Burma '45: The Road To Mandalay

Summary

WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk
Episode: Burma '45: The Road To Mandalay
Release Date: July 28, 2025

Hosts: Comedian Al Murray and Historian James Holland

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1. Introduction to the Battle of Mandalay ([02:03] – [04:13])

The episode delves into the intense Battle of Mandalay, a pivotal engagement in the Burma Campaign of World War II. James Holland sets the scene by vividly describing the chaos of frontline warfare:

James Holland [02:03]: "The Frontier Force are attacking Mandalay Fort. Now you can probably hear the noise of the shelling, mortaring, shooting..."

This immersive introduction paints a picture of the relentless assaults faced by the Allied forces, highlighting the strategic significance of Mandalay Hill and the fortifications surrounding it.

2. Leadership and Strategy of Allies and Japanese ([04:13] – [06:04])

The discussion shifts to the key military leaders involved in the battle. Tom Holland expresses his admiration for Major General Pete Rees, emphasizing the importance of effective leadership:

Tom Holland [03:13]: "My enthusiasm for Pete Reese knows no bounds... he's a tremendous fellow."

James Holland expands on the qualities of these generals, underscoring their ability to inspire trust and effectively lead their men under harsh conditions.

James Holland [04:13]: "Their men trusting them and... having confidence in them, which is after all what it's all about in the end, isn't it?"

The hosts contrast the competent leadership of the Allies with the diminishing effectiveness of Japanese command structures, attributing the latter's struggles to attrition and poor coordination.

3. Siege of Mandalay Hill and Fort Dufferin ([06:04] – [09:40])

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the grueling siege of Mandalay Hill and the formidable Fort Dufferin. James Holland describes the tactical challenges faced by the Allies:

James Holland [07:00]: "They're captured and he's gone out through the sewers, hasn't he?"

The hosts detail the methodical approach taken to clear the hill, balancing military objectives with cultural sensitivity by avoiding the destruction of sacred Buddhist temples. This strategy not only preserved important cultural landmarks but also demonstrated restraint amidst the brutality of war.

4. Allied Tactics and Japanese Failures ([09:40] – [20:22])

Al Murray and James Holland analyze the tactical maneuvers employed by the Allied forces under General Slim. They highlight the effectiveness of aggressive defense and well-coordinated sweeps to dismantle Japanese positions:

James Holland [12:38]: "Captured and he's gone out through the sewers... an extraordinary victory, isn't it?"

Tom Holland explains how Punch Cowan's division utilized well-formed battle groups, reminiscent of German tactics in Normandy, to outmaneuver and overpower the Japanese troops.

Tom Holland [20:22]: "The Japanese could form a Kampfgruppa all they wanted, but with what they've got versus what the Allies have, there's a mismatch."

The hosts emphasize the disparity between the disciplined, mechanized Allied units and the overextended, under-resourced Japanese forces. This mismatch was exacerbated by Japanese intelligence failures and the Allies' superior firepower and training.

5. Battle Progression and Key Engagements ([20:22] – [35:27])

The narrative progresses through a series of intense engagements as the Allies systematically push the Japanese back. Key moments include:

• Japanese Counterattacks: Despite initial successes, Japanese armored divisions struggle against the superior Allied tanks and coordinated infantry assaults.

  James Holland [26:08]: "There is probably nothing worse than being caught while you're digging in because you haven't dug in quite yet..."

• Allied Reinforcements: The arrival of additional Indian Infantry Brigades bolsters the Allied defense, allowing for sustained pressure on Japanese positions.

  Tom Holland [27:34]: "They’re being hammered just as they’re discombobulated and really they’re not familiar with this ground."

• Destruction of Japanese Artillery: Strategic targeting of Japanese artillery units cripples their operational capabilities, further tipping the balance in favor of the Allies.

Throughout these engagements, the hosts highlight the relentless nature of the conflict and the strategic brilliance of Allied commanders in adapting to evolving battlefield conditions.

6. Allied Counter-Offensives and Japanese Retreat ([35:27] – [40:45])

As the battle intensifies, the Allies launch decisive counter-offensives that force the Japanese into a full retreat. Key developments include:

• Destruction of Japanese Divisions: By March 30th, the Japanese 33rd Army has been decimated, leaving them with a mere 8,000 men compared to the Allied's resilient forces.

  Tom Holland [40:32]: "33rd army is just 8,000 men strong."

• Strategic Withdrawals: General Kimura orders the Japanese to abandon their offensive, recognizing the futility of further resistance against the coordinated Allied assaults.

• Casualty Reports: The Allies sustain significantly fewer casualties compared to the heavy losses inflicted on the Japanese, underscoring the effectiveness of their strategies.

  Tom Holland [39:49]: "The Japanese have lost two and a half thousand dead and fifty artillery pieces."

James Holland reflects on the broader implications of the victory:

James Holland [40:32]: "It really is... an extraordinary victory."

The episode concludes with the anticipation of the next phase in the Burma Campaign — the race to capture Rangoon before the impending monsoon, setting the stage for future strategic engagements.

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Key Takeaways

1. Effective Leadership: The competency and strategic acumen of Allied generals like Pete Rees and Punch Cowan were instrumental in their victories.

2. Tactical Superiority: The Allies' use of well-coordinated sweeps, superior firepower, and disciplined infantry tactics outmatched the fragmented and overextended Japanese forces.

3. Cultural Sensitivity: The Allies' decision to preserve sacred sites during the siege of Mandalay Hill showcased a balance between military objectives and respect for local culture.

