Battle of Yenangyaung

Background
After the Japanese captured Rangoon in March 1942, the Allies regrouped in Central Burma. The newly formed
Burma Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General William Slim and consisting of British, Indian and locally raised
Burmese troops, attempted to defend the Irrawaddy River valley, while the Chinese Expeditionary Force (in
Burma) defended the Sittaung River valley to the east. After the Japanese captured Singapore and the Dutch East
Indies, they were able to use divisions released by these successes and captured trucks to reinforce their army in
Burma and launch attacks into Central Burma.

One of the Japanese objectives in the Irrawaddy River valley was the Yenangyaung oil fields. The battle for the oil
fields started on 11 April and continued for a week. The Japanese attacked 48th Indian Infantry Brigade at
Kokkogwa at night in a storm. On the next day, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2nd RTR) was in action near Magwe at
Thadodan and Alebo. From 13 to 17 April, the British fell back under attacks by the Japanese. On several
occasions Japanese roadblocks split the Burma Frontier Force (an internal security force acting as infantry), 1st
Burma Division, the British 7th Armoured Brigade HQ and 2nd RTR into three forces.

On 15 April, Lieutenant General Slim gave orders for the oil fields and refinery to be demolished. The situation
became so critical that General Harold Alexander, commanding the Burma Army, asked Lieutenant General
Joseph Stilwell, the American commander of the China Burma India Theater and Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-
Shek, to move the Chinese 38th Division immediately into the Yenaungyaung area.

Battle
On 16 April, almost 7,000 British soldiers, and 500 prisoners and civilians were encircled by an equal number of
Japanese soldiers from the Japanese 33rd Division at Yenangyaung and its oil field. The 33rd Division had cut the
Magwe road between Slim's two divisions, who were now about 50 miles (80 km) apart. The 1st Burma Division
was hampered by large numbers of wounded men and short of water. Major General James Bruce Scott,
commanding the 1st Burma Division, telephoned General Sun Li Jen, commanding the Chinese 38th Division,
asking for rescue soon after the 38th Division entered the area.

General Sun requested to lead his entire division to the rescue of 1st Burma Division, but General Lo Cho-ying,
commanding the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma, refused. On 17 April, General Sun instead led his 113th
Regiment with only 1121 men, of which only 800 were combat personnel, in the rescue mission. Because the
Chinese had no artillery or tanks, Lieutenant General Slim assigned the 7th Armoured Brigade, commanded by
Brigadier John Anstice, to General Sun. The brigade consisted of two regiments (battalions) of M3 Stuart light
tanks and a battery of 25-pounder guns.[1]

For the next three days the Chinese attacked southwards. The temperatures reached as high as 114 degrees
Fahrenheit and a pall of smoke from the demolished oil wells and refineries hung over the battlefield.[2]

Meanwhile, 1st Burma Division fought its way to and across the Pin Chaung river where they met with the relief
column on 19 April. On the next day, the Chinese force attacked south toward Yenaungyaung and Pin Chaung.
The attack caused the Japanese to suffer heavy casualties, but the Allied forces were too weak to hold the oil fields
and had to retreat to the north.

Results
The rescue mission had been a resounding success, but the 1st Burma Division had lost most of its heavy
equipment and was exhausted and disorganized. Many of its Burmese troops had deserted.
King George VI rewarded Sun Li Jen with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and honoured the
Regiment Commander Colonel Liu Fangwu and some other officers with medals.

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The Battle

The battle for the Yenangyaung oil fields started on 11th April and continued for a week. One action was against
48th Indian Brigade at Kokkogwa were the Japanese attacked in strength on a dark night in violent thunderstorms.
At dawn on 12th April 'B' and 'C' Squadrons, 2 RTR, were in action. Some of the 7th Hussars' tanks captured in the
earlier Shwedaung battle had been repaired and went into action with Japanese crews. 2 RTR were again in action
near Magwe at Thadodan and Alebo.

From 13th to 17th April 1942, tanks of the 2 RTR were kept busy, carrying the 2nd Battalion, The King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry up the main road to Milestones 310, then 336 and killed 50 Japanese in the village of
Tokson while loosing a tank destroyed when it was hit six times at very close range by a 75mm gun. On several
occasions Japanese roadblocks split the British Burma Frontier Force, 1st Burma Division, 7th Armoured Brigade
HQ and 2 RTR into three forces. The situation became so critical that General Alexander asked Lieutenant General
Joe Stilwell to move the Chinese 38th Division immediately into the Yenaungyaung area.

