced Japanese army,
began a messy retreat to India during which they
left behind much of their equipment.
4
THE JAPANESE IN BURMA 1942–APRIL 1945
After the invasion, the Japanese installed a puppet
government in Burma. Many Burmese came to
believe that the Japanese had no intention of giving
them real independence. The Burma National
Army, created to support the new government
and led by Aung San, changed sides in August 1944
and fought the Japanese alongside the Allies. The
Japanese were eventually evicted from Burma by
April 1945 (see pp.218–219); during the occupation
170,000–250,000 Burmese civilians died.
5
Jan 20, 1942 The Japanese
launch their main attack
against Moulmein from Raheng.
Major battle
Oil field
INDIA
THAILAND
BURMA
MALAYA
FRE
NC
H
(^) IN
D
O
C
H
IN
A
Bay of
Bengal
CEYLON
INDIAN
OCEAN
A r a b i a n
S e a
S u m a t r a
Japanese
Malayan Force
Japanese First
Air Fleet
Isthmus
o f K r a
Bangkok
Singapore
Mergui
Tavoy
Rangoon
Hanoi
Trincomalee
Colombo
Vizagapatam
Cocanada
Masulipatam
Bombay
Japanese advances
British retreat
Major battles
THE BRITISH RETREAT APRIL 1942
When Toungoo fell, the British fled Prome
and headed west for fear of being outflanked;
throughout April, they were pushed northwest
toward the Indian border. Near the oil fields of
Yenangyaung, one division of the British Burma
Corps were encircled and set the oil fields on fire
to deny them to the Japanese. They were eventually
rescued by Chinese and British Empire forces.
3
Japanese advances
British retreat
Dec 8–9, 1941 The
Japanese prepare for
the invasion of Burma
by moving troops into
Thailand from their
bases in Indochina.
US_120-121_Japanese_take_Burma.indd 121 19/03/19 5:40 PM