4. Intelligence and Adaptability: Persistent patrolling and effective intelligence-gathering allowed the Allies to anticipate and counter Japanese movements effectively.

5. Attrition and Resource Management: The Japanese forces suffered from severe attrition and inadequate resources, hampering their ability to mount coordinated defenses or counterattacks.

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Notable Quotes

• James Holland [02:03]: "The Frontier Force are attacking Mandalay Fort... Tremendous lot of noise going on."

• Tom Holland [03:13]: "Pete Reese I think is... he's a tremendous fellow."

• James Holland [04:13]: "Their men trusting them and... having confidence in them, which is after all what it's all about in the end, isn't it?"

• Tom Holland [20:22]: "The Japanese could form a Kampfgruppa all they wanted, but with what they've got versus what the Allies have, there's a mismatch."

• Tom Holland [40:32]: "33rd army is just 8,000 men strong."

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Conclusion

In "Burma '45: The Road To Mandalay," Al Murray and James Holland provide a comprehensive and engaging exploration of one of the critical battles in the Burma Campaign. Through detailed narratives, strategic analysis, and insightful commentary, the episode highlights the complexities of warfare, the impact of leadership, and the tactical decisions that led to an Allied victory. For enthusiasts of military history, this episode offers a rich and nuanced understanding of the Battle of Mandalay and its significance in shaping the outcome of World War II in Southeast Asia.

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Transcript

[James Holland]

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[Al Murray]

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[Tom Holland]

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[James Holland]

Let'S get undercover. The Frontier Force are attacking Manderley Fort. Now you can probably hear the noise of the shelling, mortaring, shooting. I'm fairly close to the walls myself, standing, looking half round a concrete wall. Our chaps are advancing steadily, bunching a little more than I'd like to see them. They're going very well. The tanks are advancing, firing very hard at the walls. You can see where our medium guns firing direct have made breaches in the walls of the fort. You can see the bullets flicking the ground just ahead of me. Tremendous lot of noise going on. A whole lot of smoke now near the wall itself, which is a very good thing for our infantry. I'm not quite sure which of the firing is the enemy firing. I can see some of our infantry going across now. They're running across near the tanks. They're in slouch hats, Australian hats, Gurkha.

[Tom Holland]

Hats very clear to see.

[James Holland]

And that was Major General Pete Rees there for the BBC. So that fully embedded bit of journalism there by the Beeb.

[Tom Holland]

I mean, amazing because actually that I only put a part of that broadcast in. It goes on. I mean, you know, it's a quite a lengthy broadcast. Yeah, it's absolutely stunning because you just get such a vivid picture of what's going on. And there he is, you know, the fighting general right at the front. Yes.

[James Holland]

Welcome to. We have ways of making youtalk burma 45 episode 5 Road to Rangoon so, Jim, you were saying.

[Tom Holland]

Well, my enthusiasm for Pete Reese knows no bounds, you know, in shot contrast to my disgust and contempt at Oliver Lease. But, but Pete Reese I think is a. Is, you know, becoming false, becoming a great friend of the show, isn't he? I mean he's tremendous fellow.

[James Holland]

And there are these major generals in Burma in particular. No one's ever heard of them, but.

[Tom Holland]

They'Re top draw, aren't they?

[James Holland]

That they're really good and they're all interesting characters as well. So you know, this sort of. There's juice in the lemon as well as them doing a good job.

[Tom Holland]

Yes.

[James Holland]

And you think what their relationship must have been like with their men and their men trusting them and their men at least having confidence in them, which is after all what it's all about in the end, isn't it?

[Tom Holland]

Yeah.

[James Holland]

And also this thing that. One of the things that happens in generalship in the Second World War, and I think it's a, it's a thing in generalship actually throughout history, is people with personality who bend the rules a little in what they wear and they project a version of personality for the men to relate to and all that sort of thing. And there, there are the famous ones who we know that do that and then they're the ones who do that and we don't know about at all. Why don't people know about Pete Reese, Jim?

[Tom Holland]

I don't know. I don't know.

[James Holland]

I will. Apart from the sort of epic struggle that's what we want people to ponder.

[Tom Holland]

Well, you know, I mean, the interesting thing is, is the other, the other person we're going to be talking about. Well, two other fighting generals who are really, really brilliant. General Punch Cowan, David Punch Cowan, you know, of 17 Indian Infantry Division, who we're going to be looking at in a minute with the battle for McTilla and also Douglas Gracie, you know, commander of the 20th Indian Infantry Division. Yeah, these are, these are, they're top draw. I mean, they're really, really good. Yeah, they just get it. And one of the things that makes them good is the distance, is the remoteness, is the fact that they are forced to kind of think on their feet and. And do the impossible. And that actually makes you up your game. It's a bit like sort of, you know. You know, when I'm playing cricket, I tend to. I quite often do better once I'm coming up against better opposition, you know, because he's concentrating a bit more, you're focused a bit more.

[James Holland]

So. So basically we're saying Burma's basball, is it?

[Tom Holland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's definitely basketball. Oh, my God.

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah. Extra.

[Tom Holland]

I was sort of listening. I was. That's what I'm much more interested in.

[James Holland]

Yeah, absolutely. So, as we related in the. In the last episode, what's been going on is that Slim, of course, needs the Japanese to fall for the. The Mandalay thrust.

[Tom Holland]

He needs.

