Siege of Myitkyina
| Siege of Myitkyina | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Burma | |
| Result | Allied victory |
| Territorial changes | Myitkyina airfield and town captured by the Allies |
China
United States
United Kingdom (air and artillery support only)
Japan
Genzo Mizukami †[1]Northern Combat Area Command
972 killed
3,184 wounded
188 invalid
U.S.
272 killed
955 wounded
980 invalid
1,180 wounded
182 captured[3]
The siege of Myitkyina was an engagement during the Burma campaign of World War II. The Allied victory was part of the larger Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan which succeeded in opening the Ledo Road.
Background
 |
Siege
Stilwell gave the Chinese 22nd Division orders to advance against the bridges held by the Japanese on March 15. After two months of fighting, Myitkyina was now in reach. With the arrival of the rainy season, the incessant rain did not stop until May 17. On that day, at 10:00 p.m., the Chinese Expeditionary Force launched an attack with the US Army's Merrill's Marauders against the Japanese
Afterward, some Chinese units attacked the town itself, but the attack was soon called off when two Chinese battalions, in the confusion and excitement of the battle, mistakenly engaged each other in a fierce firefight, and when two other battalions were moved in, they too repeated the mistake.[citation needed]
A stalemate ensued throughout June, but the capture of Mogaung by the British Chindits under Mike Calvert later that month was the beginning of the end for the Japanese garrison at Myitkyina. With supply lines cut, infighting grew between the two local Japanese commanders over their orders regarding the defence of the town. Stillwell had demanded that the Chindits join them but they were whittled down by disease and combat. Stillwell nevertheless was reinforced by the arrival of elements of Francis Festing's 36th Division from 15 July at Myitkyina airfield. On hearing of the weakening Japanese garrison in Myitkyina, Stillwell sent that division not to take Myitkyina but to advance on the 'Railway Corridor' from Mogaung towards Indaw on the right flank of NCAC.[4]
On July 26, the American 3rd Battalion of the Marauders made a significant gain by capturing the northern airfield at Myitkyina and over the next week Japanese resistance was noticeably weaker.[5]
On August 3, General Genzo Mizukami ordered the town abandoned and took his life in a literal compliance to "defend Myitkyina to the death" as the Chinese and US forces gradually cleared the city and the surrounding area of Japanese troops.[6]
Aftermath
The operations against Myitkyina was particularly hard on the Chinese Expeditionary Force, due to the hard fighting, lack of supplies, difficult terrain, and disease. Owing to excessive casualties, the unit effectively ceased to exist as a fighting force and was therefore disbanded. The long-awaited taking of Myitkyina and its airfield allowed for the opening of the Ledo Road, connecting the old Burma Road with China. The Chinese forces' casualties were the highest among all the battles during the Chinese-intervention of Burma Campaign.[citation needed]
Order of battle
| American-Chinese order of battle[6] | Japanese order of battle[6] |
|---|---|
|
Chinese and American troops of the Northern Combat Area Command: General Joseph Stilwell
|
33rd Japanese Army: General Hondo Masaki
|
References
- ^ a b Jaques, Tony (2007) Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: F-O (p.700)
- ^ China-Buma-India Command
- ^ China-Buma-India Command, page 253; only about 600 men of the garrison escaped.
- ^ Pitt, Barrie (1966). Hart, Basil Henry Liddell (ed.). History of the Second World War, Volume 6 History of the Second World War. Purnell. p. 2584.
- ^ United States Department of State (1961). Newsletter. Bureau of Administration. p. 13.
- ^ a b c "Myitkyina". The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020.
External links