Battle of Pegu

Battle of Pegu
	Part of The Burma
Result	Japanese victory British retreat continued;

Belligerents

United Kingdom

India

JapanCommanders and leaders

John Anstice DSO

Shōjirō IidaStrength 1 armoured brigade 2 divisionsCasualties and losses unknown
3 light tanks destroyed
3 light tanks damaged unknown
4+ light tanks destroyed
1 light tank abandoned
4 anti-tank guns captured

The Battle of Pegu was an engagement in the

Bago

).

With the

1st Burma Division and the 7th Armoured Brigade, equipped with American-made Stuart or "Honey" light tanks. The British commanders had already decided not to contest Rangoon, but their new strategy relied on convincing the Japanese that Rangoon would be heavily defended.^[1]

British/Indian forces fighting at Pegu were the

4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles, and the 4th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment.^[2]

The battle

About midday on March 8 215th Regiment (of XXXIII Division) entered Rangoon to find to its surprise that the city was unoccupied and deserted. General Sakurai immediately ordered it to pursue the British column which he now realised was the whole of the British forces from the Rangoon area. It was too late and the golden opportunity of destroying the British garrison was lost.

—Official History.[3]

Payagyi

"B" Squadron of the 7th Hussars, Maj. G. C. Davies-Gilbert commanding, arrived in the village of Payagyi to find the Japanese already there. Visibility was poor, and radio communication difficult. After a brief infantry engagement, the

Type 95 Ha-Go Japanese tanks. A confused battle ensued, in which two more Type 95s were destroyed, another Type 95 was abandoned by its crew, and four Japanese anti-tank guns captured. Then the order came for the British to move to Hlegu

.

Hlegu

Hlegu was also in Japanese hands as the British approached. The Japanese had erected a roadblock, and they defended it with

molotov cocktails, knocking out one of the Honeys. In the end, they were forced to retreat in the face of heavy fire from the tanks. The 7th Hussars' regimental chaplain, the Revd Neville Metcalfe, was awarded an immediate Distinguished Service Order for his actions in helping the British wounded, and conducting burial services for the dead, despite being wounded by mortar fire.^[4]^[5]

Aftermath

General Alexander realised that Rangoon was doomed, and his new plan involved a withdrawal to Prome, some 200 miles to the north. The objective, to convince the Japanese that Rangoon would be defended, had been achieved.

The British Indian Army moved on to Taukkyan that evening.

Battle honours

The British and Commonwealth system of

battle honours recognised participation in the Battle of Pegu in 1956, 1957 and 1962 by the award to one unit the battle honour Pegu and the award to six units the battle honour Pegu 1942 for resisting the Japanese invasion of Burma from 6 March 1942 to 7 March 1942.^[2]

References

^ Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218.
^ ^a ^b Rodger, p. 343
^ Quoted in Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218.
^ "No. 35532". The London Gazette. 21 April 1942. p. 1796. Metcalfe was a Chaplain 4th Class who wear the same rank insignia as captains in other corps of the British Army
^ "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Metcalfe, Neville" (fee usually required to view full pdf of original recommendation). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 22 July 2009.