[James Holland]

He needs the Japanese to sort of stock to him like glue. So hold them there so his sickle cut to the south can work. Luckily, or, or, or as predicted, the Japanese have. Have done as required. But that still means there. There has to be a battle for Mandalay. That has still got to happen. The Japanese, of course, have decided that the pennies finally dropped. But they're stuck now.

[Tom Holland]

They're.

[James Holland]

They're caught in Jaws. They're wedged in. They're caught in the jaws of Slim's trap and at the same time have finally come to realize that there was no point holding on to Manay anyway. And that they've been 100.

[Tom Holland]

No strategic value.

[James Holland]

No strategic value. Suckered not just by their. By their enemy, but by their own thinking.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. By their own hubris and lack of intelligence and.

[James Holland]

Yeah, arrogance and, and what's interesting is. Well, and delusion, but also by going against the way they fought. Right. So they're very successful in 1942 because they don't care about places. The point is, you move on, you. You disrupt the enemy, you get inside of the. Inside the way he's thinking and you get him. Him to think the way you need him to so that you can do what you want to him is what the Japanese are brilliant at in 1942. And here they are hung up on a place with someone inside the way they think, someone inside the way they do war. And as a result, they're going to get tonked, aren't they? Is the simple truth.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. And you may remember that Rhys's 19th division are coming from the north, heading south was Driving southwards and second British Division, not Indian Division, second British Division are moving in from the east. But it is, it is the 19th division, Reese's division, that are on top of Mandalay Hill. And we, we ended last episode with the 4th, 4th Gurkhas taking the hill, but not clearing the southern slopes down into the town and you know, down below there is Fort Dufferin, which is this sort of huge, like a medieval castle, really huge moat, huge embankments, thick walls, all the rest of it. They haven't cleared the southern slopes of Mandalay Hill either. And dead Japanese are littering the summit, but there's plenty more in the cellars and basements of buildings running up to, up to the hill. And as John Masters writes in his brilliant the Road Past Mandalay, he goes, a gruesome campaign of extermination began among the temples of one of the most sacred places of the Buddhist faith. And the problem is that the chambers and cellars running up the hill from the temples are made of concrete.

[James Holland]

Right.

[Tom Holland]

And Reese is entirely within his rights from, you know, standards of the Second World War to order a massive bombardment of Mandalay Hill. But he doesn't want to do that because he really does recognize their great importance from a relig, some cultural perspective and thinks, no, no, no, we don't need to destroy all these temples, we don't need to do all this. You know, we can, we can winkle them out.

[James Holland]

Shades of casino.

[Tom Holland]

Well, quite. And, you know, snipers are a big problem. John Masters is, is standing by or is crouching by a Sikh machine gun who gets drilled in the head just five yards from where he's, where he's standing. And the clearing of the hill and then the city that follows is incredibly methodical. You know, beehive charges are brought up, holes blown into the concrete, petrol poured in, then a very light fired down. So then you hear sullen explosion, explosions from within and the sort of rocking of the ground. Now, any Japanese that sort of run out, then gunned down by machine guns, Pierce. Are also used to blast doors and grenades and flamethrowers. I mean, this is a really grim, awful way to do it.

[James Holland]

Horrendous.

[Tom Holland]

But by 12 March, Mandalay Hill is finally clear, but they still got to get to the rest of Mandalay. And that's the problem. And it's this Fort Dufferin that's the sticking point, really.

[James Holland]

This is an old fort. So picture. Is it red, red dust, earth there? You know, like a. Yeah, yeah, you know, mud walls, 30 thick foot walls.

[Tom Holland]

No, it says stone walls as stone stone.

[James Holland]

Right. Oh, okay, right, okay. But I mean, 30ft thick, there's, there's nothing that will get through those actually.

[Tom Holland]

And it absolutely dominates the city. It dominates the city. It's just this huge sort of almost square block sort of immediately to the south of Mandalay Hill and it's almost on the banks of the, of the Irrawaddy. But, but you know, it's.

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Holland]

I mean, you know, it's the best part of a kind of mile long fault, Dufferin.

[James Holland]

Yeah, I mean it's, it's huge. If you, if you pull up the, pull up the stock image, it's vast and it's imposing and you've, I mean it's extra, extremely difficult to crack. So they're bombing it. They're actually, they're, they're shelling it. They're bringing in fighter bombers, they're bringing in B24s as well to try and smash it. I. Jim, it says in your notes even smaller Barnes Wallace bouncing bombs used.

[Tom Holland]

Yes, yes. Incredible, isn't it?

[James Holland]

Yeah, absolutely amazing. They can breach the wall, but not the, the earthen embankments around it. So this is the. Here we go again. I mean, clearing the city on the, on the hill, as you say, is a grim, awful business. If, because the Japanese aren't going to surrender, this is what you're going to do, there's every probability that if things were the other way around, a white flag would come up at some point, surely, but that is, that isn't going to happen. And they have that. The order is to fight to the last round, isn't it? That order has been given, hasn't it?

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. Even though the commander of 15th army is very against all that and actually thinks it's completely pointless. But you know, the orders have come from Kimura and Katamura. So, you know, what do you do?

[James Holland]

What are you going to do? Yeah. So they attack the walls on the 16th, 17th of March. Exorcise Duffy, as Rhys calls it. Those attacks are repulsed.

[Tom Holland]

It's quite funny, isn't it?

[James Holland]

Yes, it's quite good.

[Tom Holland]

Excise Duffy to get Dufferin.

