Baw Drop

For weeks the “Chindits” of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade had been marching, living off the jungle, and harassing the Japanese wherever they were found. Major Mike Calvert's 3 Column had tried unsuccessfully to find a suitable site for an air resupply drop, but finally it seemed they'd located …

1943-03-13

AP065

For weeks the “Chindits” of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade had been marching, living off the jungle, and harassing the Japanese wherever they were found. Major Mike Calvert's 3 Column had tried unsuccessfully to find a suitable site for an air resupply drop, but finally it seemed they'd located the perfect spot, near the small village of Baw. RAF Dakotas were on their way to make the drop, while Major Ken Gilkes and his 7 Column were on the way down from the north to share in the spoils. As the parachutes began to fall, it was a surprise to see Japanese troops appear at the jungle's edge and take the Lancashire men under fire.

Baw Village, 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.

Japanese

British

Scenario Type = Standard