Japanese invasion of Thailand
Japanese invasion of Thailand | |||||||
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Part of the Pacific War of World War II | |||||||
Map of the Japanese invasion of Thailand, December 8, 1941 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Thailand | Japan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Plaek Pibulsonggram |
Nobutake Kondo | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Royal Thai Army Royal Thai Air Force Royal Thai Navy Territorial Defense Student Royal Thai Police |
15th army 25th army 2nd Fleet | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
62,000 (23,500 reservists) 150 combat aircraft 2 destroyers 1 battleship 2 submarines |
100,000 1 cruiser 7 destroyers 2 battleships 2 merchant seaplane carriers 18 transport ships |
The Japanese invasion of Thailand (Thai: การบุกครองไทยของญี่ปุ่น, RTGS: Kan Buk Khrong Thai Khong Yipun; Japanese: 日本軍のタイ進駐, romanized: Nihongun no Tai shinchū) occurred on 8 December 1941. It was briefly fought between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Empire of Japan. Despite fierce fighting in Southern Thailand, the fighting lasted only five hours before ending in a ceasefire.[1] Thailand and Japan then formed an alliance making Thailand part of the Axis alliance until the end of World War II.
Background
Hakkō Ichiu
The origin of Japanese invasion of Thailand can be traced to the principle of hakkō ichiu as espoused by Tanaka Chigaku in the mid- to late-1800s.[2] Tanaka interpreted the principle as meaning that imperial rule had been divinely ordained to expand until it united the entire world. While Tanaka saw this outcome as resulting from the Emperor's moral leadership, Japanese nationalists used it in terms of freeing Asia from colonizing powers and establishing Japan as the leading influence in Asia.[3] The concept became expressed in the New Order in East Asia (東亜新秩序, Tōa Shin Chitsujo).
In 1940, the concept was expanded by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe, who sought to create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, including Japan, Manchukuo, China, and parts of Southeast Asia. This would, according to imperial propaganda, establish a new international order seeking "co-prosperity" for Asian countries which would share prosperity and peace, free from Western colonialism and domination under the umbrella of a benevolent Japan.[4] The 30 man Number 82 Section (also known as the Taiwan Army Research Unit or Doro Nawa Unit) Strike South planning was formed in 1939 or 1940 to bring this about. In its final planning stages, the unit was commanded by Colonel Yoshihide Hayashi.[5]
Prelude
As part of conquering Southeast Asia, the Japanese military planned to invade
Thailand had a well-disciplined military, and after a series of border skirmishes in 1940 had
The situation Phibun faced was that France had now been defeated by Germany, and Britain was heavily engaged in Europe; the United States had until then taken a neutral stance on both the European war and the Japanese war with China; and Japan was a superpower with a growing buildup of forces in French Indochina. Phibun could have decided he had little choice, as his own forces would have been unable to defeat the Japanese by themselves. Thailand's invasion of French Indochina in 1940 also made it difficult for the United States government to support Phibun.[10]
Midway through 1941, Phibun sought British and American guarantees of effective support if Japan invaded Thailand. Neither the United Kingdom nor the United States could give them, although British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was in favour of a public warning to Japan that an invasion of the Southeast Asian kingdom would result in a British declaration of war. However, the United States was unwilling to agree to this, and Britain was not prepared to make it alone.
By August, the United Kingdom and the United States had placed sanctions against Japan. (For further information, see the Hull note and the McCollum memo.) The Japanese sought to have the sanctions lifted by promising not to encroach on Thailand and withdrawing their forces from Indochina, provided the United States withdrew its support for China.[7] This was unacceptable to both Britain and the United States because of its impact on China.
Final days
In late November, the British became aware of a probable attack on Thailand by Japan because of the rapid buildup of Japanese troops in Indochina.
On 2 December, the Japanese military issued the order "Climb
There is a possibility of imminent Japanese invasion of your country. If you are attacked, defend yourselves. The preservation of the true independence and sovereignty of Thailand is a British interest, and we shall regard an attack on you as an attack upon ourselves.
— Prime Minister Winston Churchill's message to Field Marshal Phibun Songkhram.[16]
At noon on 6 December, one of three
Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham was advised of the sightings at 14:00. He was not authorised to take any action against the convoy, as Britain was not at war with Japan, the Japanese intentions were still unclear, and no aggressive action had yet been taken against British or Thai territory. He put his forces in Malaya on full alert and ordered continued surveillance of the convoy.