[James Holland]

Then the next two days there are four more attempts made to get across the mo. So Slim, I mean, interesting. Slim rocks up and decides there's just no point with any further frontal attacks. It's too costly. So rope it off, isolate it, besiege.

[Tom Holland]

It, effectively starve him out.

[James Holland]

Yeah, but Rhys has been planning an attack through the sewers underneath the castle. I mean, he's a fighting general. Isn't he? He wants to get it done, doesn't he? And persuade Slim. Persuade Slim it's a good idea. And all at the same time, there's street fighting carrying on with the corpses of civilians, women, children, dogs and rubble and wreckage and corrugated mine off roofs. Absolutely everywhere.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. Because I think Mandalay is a very beautiful city and, you know, it's just. It's just, it's not. It's not destroyed, but it's. It's ravaged, smashed up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Beaten up a bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But the amazing thing is, on the night of the. Of the planned sewer attack, four Anglo Burmese civilians who have been prisoners of the Japanese, you know, they walk out of the. Out of the gates with. With a. With white flags and the Union Jack out of the north gate, you know, because Casamura has. Has decided at long last to withdraw and actually had secretly done so on the night of the 19th, 20th. So everyone's very relieved they don't have to go through the sewers, which they're not. It's not going to be a pleasant job and you know that. Basically that's it, you know, Mandalay is.

[James Holland]

Captured and he's gone out through the sewers, hasn't he? That's the thing. They've got out through the sewers. The escape's been made the same way in that the British were planning to use. Yeah, yeah. Gosh.

[Tom Holland]

Second Division has been attacking from the southern end of Mandalay with it. With the city in their hands, you know, Slim now orders a general victory parade in Mandalay, which actually gets him a little bit, you know, both Mountbatten and particularly Lease are very sniffy about this and he's just done this without consulting them. But he says the capture of Mandalay be such as much the result of operations in Mick Taylor and elsewhere as those of the city itself. Every one of my divisions have played his part. It was an army victory. I thought it would be good for everyone to have that fact demonstrated.

[James Holland]

He's absolutely right, though, isn't it?

[Tom Holland]

Right, yeah. And, you know, they're a long way from bloody Salon and, you know, Delhi and stuff. They don't need to embarrass, you know, he doesn't need to consult with them. It's just a victory march through. Just everyone's packer up, you know, why not?

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Tom Holland]

J.R. says, what part of the west country was that? Well, you can do it again if you like, Junior.

[James Holland]

West Bromwich.

[Tom Holland]

That West.

[James Holland]

That west, yeah. So that's Mandalay taken complete with parade McTeela. The other part of Slim's offensive. What's going on there, Jim?

[Tom Holland]

You know, the Battle of Mandalay and the Battle of Matilda are kind of sort of raging at the same time, really. They. They cross over and what's just amazing is this sort of, you know, the total. The absolute woefulness of Japanese intelligence and interpretation of the intelligence they do get is. Is just absolutely remarkable and very much plays into, you know, Slim's and the Allies hands. When the Japanese hear that the Allies have broken out of Nyangu on the eastern side of the Irrawaddy, they just think he's a raiding force, you know, sort of another Chindit kind of thing. And then when 17th Indian division, this is Punch Cowan's division, swiftly capture McTeelor, it catches them completely by surprise. I mean, you know, they're just dumbfounded that this could have happened. I mean, we talked a little bit about this in the last episode, but, you know, their response is quick, but it's in a very uncoordinated fashion. The other thing is, is that Kimura's rear area staff are weirdly blase about it. And so Kimura is the Burma army area commander in chief, General operate, general officer commanding. And, you know, he's got his rear area staff and he's got his operations staff and the operations staff are in a complete state about it, but the rear area staff are kind of just, yeah, whatever, you know, and the rear area staff are kind of boasting that the enemy at McTeela would be destroyed in a week by the arrival of 49th Division, which has been hurriedly ordered there. But. But 168th Regiment was already. That had already managed to get there by the time the British were, you know, Punch Cowan's division were attacking town and most of them have been destroyed in the process. That's a regiment down, you know, that's three battalions kind of more or less gone before they've even started. And you know, the 49th Division commander, so 168th Regiment get there kind of ahead of the rest of the division of 49th Division. And the commander, Lieutenant General Subaru Takahara, he reaches the front on the 4th of March and discovers that not only the Matilda has already been occupied and most of his garrets and killed or wounded, but one of his regimental commanders is also dead. And also the British seem to be staying where they are in McTeel and not vancing beyond it. So the following day he hears from. From. From Major Kander, one of the survivors of the 168th Regiment who. Who tells him he's only got 400 men left. You know, that's not a great start. In other words, you know, they're already kind of fighting uphill, effectively.

[James Holland]

Yeah.

[Tom Holland]

You know, and so, so other, other divisions are sending contributions. So, you know, 33 division is. Is sending. You know, they're up at Mandalay having a nightmare. I mean, they've been trying to fight 20th Division and, you know, and 2nd Division and so on, and they're all.

[James Holland]

Under strength in the first place.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. Your division is kind of 8, 000 strong rather than 15 or 1650. Yeah. So he's, you know, 33 Division sends one regiment. 18th Division has also been hurriedly dispatched, but. But minus one regiment which is still in the north of Burma facing off against the British 36th Division. And more of that in the next ep episode final episode. And also a regent from second division which has also been posted to Indochina.

[James Holland]

Right.

