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    T R T M 7, 1942 V K: He Oadblock at Aukkyan Arch by Ip Lykoom The Situation

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    JMMPdos
    The withdrawing British garrison in Burma reached the road junction at Taukkyan on March 7, 1942 only to find that the road to Prome was blocked by Japanese forces several miles ahead. An initial probe by British tanks resulted in losses, while further attacks to clear the roadblock also failed. A final all-out assault was planned for the morning of March 8 in an attempt to break through the roadblock and prevent the British forces from being trapped by the Japanese.

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    T R T M 7, 1942 V K: He Oadblock at Aukkyan Arch by Ip Lykoom The Situation

    Uploaded by

    JMMPdos
    49 views3 pages
    The withdrawing British garrison in Burma reached the road junction at Taukkyan on March 7, 1942 only to find that the road to Prome was blocked by Japanese forces several miles ahead. An initial probe by British tanks resulted in losses, while further attacks to clear the roadblock also failed. A final all-out assault was planned for the morning of March 8 in an attempt to break through the roadblock and prevent the British forces from being trapped by the Japanese.

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    Wargame Scenario

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    taukkyan1

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    The withdrawing British garrison in Burma reached the road junction at Taukkyan on March 7, 1942 only to find that the road to Prome was blocked by Japanese forces several miles ahead. An initial probe by British tanks resulted in losses, while further attacks to clear the roadblock also failed. A final all-out assault was planned for the morning of March 8 in an attempt to break through the roadblock and prevent the British forces from being trapped by the Japanese.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    49 views3 pages

    T R T M 7, 1942 V K: He Oadblock at Aukkyan Arch by Ip Lykoom The Situation

    Uploaded by

    JMMPdos
    The withdrawing British garrison in Burma reached the road junction at Taukkyan on March 7, 1942 only to find that the road to Prome was blocked by Japanese forces several miles ahead. An initial probe by British tanks resulted in losses, while further attacks to clear the roadblock also failed. A final all-out assault was planned for the morning of March 8 in an attempt to break through the roadblock and prevent the British forces from being trapped by the Japanese.

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    The Roadblock at Taukkyan

    March 7, 1942
    by Vip Klykoom

    The Situation

    On March 5 1942 Lieutenant General Sir Harold Alexander, the newly appointed GOC Burma, arrived in
    Rangoon at noon with orders to hold the city at all costs. The situation was such that twelve hours later at
    midnight, he issued orders for the evacuation to begin. By the evening of March 7, the streets of Rangoon
    were silent and lifeless, with the last troops having left for the temporary safety of Prome.

    The withdrawing garrison reached the road fork at the village of Taukkyan, some twenty-one miles north
    of the capital, when it was found that the Prome Road was blocked by the Japanese some miles ahead.
    Burma AHQ, the Rangoon Garrison, the 17th Division and the 7th Armoured Brigade were trapped. It was
    imperative that a breakout be achieved, for otherwise a humiliating disaster loomed ahead.

    Historical Events

    The Japanese 3/214 Battalion made a forced march to the village of Satthwadaw astride the road to Prome,
    when on the morning of March 7 its lead units observed a British column approaching from the direction
    of Rangoon. Major Takanobe, the battalion commander, quickly ordered his men to dig in and a roadblock
    was set up just south of the village.

    Initial probes by B Squadron of the 7th Hussars resulted in the loss of two tanks. Even then, however, the
    strength of the road block was not yet realised, and at 1500 hours an attack was ordered to be put in. It
    was beaten back, prompting another, heavier assault to be launched. This second attempt to clear the road
    proved no more successful, and the situation proved bleak for the British as the sun set. An all-out, all-or-
    nothing, attack was to be made the next morning.

    3/214 Battalion was battered to the point that a wounded Major Takanobe, unaware of the stranglehold
    he had on the British, deemed it appropriate for an “advance back” to be made, and the roadblock was
    dully abandoned in the early hours of March 8. Alexander’s column was thus able to make its way to
    Tharrawady, and from there onto Prome.

    Sources

    Burma 1942: The Japanese Invasion – Ian Lyall Grant & Kazuo Tamayama
    Burma: The Longest War – Louis Allen
    The Longest Retreat – Tim Carew
    Official History of Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War: Retreat from Burma, 1941-1942
    – Bisheshwar Prasad
    The Wargame Scenario Commonwealth Forces
    Rangoon Garrison
    The scenario features the second British assault at (1st Gloucestershire Regiment - Colonel C.E.K. Bagot)
    1730 hours. The British objective is to clear the 8 figures, 2 x Bren Carrier
    roadblock and force the Japanese off the map. Any
    other result is a Japanese victory.

    All troops are regular.

    63 Brigade - Colonel W.D. Edward


    Terrain Brigade HQ
    CO + 5 figures, 2 figure OP team

    The roadblock was placed just south of Satthwadaw


    and sixty yards north of the road bend. To the east
    of the road is a forest of tall and short tress, and to
    the west a jungle. 2nd/13th Frontier Force Rifles - Major Elsmie
    HQ
    8 figures, Boyes anti-tank rifle, 2" mortar
    One field gun was placed on each side of the road
    facing in opposite directions; a company was also
    deployed on either flank. Sandbag protection was
    provided to the guns while the infantry took cover
    on the roadside ditches (roads in Burma were high). Company Company
    8 figures 8 figures
    Two Stuart wrecks may be placed on the road in
    front of the Japanese guns.

    Deployment 1st Indian Field Regiment


    Battery
    10 figures, 2 x 25 pounder field gun, 2 x Quad prime mover
    The Japanese are dug in according to the map
    (which is based on actual dispositions). The
    9th Company is held in reserve in Satthwadaw,
    alongside Battalion HQ.

    The British begin at the south-eastern end of the


    map, coming up from Taukkyan. The tanks and
    carriers are restricted to the roads.
    12th Mountain Battery 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
    3 figures, 3.7" howitzer Squadron
    3 x M3A1 Stuart (37mm)

    Painting tip: the Honeys (Stuart tanks) in Burma


    went straight into combat upon their arrival from
    Egypt, meaning that they would have kept their
    desert paint schemes.
    Japanese forces and Table Layout

    Japanese 3/214 Battalion


    (Major Takanobe)
    HQ Machine Gun Company Regimental Gun Company
    CO + 9 figures, Type 97 20mm AT rifle, 50mmmortar 10 figures, 3 x MMG 8 figures, 2 x 75mm guns

    9 Company 10 Company 11 Company 12 Company


    12 figures 12 figures 12 figures 12 figures

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