On 7 December at 03:00, Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa ordered patrols in the area between the convoy and Malaya. The convoy was about 100 nautical miles (190 kilometres) from Kota Bharu. There was heavy rain and zero visibility. The Kamikawa Maru and Sagara Maru launched 11 F1M2's and six Aichi E13A's. About 20 nmi (37 km) west northwest of Panjang Island at 08:20, an E13A1 ZI-26 from the Kamikawa Maru, piloted by Ensign Ogata Eiichi, spotted a No. 205 Squadron RAF Consolidated PBY Catalina reconnaissance flying boat (W8417), piloted by Warrant Officer William E Webb. Ogata attacked the Catalina from the rear, damaging it and destroying its radio. Ogata shadowed the Catalina for 25 minutes until five Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" fighters from the JAAF's 1st Sentai in Indo-China arrived and shot it down. Webb and his crew were the first casualties of the Pacific War. Unaware of this incident, the British took no action. Ogata would later be killed in the Battle of the Coral Sea.[18]
At 23:00 on 7 December, the Japanese presented the Thai government with an ultimatum to allow the Japanese military to enter Thailand. The Thais were given two hours to respond.[19]
Military forces
Thailand
Thailand had a well-trained military of 26,500 men, together with a reserve force which brought the army's numbers up to about 50,000.
The Royal Thai Air Force possessed some 270 aircraft, of which 150 were combat aircraft, many of them American. Japan had provided Thailand with 93 more modern aircraft in December 1940.
The
The Royal Thai Army started to set up the new military units in the Kra Peninsula including:[21]
- Chumphon
- the 38th Infantry Battalion stationed at Ban Na Nian, Tambon Wang Mai, Muang District of Chumphon (9 km from Provincial Hall).
- Nakhon Si Thammarat
- the 39th Infantry Battalion stationed at Tambon Pak Phoon, Muang District of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
- the 15th Artillery Battalion stationed at Tambon Pak Phoon, Muang District of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
- Headquarter of the Sixth Division at Tambon Pak Phoon, Muang District of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
- Trang
- the 40th Infantry Battalion.
- Songkla
- the 5th Infantry Battalion stationed at Tambon Khao Kho Hong, Hat Yai Districtof Songkla, transferred from Bang Sue to Hat Yai by military train on 18 February 1940, the first unit that moved to the south.
- the 41st Infantry Battalion stationed at Suan Tun, Tambon Khao Roob Chang, Muang District of Songkla.
- the 13th Artillery Battalion stationed at Suan Tun, Tambon Khao Roob Chang, Muang District of Songkla.
- the 5th Infantry Battalion stationed at Tambon Khao Kho Hong,
- Pattani
- the 42nd Infantry Battalion stationed at Tambon Bo Thong, Nong Jik District of Pattani.
Japan
Army units
Japan had units of its 15th Army under Lieutenant General Shōjirō Iida and 25th Army under Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita stationed in Indochina. Both armies had combat aircraft units. The 15th Army was tasked with the attack on Burma and the 25th with Malaya and Singapore. In order to attack Burma, the 15th Army needed to pass over the Bangkok plain, while the 25th Army needed to attack Malaya via the Kra Peninsula. The attack through Thailand on Malaya and Singapore was planned by Colonel Masanobu Tsuji while he was part of Unit 82.[22] The Japanese had about 100,000 troops who needed to pass through Thailand.
Ships from
The known IJN ships participating, apart from those sent to Kota Baru, were:
- the cruiser Saigon[23]
- Destroyers supported the 25th Army landings in southern Thailand
- Escort ship IJN Shimushu escorted transports Zenyo Maru, Miike Maru and Toho Maru' to Nakorn Sri Thammarat, southern Thailand, with more of the 143rd Regiment
- Merchant seaplane carriers Kamikawa Maru, Sagara Maru
In total there were 18 transports involved, which included three landing troops at Kota Baru.