[Tom Holland]

It's all a bit fractured. And what that means is you've got lots of different units who are not used to fighting together and they're not used to the kind of command and all the rest of it. 15th Army Command. They don't have much clue about what's going on. The arriving 49th and 18th divisions haven't got much clue what's going on. They haven't. Don't know what. What forces are holding mcte. But the, but the intelligence they've got is it's either the fifth or the seventh Indian Division. I suppose it doesn't really matter which division it is, but. But they're completely wrong. I mean, it's the 17th Division, which they're not even aware of. So Major General Naka of the 18th Division is told to simply block the enemy's exit to the west and once they've done that, then destroy the enemy when they try and break out of.

[James Holland]

M. Now, Jim, this is very interesting, isn't it? Because the Japanese have been fighting since 1937 in China, haven't they? Basically, or even arguably 1931 and have been done very well there, haven't they, you know, actually been winning. Are winning right at this time with Ichigo. Right. Why are they so bad at forming campgrippers then? Because this. This is what's required here, isn't it? If this were the Germans, there would be a thing about how they rapidly assemble a campgripper. And luckily everyone, even if they don't get along, even if you've got an SS guy who hates the Vermacht guy and the Luftwaffe colonel and all that. Although actually when you, when you start to prize that apart, when you start to look into that in northwest Europe, it's not necessarily the case. Very often, you know, say the Luftwaffe colonel doesn't know what he's doing because his job is, his job is spare parts or something. You know, normally, you know, the Japanese army is hugely experienced, particularly at the command level. What's going on? Why are they.

[Tom Holland]

Well, I think it's a, I think it's the attrition of war. I think it's the same thing. You know, the Germans are really good in 1940, but they're not much cop by 1944. You know, it's the same sort of thing. I think they've just, you know, they've been attritted so badly that the, the junior level command probably isn't up to much. You know, and that's what you need. You need, you need good junior commanders. But they're being hurried through officers school, aren't they? Because everything's short and they're running out and taking so many casualties and all the rest of the other big problem is, you know, they haven't got much mechanization. You know, most of this is being done on foot. They've got a handful of tanks, but the tanks they have got are kind of, you know, thin and small and pretty puny. The artillery they've got is a bit mixed but you know, they, they haven't got much fire support for the infantry. That's the problem. They've got a few machine guns and a few mortars and stuff. But their main way of kind of overwhelming the of the enemy is still suicide charges. But the problem with suicide charges are incredibly costly and very, very expensive. And you know, what, what the, the allied forces. Now, you know, what Punch Cowan has worked out is that he needs to operate here in this landscape in fully formed battle groups and the kind of battle groups that you and I would recognize from the German army or, or you know, from the Normandy campaign or whatever. In other words, infantry moving down the road, clinging to Sherman tanks, you know, when they come into action, getting off, coordinating with motorized artillery and anti tank guns and mortars. And so these are proper big battle groups that are going off and doing, you know, and operating and their superior firepower and frankly training is just besting the Japanese sort of pretty much every single time at this point.

[James Holland]

Well, it's actually the case is the Japanese could form a Kampfgruppa all they wanted, but with what they've got versus what the Allies have, but that essentially there's a mismatch.

[Tom Holland]

There's a mismatch.

[James Holland]

Well, yes, I was just going to say slim has created a situation, set of circumstances where it's not. It's not a fair fight if you're the Japanese, from the Japanese perspective, because who wants a fair fight if you. You know, very often there is that kind of whiff of implication that the Allies. The allies are kind of not doing it fairly by using overwhelming firepower, combined operations, armor, aircraft. Well, so what?

[Tom Holland]

Yeah, you know. Well, we'll see how this. I mean, you know, when we. When we go through this, the siege of Mictido, it'll become absolutely clear what. What on earth is on here. So. So Cowan's policy is one of aggressive defense. He doesn't want to fight in the town. He's got the town. He holds the town. That's now his admin box. That's his administrative area. What he wants now is that he wants to form these. These battle groups and send them down the roads leading out of McTedo. You've still got those two lakes. That's now in their favor because they're protecting them, in effect. But all around the southern lake, for example, he has single infantry companies positioned with mortars and machine guns in a static defense. So there's three from the 99th Brigade, and we'll remember that the 99th Brigade were the third brigade of 17th Division, which were flown in to Mick Taylor, one each from the 48th and the 63rd Brigades. The 48th is the one that George McDonnell Fraser is in with the borders. Yeah, and one company from divisional headquarters plus two battalions holding the airfield and the dumps. So the airfield is to the kind of. The main airfield at Matila is to the kind of immediate east of the. Of the town. And then there's these five columns of infantry, armor and artillery, which start sweeping out of the town on the 6th of March, because they've secured the. They've secured the town, and now they want to kind of push out and engage as many Japanese as they can and destroy them. And what they really want to do is destroy them piecemeal as they're arriving. You know, it's the same old thing as Normandy. You know, when, When. When the panzer divisions are coming to, converging towards Caen, they're being flung straight into the action before they've had time to dig in. Reconnaissance, you know, coordinate themselves, get themselves into organization and all the rest of it. This is exactly What Punch Cowan is doing now against the Japanese? Yeah, they're heading out kind of 5 to 10 miles on that, on that first day, you know, One column from 48th Division, 48th Brigade, rather, meets fairly stiff opposition at yindor, but that's 10 miles south of Miktila. So what they're doing is they're going forward, waiting till they meet the Japanese, firing at them, shooting them all up, then pulling back again.

[James Holland]

Going out looking for a punch up, basically.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah, but. But not. But not getting stuck.

