On the few occasions that Japanese and Allied armour met, it was apparent that Japanese vehicle commanders would react in one of two ways; either they would panic, running hither and thither in an attempt to escape or they would remain absolutely immobile assuming the role of a pill-box until destroyed. In mitigation, it must be emphasized that on these occasions, the Allied armour was generally present in overwhelming strength, whilst the Japanese, because of their philosophy of dispersion, could only field a bare handful of vehicles. Even so, by good minor tactics, they could have extracted a higher price for their destruction, had they possessed any instinct for the game – after all, in Europe, with the exception of the Russians, the Allies fought almost all their tank battles undergunned and under-armoured.
In designing their vehicles, the Japanese had taken the Chinese Army’s anti-tank and armoured capacity as their yard stick. Since this was virtually nil, their designs were adequate whilst they were fighting the Chinese during the 1930s, and appeared to be adequate whilst fighting a tankless enemy in Malaya and the East Indies. However, much water had flowed under the bridge since the original designs were laid down, so that by 1942 they were years out of date. Work was carried out on a number of more advanced prototypes, but steel production was strictly limited, and as tank manufacture came low on the list of Japanese priorities, the existing designs continued to be produced on a quantity rather than quality basis. Faced with a combination of faulty dogma and obsolete vehicles, it is not surprising that the Imperial Armoured Corps performed without distinction in Burma.
Japanese tanks were powered by air-cooled diesel engines which performed efficiently. Internally, they were extremely cramped, and few hatches were provided for the crew. The machine gun mounted in the rear face of the turret proclaimed their conception as infantry support weapons.
Below are set out a few technical details of the Japanese tanks to see service in Burma.
Type 94 Tankette
Weight: 2.65 tons
Crew: 2
Armour: 12mm
Armament: 1 × 6.5-mm mg in turret
Remarks: Based on Carden Loyd carrier. Primary role, keeping open lines of communication. Originally issued on the basis of one company per infantry division. Front engine. In final version (Type 97 Tankette) engine moved to rear, and 37-mm gun carried in turret.
Type 95 Light Tank
Length: 14 ft 4½ in
Width: 6ft 9in
Height: 7ft 10in
Weight: 7.5 tons
Crew: 3
Armour: 12mm
Armament: 1 × 37-mm gun
2 × 7.7-mm mg
Speed: 28 mph
Remarks: Original design, 1934. The most widely used of all Japanese tanks. Belated steps taken to up-gun and up-armour design. Some used by China after World War II, possibly in Korea.
Type 89 Medium Tank
Length: 18ft 10½in
Width: 7ft 2in
Height: 8ft 5in
Weight: 12.8 tons
Crew: 4
Armour: 17mm
Armament: 1 × 57-mm gun
2 × 6.5-mm mg
Speed: 15.5 mph
Remarks: Original design, 1929. Served China, Manchuria, Philippines and Burma. Good across-country ability. Sometimes fitted with un-ditching tail. No AP round developed for 57-mm, which was limited to HE, Withdrawn about 1943.
Type 97 Medium Tank
Length: 18ft 1in
Width: 7ft 8in
Height: 7ft 11in
Weight: 15.6 tons
Crew: 5
Armour: 35mm
Armament: 1 × 47-mm gun
2 × 7.7-mm mg
Speed: 24 mph
Remarks: Original design, 1938. The most powerful tank in Japanese service. Used in most theatres, and after the war by China. Upgunned regularly, but no match for Allied armour. Used as basis for several self-propelled guns, and a number of assault engineer vehicles.
Appendix B—Brief Technical Data of Allied Tanks which Fought in Burma
Stuart Light Tank
Length: 14ft 9in
Width: 7ft 7in
Height: 7ft 6in
Weight: 12.3 tons
Crew: 4
Armour: 43mm
Armament: 1 × 37-mm gun 2 × 7.62-mm Browning mg
Speed: 35 mph
Valentine Infantry Tank
Length: 17ft 9in
Width: 8ft 7 ½in
Height: 7ft 5 ½in
Weight: 17 tons
Crew: 3
Armour: 65mm
Armament: 1 × 2-pdr gun
1 × 7.92-mm Besa mg
Speed: 15 mph
Remarks: Saw little service in Burma as a gun tank, for which role it was unsuitable in this theatre. Widely used as bridge-layer, being equipped with a 30-foot scissors bridge.
Lee/Grant Medium Tank
Length: 18ft 6in
Width: 8ft 10in
Height: 9ft 4in
Weight: 27 tons
Crew: 7/6
Armour: 50mm
Armament: 1 × 75-mm gun in sponson
1 × 37-mm gun in turret
3 × 7.62-mm Browning mg
Speed: 26 mph
Remarks: Originally conceived by the U.S. Army as an Infantry Tank. Complicated development history running to several marks. Generally referred to as Lee in British service (and throughout my text), although individual vehicle specifications might conform to a mark of Grant.