Japanese invasion
Japanese troops invaded Thailand from Indochina and with landings south of Bangkok and at various points along the Kra Peninsula several hours after Thailand had not responded to their ultimatum. While the government debated a response, Phibun could not be located and was unaware of the ultimatum until late morning.[24]
15th Army objectives
Phra Tabong Province
At dawn the
Chumphon
The Japanese 1st Infantry Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment (part of the IJA 55th Division) landed at Chumphon on the morning of 8 December from two troop ships. They managed to form a perimeter around their landing areas, but were pinned down by determined resistance by Thai 'Yuwachon Thahan' ('youth soldier' cadets of the 52nd Yuwachon Thahan Training Unit from Sriyaphai Secondary School), along with the regular army 38th Infantry Battalion and Provincial Police of Chumphon. Fighting ended in the afternoon when the Thais received orders to cease fire. The Thai had lost Captain Thawin Niyomsen (commanding the 52nd Yuwachon Thahan Unit, posthumously promoted to Lt. Col.), some provincial policemen and a few civilians.[27]
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat was the site of the 6th Army Region headquarters and the 39th Infantry Battalion and 15th Artillery Battalion. Three Japanese troopships, Zenyo, Miike, and Toho Maru, landed troops at Nakhon Si Thammarat, covered by the Shimushu, dropped anchor a few kilometres off the coast during the night of 7 December.[28] The ships carried 1,510 men and 50 trucks of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment, the 18th Air District Regiment along with an army air force signals unit, the 32nd Anti-Aircraft Battalion, and the 6th Labour Construction Company. Shortly after midnight, they began disembarking their troops at Tha Phae canal (AKA Pak Phoon Canal), north of Camp Vajiravudh.
The landing was made adjacent to the main Thai army camp, Camp Vajiravudh. The Thais, notified earlier of the Japanese invasion at Songkhla, immediately went into action. The battle lasted until midday, when the prime minister's orders for a ceasefire were received.[29]
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Further landings took place near the airfield to the south. The Japanese laid siege to the airfield, but the Thai airmen along with Prachuap Khirikhan Provincial Police managed to hold out until noon on the next day, when they too received the ceasefire order. The Japanese lost 115 dead according to Japanese estimates,[24] and 217 dead and 300+ wounded according to Thai estimates. The Thais lost 37 dead and 27 wounded.[30]
Samut Prakan
The Japanese 3rd Battalion of the 4th Guards Infantry Regiment landed at
Bangkok
The Japanese bombed Bangkok with one bomb falling on the main post office, which failed to explode. While police rounded up Japanese residents, the Thai cabinet debated its options while they waited for the prime minister to arrive.
Don Muang
The Japanese air force attacked Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base, which was defended by the Thai air force. The Thais lost six fighter planes to a numerically superior Japanese force.
Surat Thani
A Japanese infantry company from the 1st Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment landed from one troopship at the coastal village of Ban Don in the early hours of 8 December. They marched into Surat Thani, where they were opposed by Royal Thai Police and civilian volunteers. The desultory fighting took place amid a rainstorm, and only ended in the afternoon when the hard-pressed Thais received orders to lay down their arms. The Thais lost 17 or 18 dead, but the number of injured was not known.[33]
25th Army objectives
Pattani
Due to its closeness to the Malayan border, Pattani was the second most important objective of the Japanese 25th Army. Eight IJN destroyers including the Shirakumo and Shinonome provided support for the five troop transports.
The landings by the 42nd Infantry Regiment of the
Major Shigeharu Asaeda, when a member of Taiwan Army Unit 82, had been involved with intelligence-gathering in Burma, Thailand, and Malaya prior to the outbreak of war and had selected Pattani as a suitable landing site.[36] Unknown to him, beyond the sandy beach, was a muddy sea bed which caused the invading force considerable difficulty.
Songkhla (also known as Singora)
The port city of Songkhla was one of the main objectives of Yamashita's 25th Army. During the early hours of 8 December, three regiments of the Japanese 5th Division led by Colonel Tsuji under Lieutenant General
The Thai garrison at Khao Khor Hong (the 41st Infantry Battalion and the 13th Artillery battalion) immediately occupied positions alongside the roads leading down to Malaya, but were brushed aside into positions the main Japanese advance could ignore. A further clash occurred at Hat Yai. The Thais lost 15 dead (8 KIA from 41st Inf. Bat. and 7 from the 5th Inf. bat.) and 30-55 wounded.
The fighting ceased at noon when orders for an armistice to be arranged was received.[37]
Malaya
While these landings were taking place in Thailand, troops from the Japan's 25th Army also landed further south at Kota Bharu in Malaya.
