Battle of Yenangyaung
The Battle of Yenangyaung (Chinese: 仁安羌大捷; pinyin: Rén'ānqiāng Dàjié; lit. 'Great Victory at Yenangyaung') was fought in Burma (now Myanmar) from 16 to 19 April 1942. As part of the Burma Campaign of World War II, the battle was fought between Chinese and British allied forces on one side and Japanese forces on the other. The battle took place in the vicinity of Yenangyaung and its oil fields.
Background[edit]
The Japanese 55th Division invaded Burma on 22 December 1941. Following the capture of Rangoon in March 1942, the Allies regrouped in Central Burma. The newly formed Burma Corps, which consisted of British, Indian, and locally raised Burmese troops, was commanded by Lieutenant General William Slim. This force aimed to defend the Irrawaddy River valley; meanwhile, the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma protected the Sittaung River valley to the east. After Japanese forces captured Singapore and the Dutch East Indies, they were able to use divisions released due to their conquest. They also captured trucks to reinforce their army in Burma and launch attacks into Central Burma.
One objective for the Japanese forces in the Irrawaddy River valley was to capture the Yenangyaung oil fields. The battle for these oil fields began on 10 April[1] and lasted a week. The Japanese attacked the 1st Burma Division on the Allied right and the 48th Indian Infantry Brigade at Kokkogwa at night during a storm; however, casualties stopped them.[1] On the next day, the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2nd RTR) was engaged near Magwe at Thadodan and Alebo. From April 13 to 17, the British forces retreated under Japanese assaults. On several occasions, Japanese roadblocks split the Burma Frontier Force (an internal security force acting as infantry), the 1st Burma Division, the British 7th Armoured Brigade HQ and the 2nd RTR into three forces.
On April 15, Lieutenant General Slim gave orders for the oil fields and refinery to be demolished.[2] General Harold Alexander, who commanded the Burma Army, asked Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell, the American commander of the China Burma India Theater and Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek, to move the New 36th Division into the Yenangyaung area immediately.