Sherman Medium Tank
Length: 19ft 7in
Width: 8ft 9in
Height: 9ft 0in
Weight: 30 tons
Crew: 5
Armour: 75mm
Armament: 1 × 75-mm gun
2 × 7.62-mm Browning mg
Speed: 25 mph
Remarks: Ran to many marks, and still in service (in much modified form) in some armies today. Basis for a wide variety of SP guns and special purpose vehicles.
Appendix C—Table of Approximately Equivalent Ranks, British and Indian Cavalry
Bibliography
History of the Second World War – Vols 1–6 (Purnell)
I Serve – Lt-Colonel L. B. Oats. Regimental History of the 3rd Carabiniers
The Spirit of a Regiment – Brigadier J. G. Pocock. History of 19th King George Vth’s Own Lancers
The Life of a Regiment, The Gordon Highlanders, Vol 5. Wilfrid Miles History of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 1919–1952 – C. N. Barclay
The York and Lancaster Regiment, 1919–1953 – Maj. O. F. Sheffield
Ball of Fire – The 5 th Indian Division in the Second World War – Anthony Brett-James
Golden Arrow – Brig. M. R. Roberts
Imphal – Geoffrey Evans and Anthony Brett-James
A Change of Jungles – Miles Smeeton
The Road Past Mandalay – John Masters
History of the 16th Light Cavalry – Lt-Colonel C. L. Proudfoot.
Privately Published Operation Summaries of Actions Fought by the following Indian Cavalry Regiments:
The Royal Deccan Horse
7th Light Cavalry
Probyn’s Horse
Official Documents
Campaign of the Fourteenth Army, 1944–45
Summary of Operations, 255 Tank Brigade, 1945
Regimental War Diaries of 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, 2nd Royal Tank
Regiment, 25th Dragoons, and 149 Regiment RAC
Twelfth Army Intelligence Summaries
Index
Abdul Razak, Ris, 173
Admin Box, 87–94, 112, 113, 192
Agnew, Lt-Col. R. L., 191
Ainley, SSM, 69
Akyab Island, 78, 86, 191, 193, 194
Alebo, 55
Alexander, Gen. H. R. L. G., 33, 38, 41, 67, 76
Alexander, Capt., 92
Ali Khan, Ris., 120
Allagappa, 185
Allanmayo, 53, 213
Allason, Maj. J., 93
Alon, 72
Ammunition Hill, 89, 90
An Pass, 195, 204, 205, 215
Anstice, Brig. J., 30, 41, 50, 53, 63, 67, 68
Anwar Khan, Jem., 120
Arakan Yomas, 195
Arkinstall, Maj. W. M., 164
ARMY, BRITISH AND INDIAN
Corps
1 Burma, 62, 66, 69, 70, 74, 75, 76
4, 82, 97, 98, 112, 113, 131, 143, 149, 150, 151, 152, 160, 161, 179, 187, 209, 210, 217, 223, 228, 233
15, 84, 94, 96, 191, 193, 208, 209, 215, 217
33, 113, 138, 140, 144, 149, 150, 151, 179, 187, 209, 210, 214, 215, 217
Divisions
1st Burma, 31, 53, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 72
2nd British, 137–8, 139, 143, 148, 179, 184, 185, 188, 189
5th Indian, 84, 85, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 112, 113, 138, 145, 175, 176, 210, 223, 228
7th Indian, 84, 85, 87, 92, 94, 95, 96, 138, 143, 151, 153, 154, 156, 157, 158, 161, 172, 210, 211, 212, 215, 223
11th East African, 146, 147
14th Indian, 78, 83
17th Indian, 30–31, 41, 45–6, 48, 53, 58, 69, 98, 102, 110, 125, 151, 156, 157, 158, 160, 165, 172, 175, 176, 186, 210, 217, 228, 229
19th Indian, 148, 179, 180, 182, 183, 184, 185, 188, 190, 210, 227
20th Indian, 98, 99, 101, 121, 148, 179, 185, 186, 188, 210, 211, 213
23rd Indian, 98, 102
25th Indian, 191, 193, 194, 198
26th Indian, 92, 95, 191, 193, 201, 215, 233
36th British, 148
81st West African, 84, 85, 86, 191, 193, 195
82nd West African, 191, 193
Brigades, Armoured
