Today We Attack

Generalissimo Jiang Kai-shek had committed some of his best divisions to aid the British defense of Burma. One of them, the 200th, was fighting valiantly to hold the walled city of Toungoo, now nearly encircled by the Japanese. Major-General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, nominally in charge of the Chinese …

1942-03-29

69

Generalissimo Jiang Kai-shek had committed some of his best divisions to aid the British defense of Burma. One of them, the 200th, was fighting valiantly to hold the walled city of Toungoo, now nearly encircled by the Japanese. Major-General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, nominally in charge of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma, ordered the new Chinese 22nd Division to push south along the Mandalay-Rangoon road to relieve the pressure on Toungoo's defenders and hopefully open a corridor to them.

Toungoo, Burma

The Burma campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign, the Imperial Japanese Army with aid from Burmese insurgents had driven British forces and Chinese forces out of Burma, and occupied most of the country. From May to December 1942, most active campaigning ceased as the monsoon rains made tactical movement almost impossible in the forested and mountainous border between India and Burma, and both the Allies and Japanese faced severe logistical constraints. When the rains ceased, the Allies launched two offensives. One, an attack in the coastal Arakan Province, failed, with severe effects on Allied morale. This was restored partly by improvements to administration and training, and partly by the much-publicised results of a raid by troops under Brigadier Orde Wingate. This raid may also have goaded Japanese commanders into launching major offensives the following year, which failed disastrously.

Chinese

Japanese

Scenario Type = Standard