Once Thailand was secured the 15th Army's 143rd Regiment moved north to replace the Imperial Guards. The Imperial Guards headed south to join the 25th Army and participate in the invasion of Malaya and Singapore. The 15th Army moved to attack Burma.[citation needed]
Aftermath
On 14 December, Phibun signed a secret agreement with the Japanese committing Thai troops in the
See also
For further information about the predominant Japanese philosophy and reasoning
For events directly relating to the invasion
- Bombing of Bangkok
- Franco-Thai War - Thai invasion of French Indochina in early 1941
- Thailand in World War II - history post-invasion
- Japanese Order of Battle, Malayan Campaign
- Operation Krohcol - unsuccessful British Operation from 8 to 10 December 1941 to occupy Southern Thailand after the Japanese invasion
- Operation Matador (1941) - planned British Operation to occupy Southern Thailand in the event of a Japanese invasion
- Japanese invasion of Malaya- a simultaneous attack on Kota Bharu
- Masanobu Tsuji of Malaya
References
- ISBN 978-0472108060.
- ISBN 0-393-04156-5
- The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945p 447 Random House New York 1970
- ^ Iriye, Akira. (1999). Pearl Harbor and the coming of the Pacific War: a Brief History with Documents and Essays, p. 6.
- ISBN 9781782009825
- ^ Grant, Ian Lyall. and Tamayama, Kazuo. (1999) Burma 1942: The Japanese Invasion. The Zampi Press. p. 33
- ^ a b "The Japanese Envy", Winston Churchill, The Second World War - Volume II - The Grand Alliance, Cassell & Co Ltd, London, 1950, page 156–157
- ^ History of World War II - British Foreign Policy in World War II, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Scotland, 1971, page 120
- ^ "The Japanese Envy", Winston Churchill, The Second World War - Volume II - The Grand Alliance, Cassell & Co Ltd, London, 1950, page 157
- ^ History of World War II - British Foreign Policy in World War II, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Scotland, 1971, page 143
- ^ "The Japanese Envy", Winston Churchill, The Second World War - Volume II - The Grand Alliance, Cassell & Co Ltd, London, 1950, page 532
- ISBN 9781860640636, pages 90-97
- ^ a b A Forgotten Invasion: Thailand in Shan State, 1941-45, CPAmedia.com, archived from the original on 2007-09-28, retrieved 2010-05-02
- ^ "Naval War in China". www.combinedfleet.com.
- ^ History of World War II - British Foreign Policy in World War II, Sir Llewellyn Woodward, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Scotland, 1971, page 174
- ^ "Prime Minister Winston Churchill's Broadcast on War With Japan".
- ^ * "Japanese Auxiliary Seaplane Tenders". www.combinedfleet.com. 1936-08-05.
- ^ Lundstrom, Pearl Harbor to Midway, pp. 192–193; Cressman, p. 95; Millot, p. 59; Lundstrom (2006), pp. 166–167; Werneth, p. 67. Cressman reports that a scout SBD piloted by John L. Nielsen shot down an Aichi E13A from Deboyne, killing its crew including plane commander Eiichi Ogata. Another SBD, piloted by Lavell M. Bigelow, destroyed an E13 from Furutaka commanded by Chuichi Matsumoto.
- ^ "The Japanese invasion of Thailand, 8 December 1941 » Outside Pattaya, Thai History » in Pattaya Now". Archived from the original on 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
- ISBN 9781598844573, page 284
- ^ "สงครามมหาเอเซียบูรพา - ก่อนจะถึงวันวีรไทย". samphan. I See History dot com. September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Where Japanese invaders first landed, Sager Ahmad, New Straits Times, 23 April 2004
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- ^ "บก. สูงสุด 2.4.1.6/6 การจัดรถในราชการไทยไปต่อกับรถของญี่ปุ่น". wisarut. Rotfai Thai dot com. 7 July 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "วันวีรไทย - ชุมพร". samphan. I See History dot com. September 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ "Japanese Army Auxiliary Anti-Aircraft Transports". www.combinedfleet.com.
- ^ "วันวีรไทย - นครศรีธรรมราช". samphan. I See History dot com. September 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
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- ^ E. Bruce Reynolds. (1994) Thailand and Japan's Southern Advance 1940-1945. St. Martin's Press.
- ^ "JAPAN DEFEATS THE BRITISH AND TAKES MALAYA, SINGAPORE, HONG KONG, BURMA AND INDONESIA - Asian Topics | Facts and Details". Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
- ^ "วีรไทย - สุราษฎร์ธานี". samphan. I See History dot com. September 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ISBN 0 304 93805 X
- ^ "วันวีรไทย - ปัตตานี". samphan. I See History dot com. September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
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Further reading
- Thavenot, A. F. (1942). "Thailand and the Japanese Invasion". Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society. 29 (2): 111–19. .