Battle of the Bilin River
| date | February 14, 1942 to February 18, 1942 |
|---|---|
| place | Burma , Bilin River |
| output | Japanese tactical victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| A division | Two divisions |
Japanese conquest 1941/42
Bilin - Sittang - Pegu - Toungoo - Taukkyan - Yunnan-Burma - Shwedaung - Prome - Yenangyaung
1942/43
Arakan I - The Hump - Chindits
1944
Arakan II ( Ngakyedauk ) - U-gō ( Imphal - Sangshak - Tennis Court - Kohima ) - Myitkyina - Mountain Song
1944/45
Meiktila / Mandalay - Pokoku -
Arakan III ( Kangaw and height 170 - Ramree ) - Operation Dracula ( Elephant Point ) - Sittang
The Battle of the Bilin River was the first major battle of the Burma campaign during World War II as part of the Pacific War . It took place from February 14 to 18, 1942 north of the Gulf of Martaban on the Bilin River .
prehistory
On January 16, 1942, the Japanese penetrated from Thailand into southern Burma and captured Victoria Point with a battalion . There they built the first Japanese airfield on Burmese soil. The city of Tavoy fell on January 19th. It was no longer possible for the British division in Mergui to escape overland. They chose the sea route. With this retreat of the British, the Japanese fell into the hands of three more airfields, from which they launched the first air raids on Rangoon .
The actual invading forces of the Japanese advanced from Raheng into Burma. The 16th Indian Brigade in Kawkareik was ousted from the town by January 22nd. She fled to an area west of Moulmein . The two commanders Brigadier John Smyth of the 17th Indian Infantry Division and Lieutenant General Thomas Jacomb Hutton , Commander in Chief of the Burma Army, had different views on the country's defense. While Smyth wanted to retreat to the Sittang River and strengthen the combat strength of his troops there in better surroundings, Hutton decided that any piece of land was too precious to retreat. Hutton prevailed and Smyth had to assign a battalion for the defense of Moulmein, also on the orders of Archibald Wavell . Moulmein fell on January 31st and the battalion had to flee. Smyth again asked to retreat to the Sittang River, but Hutton insisted on holding the line on the Bilin River.
The battle
The battle raged for two days in the dense jungle on the Bilin River. The tactics of the 33rd and 55th Japanese Divisions consisted of bypassing and enclosing the enemy unit. Only after Hutton had convinced himself of the hopeless situation on site, he ordered the withdrawal. In the dark of the night of February 20, the troops of the 17th Indian Division set out for the bridge over the Sittang about 50 km away.
consequences
By giving up the Bilin defense line, the Japanese gained a tactical advantage and were able to advance further west into Burma. They reached the Sittang River by bypassing the fleeing troops of the 17th Indian Division and for the time being prevented the Sittang Bridge from being blown up (→ Battle of the Sittang Bridge ). When the British did blow up the bridge on the morning of February 22nd, they had not yet been able to bring their main force to the west side of the Sittang. This happened in the following period, but with the loss of all equipment.