The Japanese 33rd Division cut the Magwe road between Slim's two divisions, who were about 50 miles apart, 1st
Burma Division retreated northwards bombed and machine-gunned by Japanese aircraft. On April 16th, 1942,
almost 7000 British soldiers, and 500 prisoners and civilians were encircled by an equal number of Japanese
soldiers from the Japanese 33rd Division at Yenangyaung an oil field in Burma. A rescue request came over the
phone from the British Major General Bruce Scott commander of 1st Burma Division to General Sun Li Jen soon
after the New 38th Division entered Burma from China. General Sun requested to lead the entire New 38th
Division in the operation, but the Chinese Field Commander Gen. Lo Cho-ying refused. On April 17th General
Sun instead led the 113th Regiment with only 1121 men for the rescue mission.

Because the Chinese regiment had none of its own artillery or tanks, Lt. Gen. Slim decided to offer what artillery
and tanks he could, to support Sun's attack. Brigadier J. Anstice, commanding 7th Armoured Brigade, was able to
cooperate successfully with Lt. General Sun, who was inexperienced with tanks but would consult with Anstice
before employing them. By now Lt. General Slim's only link with Major-General Scott was by radio from 7th
Armoured Brigade HQ to the command tank of 'A' Squadron 2 RTR.

During the fighting, 'C' Squadron, 2 RTR were part of a small mixed brigade supporting the Chinese infantry
division in the area of the Magwe oil fields. It was agreed that 2 RTR tanks would carry 10 to 15 Chinese soldiers
on each tank, then penetrate as far into the jungle as possible before dropping them off and then cover their attack
with their weapons while the Royal Horse Artillery 25-pdr guns provided more support. For the next three days the
Chinese 113th Regiment, with 'B' and 'C' Squadrons, 2 RTR, attacked southwards.

Meanwhile, led by their commander Major General Scott, 1st Burma Division formed up in a column, with a
spearhead of Stuart tanks and infantry followed by guns, wounded in ambulances, and then trucks, until the track
turned into sand. Abandoning their transport the Division fought its way to and across the Pin Chaung river. Once
there the survivors concentrated around Gwegyo meeting up with the releif column on April 19th after suffering
heavy casualties on both sides.
On 19th April the Chinese 113th Regiment, with the British tank and artillery support, took Twingon, a key suburb
of Yenangyaung, rescuing from the Japanese 200 prisoners and wounded men of the 1st Battalion, Inniskilling
Fusiliers. On the next day with 2 RTR they attacked toward the rest of Yenaungyaung and Pinchaung where the
Japanese suffered heavy casualties. But the Allied forces were too weak to hold the oil fields and had to retreat. 1st
Burma Division was withdrawn 40 miles north to reorganise, having lost most of its equipment, 7th Armoured
Brigade covered its withdrawal.

For the next week 'C' Squadron, 2 RTR, and a troop of Essex Yeomanry 25-pdrs remained with the Chinese New
38th Division and the tanks of 2 RTR who covered the withdrawal northward and carried many of the wounded
infantry in their Stuarts during the retreat.

The Battle Honour YENANGYAUNG 1942 is emblazoned on the Queen's Colours of The Royal Irish Regiment.

Faced with superior Japanese force in Burma in 1942, the British Force was to withdraw towards the Indian
frontier and also deny the Burma oilfields to the Japanese by destroying the oil wells at Yenangyaung. On 17 April
1942, the 1st Burma Division, including the 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, reached the oilfields on
17 April to find that the Chinese force that had advanced from the north had already demolished the wells.
However, the Division was cut off by a ring of Japanese positions.

On 18 April a break-out was attempted through the enemy line at Yenangyaung along a ridge and close to the
allied Chinese Force. The advance was led by 13 Brigade and the Inniskillings were then to leap-frog through them
to a position on the ridge. As they set off, enemy fire inflicted casualties, especially snipers who targeted company
and platoon commanders. Both B and C Company consolidated their positions on the ridge while A and D
Company reached the village of Twingon where, believing they were linking up with the Chinese, were in fact
ambushed by Japanese and virtually decimated. The acting Commanding Officer, Major S B McConnell, organised
a defensive perimeter for the night. Darrell Berrigan, an American war correspondent with the Inniskillings
described the scene that night:

An Inniskilling Major with two other officers and myself, walked forward to inspect the outposts. We passed
groups of men resting beside the road dark shadows from which a voice quietly said "A Company , sir", "B
Company , sir". There were other lumps of black shadow which were silent, Irish, Indian and Japanese dead, lying
in heaps off the road...... Returning, we stopped beside a derrick where the Major struck a match; for a fleeting
moment it flickered over the bodies of two dead Inniskilling Officers. The tired voice of the Major came from the
darkness; "These officers must be buried according to regimental custom, tonight"'.

It was only when the Chinese attacked the Japanese from the east that the remnants of the Force were able to the
move north, bypassing enemy blocking positions. After resting, the Faughs continued their march on 24 April and
despite hunger, thirst, lack of sleep, dysentery and malaria, arrived at Imphal, India on 11 June. The other ranks
strength on arrival was 114. Both the Commanding Officer and the Second in Command, along with other
commanders, had been killed by snipers.