[James Holland]

Yeah. And so there's. So there's a load of. There's a load of engagements, aren't there? Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Holland]

It's just, it's like constant. Every single day, there's these sweeps going out, meeting the Japanese as they're arriving.

[James Holland]

Basically, and overwhelming them and destroying them.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah. So the Japanese are coming from sort of every which way they can, and then suddenly trundling towards them is a whole load of Sherman tanks and artillery and pretty well trained and disciplined men with Bren guns and mortars and grenades. And they're getting absolutely hammered just as they're, you know, they're discombobulated and really they're not familiar with this ground. And then, and then the British are kind of sort of pulling back again.

[James Holland]

We need to take a quick break now. As the Japanese feed themselves into Slim's cunning trap.

[Tom Holland]

She's made up her mind to live pretty smart. Learn to budget responsibly right from the start. She spends a little less input, more into boring money moves. Make kind of lame songs, but they.

[James Holland]

Sound pretty sweet to your wallet.

[Tom Holland]

PNC Bank. Brilliantly boring since 1865. This episode is brought to you by Liquid IV. In heart pumping moments, you need hydration that can keep up. That's where Liquid IV comes in. Scientifically formulated to quickly replenish electrolytes and fluids lost from your well earned sweat session. Hydrate your favorite mode of movement with Liquid iv. Made with triple the electrolytes of the leading sports drink, plus eight vitamins and nutrients also available and sugar free tear pour live more. Visit liquidiv.com to learn more. This episode is brought to you by Lifelok. When you visit the doctor, you'd probably hand over your insurance, your ID and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. Lifelock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed. Or your money back. Save up to 40%. Your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply. Foreign.

[James Holland]

Ways of making you talk. The battle for M. The battle for Mandalay continues. God. So, I mean, an ex. An example is on the 10th of March, 17th Division sent out a force of armored cars, infantry and tanks from 5th probing's horse. Fantastic, Fantastic. Will have been amalgamated and disappeared now, but fifth Probing's Horse, whoever still bears their standard, this is a good action. They're sent out to help a divisional echelon B column to get back into Miktila. And they run into units from the 214th and 56th regiments who are digging in at a milestone five and a half miles north of the town. And basically, I mean, there is probably nothing worse than being caught while you're digging in because you haven't dug in quite yet and the. The Japanese have got no answer.

[Tom Holland]

And these two big tanks, which are much bigger than theirs.

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Holland]

Coaxial machine guns, you know, just hammering them. 75 millimeter guns. Pounding them. Yeah, yeah. No, two days of fighting, both regiments get absolutely hammered.

[James Holland]

And then into the second half of the march, the weight of the fighting shifts. The main. There's an airfield, the main airfield to the east of the town.

[Tom Holland]

Well, I think the point is, what's happening now is, is the Japanese forces which have been hurriedly sent to reinforce Mactina by the kind of 14th of March, they're there. You know, 90 of them have, have got to the McTeela area, but they're not in McTeela. I mean, it's, it's really important to understand that they are. They're. They're coming down the approach roads. But obviously a really huge objective is not only the town, but also the airfield, you know, so, so that's a key objective for the Japanese. Plus the dumps which are there between the airfield and the town. So. So yeah, that's where they're heading. And overnight on the, on the 14th, 15th of March, one Japanese company from the 55th reg. And one company from the Jap Mori special Force, they're probing the airfield defenses from the south and the northeast. But again, the fact there's one company, you know, two companies doing this from different forces, very much underlines the sort of ad hoc nature of which these units are arriving. Yeah, you're here. You can go in. Off you go.

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah. Given that they're overpowered, overmatched, it's a double recipe for disaster, isn't it?

[Tom Holland]

But, you know, by the 15th of March, you know, Japanese artillery has arrived, so, you know, that now starts to shell the, shell the airfield fairly. He. But, but the Same day the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the 5th Indian Division, begins flying into M as reinforcements. And you know, we all know how short of, of supplies the Japanese are. So, you know, heavy shelling by the Japanese is not the same as sort of heavy shelling by the Allies, for example. It's just not on the same league. You know, remember we were, when we were in the Arakan, they, you know, they fired 800 shells in one day and that was like the heaviest barrage ever. But obviously it's just paltry compared to the kind of shelling you get in or Italy or something. So they're still able to fly in despite the airfield being under attack and that same night. And We've now got two battalions from the 55th Regiment moving up to take positions. So they're starting to arrive. Do you see what I mean? You can see how this is, all this is building up. But, but again, you know, they've just arrived a bit too late because on that day, the 15th of March, you know, this whole, whole infantry brigade has arrived by air there.

[James Holland]

But Cowan, by keeping the Japanese on the back foot the previous days, though, has meant that they aren't organized and can't be organized.

[Tom Holland]

No.

[James Holland]

Even though they are now able to sort of invest bits of Mictina, they just can't, they can't do it with anything like the effectiveness.

[Tom Holland]

No, you never get a sense of this concentration of force. They don't sort of go, right, what we're going to do is we're going to sort of mass in the north, northwest, and we're going to kind of, you know, or northeast or whatever, and we're going to kind of pushing one great coordinated shot. It's so piecemeal. The Japanese attacks, even though they're sort of, you know, at this stage of the battle, they're concentrating around the, around the, the airfield. You know, we're still talking two battalions. So, you know, what's that? Thousand men? Yeah, maybe a bit less.

[James Holland]

So how does Karen respond to the, the airfields being. Airfield being besieged? What does he do?