7th Armoured, 29, 31, 33, 37, 38, 41, 44, 46, 54, 57, 67, 70, 75, 76–7, 88n
50th Indian Tank, 191
254th Indian Tank, 98, 113, 135, 179, 185, 210
255th Indian Tank, 151, 156, 160, 166, 172, 175, 176, 210, 229, 233
Brigades, Infantry
1st, 59, 64
3rd Commando, 191, 194, 195, 199
4th, 206
5th, 137–8, 189
6th, 189
13th, 59, 64
16th, 53–4
23rd, 102
28th East African, 151, 154–6
32nd, 123
33rd, 90, 91, 210, 212
48th, 52, 54, 55, 70, 75, 161, 166, 169, 171, 217, 221
49th, 102
50th Para, 118
51st, 201
62nd, 179
63rd, 50, 52, 69, 71, 161, 166, 169, 221, 232
64th, 181–2
71st, 201, 204
74th, 194, 198, 201, 204
99th, 165, 217, 221
123rd, 116, 143, 225
161st, 84, 137
Regiments, Armoured, British
3rd Carabiniers, 82–3, 99–102, 113–17, 118, 121, 122, 123, 125–9, 130, 131, 132, 139, 144, 145, 146, 148, 179, 188–90, 210, 212–13, 215–17
7th Queen’s Own Hussars, 29–30, 34, 38, 42, 46, 51, 54–5, 58, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71–72, 75, 76, 79, 99, 232
2nd Royal Tank Regiment, 22, 29, 31, 34, 39, 41, 44, 46, 50, 52, 53, 54–5, 58–9, 60, 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 72, 74
6th Royal Tank Regiment, 29
25th Dragoons, 83, 84, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 192
116th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, 151, 152, 153, 154–9, 210, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 233
146th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, 79–81, 201–4, 206–7
149th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, 139, 140–4, 144, 146
150th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, 88n, 122, 130, 139, 179, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 210, 211, 212; YL Sqn, 122, 129–30, 139
Regiments, Armoured, Indian
5th King Edward VII’s Own Lancers (Probyn’s Horse), 25, 151, 160, 161, 162–4, 165, 166, 168, 169, 173, 174, 219, 221, 228, 232, 233
7th Light Cavalry, 75, 99, 102–10, 117–18, 119–20, 125, 131, 132, 136, 144, 146, 179, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 210, 212, 214–15, 223, 225–6, 229, 230, 231, 232
9th Cavalry (Royal Deccan Horse), 25, 151, 160, 161, 164–5, 166, 167, 168, 169, 171, 175, 218, 221, 222, 228–9, 230, 231, 232
11th Light Cavalry (Prince Albert Victor’s Own) Frontier Force, 139, 144, 148, 149, 151, 160, 161, 166, 167, 168, 179, 185, 187, 210, 213–14
16th Light Cavalry, 160, 164, 165, 166, 168, 173–4, 210, 219, 221, 223, 224, 231, 233
19th King George V’s Own Lancers, 88n, 191, 192–3, 194, 204–5, 215, 216, 217, 233
45th Cavalry, 139, 191, 193, 194
Regiments, Artillery
Essex Yeomanry, 33, 36, 37, 39, 46, 50–1, 55, 60, 63, 64–5, 67, 68, 69
6th Medium Regiment, 87
18th Field Regiment, 186, 229
Regiments, Infantry, British
The Border Regiment, 99
Cameronians, 31, 33, 36, 37, 40–1
No. 1 Commando, 197
No 5 Commando, 196
No 44 Commando, 196
Duke of Wellington’s, 79
Gloucestershire, 1st, 1, 46
Green Howards, 2nd, 206–207
King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd, 93, 156
King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 32, 58–9
Lincolnshire, 1st, 92–93, 203
Northamptonshire, 2nd, 100, 129
Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 206
Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 1st, 139
Royal Berkshire, 140
Royal West Kent, 4th, 85, 137, 140
South Lancashire, 2nd, 153
