World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Anglo-Indian XV Corps under Lieutenant General Philip Christison launched a renewed offensive at the Mayu Peninsula in the Arakan region of Burma in late 1943. The small port city of Maungdaw was captured on 9 Jan 1944. The Japanese 55th Division, under Lieutenant General Hanaya Tadashi, dispatched units of the Sakurai Force in small groups on 5 Feb, penetrating positions held by Indian 7th Division without being detected. On the following day, the Japanese crossed the Kalapanzin River and attacked the forward headquarters of the Indian 7th Division in surprise, forcing the divisional staff to destroy of the orders and signal equipment before fleeing. The Japanese then advanced toward the Indian 7th Division's administrative area at Sinzweya, Burma. In the subsequent Battle of the Admin Box, the Japanese failed to dislodge the Anglo-Indian defensive point, and eventually the offensive was beaten off as the Japanese supplies dwindled; 3,106 Japanese were killed and 2,229 were wounded in this failed offensive. In the second week of Mar 1944, men of the 161st Infantry Brigade of the Indian 5th Division captured the village of Razabil. In late Mar, the Anglo-Indian offensive resumed. On 6 Apr, Indian troops captured the critical Point 551 hill that dominated the surrounding regions, but overall the offensive had waned at this point, and the Anglo-Indians paused to regroup. William Slim's focus on the central regions of Burma meant that the Allies would not gain another opportunity to gain the remainder of the Arakan region for months to come.

Photographs

Second Battle of Arakan Timeline

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