[Tom Holland]

Well, he's, he's not having any of it. So 16th of March, he sends troops from the 99th Brig, tanks from our old friends in Probin's Horse. And, and you know, they sweep towards the airfield area and push the Japanese back up the Mandalay Road. They, they just got no answer to the Sherman tanks because they're tiny bullets, just ping off the metal.

[James Holland]

Yeah.

[Tom Holland]

You know what they do start to do is they do start to kind of sort of do these suicide attacks where they'll just sort of run at the tank and kind of, you know, with explosives and all the rest of it. There's no question they take a toll, but it's not, it's just not enough. So then on the 17th, 18th of March, two battalions from the 63rd Brigade, which is, is part of Punch Cowan's division, and two squadrons of tanks from yet again Probin's horse really are getting around in this battle. They then carry up a sweep up the Malang road to Sewa. Now Malang is, is this is the road that's coming out pressing out of the north west of the town. So the airfield is on the east. So they've, they've done their sweep the previous day, gone back into the center of the town, then moved back up the Malang road the following day. So they're literally kind of everywhere that what they're doing is the sort of, okay, you're needed there, go and push the Japanese back once you've done that, and then we can kind of go back up another road and we'll just, every time they reappear, we'll just carry on pushing them back again, you know, but they're not, they can't be everywhere all at the same time. So this is again, this is, this is where the lack of coordination by the Japanese is really starting to kind of work against them. Because there's never a sense that Punch Cowan's division are being attacked in the round all the time, that they're able to kind of maneuver troops around to deal with threats as they come in rather than in the piecemeal fashion in which they're happening.

[James Holland]

Yeah. They're not sticky enough, are they? So no.

[Tom Holland]

And on this, on this, this sort of, this sweep, this sort of battle, battle group sweep up the Malang road, you know, they then smash a number of Japanese artillery guns, which means those guns are can't, can't operate in the battle anymore.

[James Holland]

Yeah. Then the 18th of March 99th Brigade, in a squadron of tanks from the Royal Deccan Horse, they sweep villages, the villages of Kandangbalk and Shorbugan. One of the things is actually when you start to look into this is very often the village names have changed or there's a Burmese iteration of the name. And if you put that Burmese iteration into the, into Google Maps, the village will suddenly appear on the map. Anyway, they run into heavy opposition and there are well placed anti tank guns and they lose four Sherman Shermans.

[Tom Holland]

Well you know, it's the 18th of March, isn't it? So they've had three or four days in which to kind of get themselves sorted.

[James Holland]

The Japanese organized, put the guns in the right place, they've dug in all.

[Tom Holland]

That stuff but again it's so piecemeal. That's the point.

[James Holland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you can afford to lose four Shermans.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah.

[James Holland]

That's not one of those sort of Normandy disasters where entire troops are being knocked off from a mile away by a Panther or anything like that, is it? It's, it's.

[Tom Holland]

Well, four Shermans is obviously is a troop and probably or best part of a troop and, and you know they were probably ambushed by these anti tank guns and probably already knocked out in pretty quick order.

[James Holland]

But you know what I mean Jim, It's.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. And, and the point is again is there are these little flashes where the Japanese are effective but that's when they've had a chance to kind of dig in, get themselves organized, work out a plan, find the best positions for an ambush, all that kind of stuff. But there's not enough of that going on. That's the point.

[James Holland]

Yeah. And then I mean we do have a Japanese armored attack though on the 20th of March the 55th Regiment and well come on, let's, let's give them credit. 55th Regiment and 119th Regiment with a handful of tanks from the 14th Tank Regiment attack the airfield and 99th Brigade's admin box but they're beaten back because I mean Japanese armor.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah.

[James Holland]

This stage, the war, I mean at any stage of the war they don't really, they haven't got the. What they need to deal with this.

[Tom Holland]

I mean it's like putting a, you know, it's like putting a Matilda one against a Firefly or something. I mean it's just not going to work work.

[James Holland]

It's not fair. 2020-22 of 21st 22-32-48 Brigade and this is George McDonald Fraser again and I, I cannot stress we had the extract at the start of the last episode from quartered safe out here. Cannot stress how fantastic.

[Tom Holland]

Well I've reread it. It's been, it's just tremendous stuff.

[James Holland]

It's amazing. So they, so it's the Border Regiment and the Royal Deccan Horse. They counter attack against a build up up again this is, this is the thing where they go out and go and get them. It's five miles south of the town at a place called Shui pad again.

[Tom Holland]

Yes, because the remnants of 168th Regiment, they were the ones that were early to McTeela and got basically routed. There were only 400 left by the 6th of March. So they've been pulled out of the town, obviously, because they've been kicked out by, by the Allies. And so they are now kind of, you know, the 400 survivors are now kind of around this little village called Schwepperdyne. And they're then hit again. You know, this is five miles to the south of the town and they're hammered again and then they pull back again, you know, so the, the, you know, the Allies pull back again. So it's the same old, same old, really. And the Same day, the 99th Brigade also attacks the build up of 49th Division troops south of the airfield near Nyong Binta.

[James Holland]

It's interesting, isn't it, because, because what this also suggests is that the Allies have very much got their eyes on what the Japanese are up to. And they're very, you know, the patrolling is obviously incre. Incredibly effective because you only find out about these build ups by patrol, you know, every night, ruthless patrolling, you know, and you maybe grab someone, bring him back, say what's going on? And none of this is guesswork. Right. This is delete. Very, very deliberate and like you say, aggressive defense.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah.