West Yorkshire, 1st, 37, 40, 62, 63, 64, 67, 68, 72, 88, 89, 90, 92, 127
Worcester, 2nd, 182
York & Lancaster, 7th, 224
Regiments, Infantry, Indian
Baluchis, 7/10th, 170; 5th, 182
Bombay Grenadiers, 88n
3/4th, 94
4/4th, 151, 218
Burma Frontier Force, 61, 62, 63
Burma Rifles, 1st, 157
Dogras, 1/17th, 113–17. 144, 228
Frontier Force Rifles, 206–7
Garhwal Rifles, 1/8th, 203
Gurkha Rifles
3/2nd, 198–9
1/3rd, 130, 131, 229, 231, 232
1/4th, 122, 131, 158
3/4th, 187
3/5th, 118
4/5th, 152, 158
1/6th, 181
1/7th, 174
4/8th, 86–87
1/10th, 42, 108–9, 131, 164–5
4/10th, 185–6
Jats, 3/9th, 113, 226
Punjabis
1/1st, 137
4/14th, 153
9/14th, 100, 125, 128
4/15th, 157, 159
6/15th, 174
7/16th, 205
Rajputs
2/7th, 206
4/7th, 85, 137
6/7th, 169, 173, 218, 219, 229, 230
Sikhs, 1/11th, 42
Sikh Light Infantry, 173
ARMY, CHINESE
38th Division, 62–66
Army, Indian, British officers’ training for, 25–26
Army, Indian, role of Viceroy’s Commissioned Officers, 26
ARMY, JAPANESE
Discipline, 18
Burma Area Army, 98, 138, 233
Armies
15th, 98, 150, 151
28th, 150
33rd, 150, 222, 225, 226
Divisions
15th, 98, 111, 118, 180, 227
18th, 175, 176
31st, 98, 111, 137
33rd, 43, 98, 121, 131, 145, 164
53rd, 180
55th, 85, 92, 94
Regiments, Infantry
58th, 137
214th, 102
Regiments, Armoured
14th, 145, 172, 175
Artillery Hill, 87, 89, 91
Ascanias, SS, 29–30
Ashton, Col. J. M., 212
Ava Bridge, 70, 190
Bab
ar, Capt., 174
Bahadur Singh, Lt (later Maharajah of Bundi), 162, 170, 220
Baker, Lt H., 157
‘Banana’, 203
Barcol, 187–8
Barlow, Lt-Col. J., 75, 102, 119, 134, 136, 187
Barr, Cpl, 39, 48, 56
Bastion, the, 119
Beacon, the, 119–20
‘Bean’, 203
Beaumont, Lt, 122–3
Bharat Singh, Ris., 108–9. See also Jot Ram’s story
Billimoria, Lt, 195, 196, 197, 204
Birch Bank, SS, 30
Bishenpur, 111, 128, 130
Blackater, Lt-Col. J. N. F., 152, 158, 226
Bonham-Carter, Maj. J., 31, 41–2, 53–4, 64, 66, 68
Bourne, Maj. H. H., 33, 52, 65
Boyd, Maj. F. B., 187, 214, 217
Branstone, SQMS, 116
Brennan, Cpl, 123
Briggs, Maj.-Gen. H. R., 84
Buckley, Lt G., 207
Bucknall, Maj. H. A. R., 201, 202, 203, 206–7
Budalin, 72–3
Burma Road, 45, 67
Buthidaung, 83, 85, 86, 95, 194
Bushido, 19
Campbell, Maj. A., 133, 147, 181, 182, 214
Campbell, Sgt, 57
Carey, Lt J., 79–81
Chaco War, 22
Chaplin, Maj. N., 160, 168
Chaplin, Capt., 68
Chaudhuri, Lt-Col. (later Gen.) J. N., 160, 233
Chauk, 55, 154, 211
Cheduba Island, 191, 204
Chiang Kai Shek, 45
Chindits, 97–8, 112
Chindwin River, 28, 71, 74, 75, 76, 97, 111, 143, 145, 147, 148, 149, 178, 179
Christison, Lt-Gen. A. F. P., 84, 86, 92, 96, 191, 195, 201, 204, 208
Chute, Lt-Col. R. F., 29
Claudcol, 218–22, 224
Cole, Lt J. A., 131
Cole, Capt. T. O., 108–9
Congreve, Maj. J., 46, 71
Cornaby, Capt., 188–9
Cottrell-Hill, Brig., 201, 202
Cowan, Maj.-Gen. D. T., 45–6, 48, 51, 53, 98, 102, 110, 156, 172, 175
Craddock, SSM, 116–17
Craig, Maj. P. W., 152, 157
Critchley, Lt-Col. G. H., 88n, 191, 192
Cudden, Lt, 118
‘Curse of Scotland, the’, 75, 232
Cushworth, Sgt, 129
Dacoits, 33, 72, 234
da Costa, Capt., 79
Davies-Gilbert, Maj. G. C, 34–5, 37
Davis, Sgt, 39, 46, 48
Dayindabo, 53
Dimapur, 111, 137, 139
Dimsdale, Maj. T. E., 144, 145, 189, 215, 216
Doe, Sgt, 116
Donbaik, 78–82, 201
Dormer, Lt, 183
Dufferin, Fort, 184
Dumas, Capt., 68, 69
Egyo Bridge, 165–6
Elder, Lt, 173
Elson, Lt, 119–20