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Battle Of Sittang Bridge
The Battle of Sittang Bridge was part of the Burma campaign during the Second World War. Fought between 19 February and 23 February 1942, the battle was a victory for the Empire of Japan, with many losses for the British Indian Army (1895–1947), Indian Army, which was forced to retreat in disarray. Brigadier (United Kingdom), Brigadier Sir John Smyth, 1st Baronet, Sir John George Smyth, V.C.—who commanded the British Indian Army at Sittang Bridge—called it "the Sittang disaster".Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218. The Sittang Bridge was an iron railway bridge spanning several hundred yards across the River Sittang (now Sittaung River, Sittaung) near the south coast of Burma (now Myanmar). The 17th Indian Infantry Division had given "everything it had" at the Battle of Bilin River and was already weak.Liddell Hart 1970, p. 216. Now in retreat, they finally received permission to withdraw across the Sittang on 19 February. They disengaged from the enemy under cover of night, and fell b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duke Of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days the regiment was named Huntingdon's Regiment after its Colonel. As Colonel succeeded Colonel the name changed, but in 1751 regiments were given numbers, and the regiment was from that time officially known as the 33rd Regiment of Foot. In 1782, the regiment's title was changed to the 33rd (or First Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment, thus formalising an association with the West Riding of Yorkshire which, even then, had been long established. The first Duke of Wellington died in 1852 and in the following year Queen Victoria, in recognition of the regiment's long ties to him, ordered that the regiment's title be changed to the 33rd (or The Duke of Wellington's) Regiment. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bren Gun
The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War. Although fitted with a bipod, it could also be mounted on a tripod or be vehicle-mounted. The Bren gun was a licensed version of the Czechoslovak ZGB 33 light machine gun which, in turn, was a modified version of the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. The later Bren gun featured a distinctive top-mounted curved box magazine, conical flash hider, and quick change barrel. The name ''Bren'' was derived from Brno, the Czechoslovak city in Moravia, where the Zb vz. 26 was designed (in the Zbrojovka Brno Factory) and Enfield, site of the British Royal Small A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taukkyan Roadblock
The Taukkyan Roadblock was an engagement in the Burma campaign in World War II. It was an attempt to clear a roadblock held by elements of the Japanese 33rd Division, which was preventing the evacuation of the main force of the Burma Army from Rangoon. After heavy fighting throughout 7 March 1942, and a counterattack that night, the roadblock was taken on the early morning of 8 March, with little resistance. As a result, the Burma Army was able to withdraw northwards unimpeded, and avoid being captured in Rangoon by the Japanese forces. Background Taukkyan is a village north of Rangoon, at a junction where the road from Rangoon north towards Prome met the road eastwards to Pegu. Pegu is strategically located to cover Rangoon from an attack from the east, and so in early 1942 it had been garrisoned by a force of Indian troops from the 48th Indian Infantry Brigade. However, this force had been outflanked by a Japanese attack, and was now surrounded. On the 6th of March, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Pegu
The Battle of Pegu was an engagement in the Burma campaign in the Second World War. Fought from 3–7 March 1942, it concerned the defence of Rangoon (now Yangon) in Burma (now Myanmar). Japanese forces closed in on the British Indian Army who were deployed near Pegu (now Bago). With the 17th Infantry Division decimated and scattered, the forces available for the whole of Burma were 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.Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218. British/Indian forces fighting at Pegu were the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), 2nd Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment, and surviving elements of the 17th Infantry; the West Yorkshire Regiment, 1st Battalion, 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles, 7th Duke of Edinbur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Tennant Cowan
Major General David Tennant Cowan, (9 October 1896 – 15 April 1983), also known as "Punch" Cowan, was an officer in the British Army and British Indian Army during the First and Second World Wars. He led the 17th Indian Infantry Division during almost the entire Burma campaign. Early career and inter-war years Cowan was educated at Reading School and Glasgow University. He was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1915. Awarded the Military Cross and mentioned in despatches, he was attached to the Indian Army in 1917, his appointment being confirmed in March 1918 whilst serving with the 4th battalion 3rd Gurkha Rifles. He later joined the 6th Gurkha Rifles. Between the wars, he served on the North-West frontier (where he was again mentioned in despatches for service in Waziristan) and in various staff positions. From 1932 to 1934, he was the Chief Instructor at the Indian Military Academy and in 1937 he was once more mentioned in despatches during a fur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yangon
Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the administrative functions to the purpose-built capital city of Naypyidaw in north central Myanmar. With over 7 million people, Yangon is Myanmar's most populous city and its most important commercial centre. Yangon boasts the largest number of colonial-era buildings in Southeast Asia, and has a unique colonial-era urban core that is remarkably intact. The colonial-era commercial core is centered around the Sule Pagoda, which is reputed to be over 2,000 years old. The city is also home to the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda – Myanmar's most sacred and famous Buddhist pagoda. Yangon suffers from deeply inadequate infrastructure, especially compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia, such as Jakarta, Bangkok or Hanoi. Though ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
5 Gorkha Rifles
5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force), also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the British Indian Army. The regiment's battalions served in the First World War (Mesopotamia) and Second World War ( Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, Mediterranean, Italian campaign, and in Burma). The regiment was known as the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) when it was one of the Gurkha regiments that was transferred to the Indian Army following independence of Indian and Pakistan in 1947 and given its current name in 1950. Since 1947, the regiment has served in a number of conflicts, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It has also participated in peacekeeping operations in Sri Lanka. History 19th century The regiment was raised in 1858 as the 25th Native Punjab Infantry, also known as the " Hazara Goorkha Battalion". The soldiers of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3 Gorkha Rifles
The 3rd Gorkha Rifles or Third Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as 3 GR is an Indian Army infantry regiment. It was originally a Gurkha regiment of the British Indian Army formed in 1815. This regiment recruit mainly Magars and Khas/Chhetri tribes. They were present at a number of actions and wars including the siege of Delhi in 1857 to the First and Second World Wars. After the Partition of India in 1947 the regiment was one of the six Gorkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army as part of the Tripartite Agreement signed between India, Nepal and Britain at the time of Indian independence. Prior to independence, the regiment was known as the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles. In 1950 the regiment's title was changed to 3rd Gorkha Rifles. Since 1947 the regiment has participated in a number of conflicts including the 1947 and 1971 wars against Pakistan. History Formation to 1885 The regiment was raised during the Gurkha War by Sir Robert Colquhoun on 24 April 1815 as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
33rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the . The 33rd Division was raised in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture, simultaneously with 32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th Divisions. Its headquarters were initially in Sendai. It was raised from conscripts largely from the northern Kantō prefectures of Tochigi, Ibaraki and Gunma. Action Initially the ''33rd division'' was assigned to the 11th army in central China and sent to Hubei. It saw combat at the First Battle of Changsha from 14 September 1939. In April 1941, the ''33rd division'' was transferred to Shanxi, and its reconnaissance regiment was disbanded. The ''33rd division'' was transferred to the 15th army on 6 November 1941, and took part in the invasion of British Burma, under Lieutenant General Shozo Sakurai. Initially ''33rd division'' have landed in Bangkok in January 1942 and proceed inland. It lost a battalion at the Battle of Yenangyaung, but completed the conquest of Burma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4 Gorkha Rifles
The 4th Gorkha Rifles or the Fourth Gorkha Rifles, abbreviated as 4 GR, is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese people, Nepalese nationality, especially Magars and Gurungs hill tribes of Nepal. The Fourth Gorkha Rifles has five infantry battalions. The regiment was raised in 1857 as part of the British Indian Army. In 1947, after India's independence, the Fourth Gurkha Rifles became part of the Indian Army as the Fourth Gorkha Rifles. The regiment has seen action in wars in Africa, Europe and Asia, including the Second Afghan War, the Boxer Rebellion (China), World War I, and World War II. Since Independence, in 1947, the regiment has seen action in the India-Pakistan Wars of Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, 1947–48, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, 1971, Bilafond La, 1987, and Kargil War, 1999, and Sino-Indian War, the Chinese aggression in 1962. The regiment has also participated in UN peace-keeping missions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
46th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 46th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in June 1941, at Ahmednagar in India and assigned to the 17th Indian Infantry Division. In February 1942, during the Japanese conquest of Burma the Brigade suffered heavy casualties during the retreat to the Sittang River and was dispersed into small groups after the Battle of Sittang Bridge. The Brigade was never reformed and officially disbanded 25 February 1942. Formation *3rd Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles *7th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment *5th Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment Also attached in February 1942 *4th Battalion, Burma Rifles *2nd Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry *2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment See also * List of Indian Army Brigades in World War II The Indian Army during World War II fought on three continents Europe, Africa and Asia. They also had to supply formations for home service. This list details the Cavalr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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