[James Holland]

And then on the 23rd to the 24th, 49th Division launches a major, a proper attack, or as major attack as they can on McTeelor. Just two battalions, but again, there's a defensive box here. 48th Brigade are ready for this.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah.

[James Holland]

And they're, they're the 49th Division. And obviously one of the things you've got to be careful of is, yes, it's a division fighting a brigade, but 49th Division by this point are probably, probably a brigade strength. Right. Yeah, they're being, they're being smashed up, something like that. They're beaten up on 48th Brigade's defensive box. And that again, that's in quarter safe out here. It's absolutely amazing.

[Tom Holland]

It's brilliant. And as descriptions of these patrols and night patrols and stuff, I mean, you know, it's all, it's all absolutely. This is the bulk of the book, is this bit.

[James Holland]

Yeah, it's truly incredible.

[Tom Holland]

Yep. And then 25th, 26th of March, 48th Brigade, again with tanks from Probin's Horse and the Royal Deccan Horse, clear an area northeast of the airfield. So they're destroying guns and pockets of resistance. So that basically means airfield's safe now you know, it's all over. 27th of March, 63rd Brigade with tanks and probing source, move up the Malang road again north out of the town. They get quite a long way, you know, so. So they're really. The Japanese are no longer on the attack at this stage. They are now being pushed back. And the 27th, 29th, 28th of March, the 99th Brigade continues to push north of the. Of the sluice running into the North Lake, but does run in some heavy machine gun fire there. And the following day, 28th, 29th of March, 63rd Brigade advances east from the north bank of the North Lake lake on the Pindale Road, makes very good progress. And on the 29th, 63rd and 99th Brigade link up well north of the town. So, you know, this is effectively the end of the battle. The truth is that after the assaults on the airfield and the town had failed, General Masaki Honda, who is the, who is now the 33rd army commander, he realized that his two shattered divisions have completely shot their bolt. You know, 18th Division has lost about a third 49th Division nearly two thirds to the north. 15th army is now in full retreat, of course, after the end of the Mandalay battle. And in fact, 20th Division, who'd had the toughest time of it, now are on this sort of killing spree because they push immediately, they push south from the Irrawaddy river as it's running kind of sort of east to west to the west of Mandalay. They capture 18th Division's administrative headquarters back on the 21st of March. Well, that doesn't really help the effort of 18th Division at that McTina, does it? Then they move east to take K, which is a Burma army area supply center, killing lavishly as they go. And Lou Allen, who's one of, who's the sort of the, the great historian of this campaign, he likens it to General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864 when, when Sheridan goes on his march and just sort of, you know, hammers absolutely everything. And, and more than 3,000 Japanese soldiers are additionally killed in these sweeps south. So, you know, by, by the beginning of April, 33rd army is just 8,000 men strong.

[James Holland]

God. Well, that makes the point.

[Tom Holland]

And the second and 20th divisions then link up soon after, while the 19th division, this is re. General Reese, they do take Mamio, which they, you know, been. You remember in the last episode we're talking about, about Reese and Masters discussing whether they should detach a, A, a brigade to go and sort out that, that town which is about 30 miles to the, to the east. And in that time, you know, in 10 weeks of fighting, 19th Division has killed 6,000 enemy troops, which is a lot in this theater.

[James Holland]

Yeah. Then seventh Division has also been pushing out of Tanktha and clearing the road to make tila. They push 30 miles northeast to take the town of Myungyan, which, which is another nodal point they need where the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin meet. And there's also the railway here on the Mandalaymit Tilarangu line, which is then capped, captured on 18th March by 5th Indian Division. And then follows four more days of banzai charges. But they, they see them off inevitably with lots of dead Japanese as a result. And then of course, the engineering effort has to immediately follow because, I mean, we are so far from India now is the other thing. So you need to get, you need to get yourself straight. So it's wharves, bridges a bit. Hess roads are put together and another supply line to Matila. And finally, on 28th March, General Kimura orders 33rd army to abandon its offensive against MACT dealer. And on the 30th, Cowan's patrols find that the Japanese have cleared out the previous night. They're gone. It's an extraordinary victory, isn't it?

[Tom Holland]

It really is. And, you know, let's just look at the casualties. So 4th Corps lost 50 tanks and 300 casualties. I mean, you know, it's a lot, but it's nothing, is it, you know, for of a battle of this scale. Whereas, you know, this is just around, you know, just fourth core. But in the whole operation, to have 300 casualties only from an entire core is, is pretty good going, you know, but the Japanese that make have lost two and a half thousand, you know, dead and fifty artillery pieces. But, but also, you know, their supplies are running low. They've got nothing, you know, and they've just been completely duped by fourth core, you know, so much so that, you know, I mentioned earlier on that the Japanese second Division have been transferred to Indochina just on the, you know, now Vietnam, just on the eve of the McTela battle. I mean, it's just extraordinary.

[James Holland]

I mean, it's just, it's a stunning victory. But like any campaign in Burma, they're up against a deadline, aren't they? Because the monsoon's coming.

[Tom Holland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[James Holland]

So will they get to Rangoon before the monsoon?

[Tom Holland]

That's the key question.

[James Holland]

Join us in the next episode. The race for Rangoon is on. Will they get to Rangoon before the monsoon. Sounds good, doesn't it? We'll see you soon. Cheerio.

[Tom Holland]

Cheerio.

[James Holland]

Support for this podcast and the following message comes from America's Navy. The Navy offers new graduates hands on training and experience in careers like computer science, aviation and medicine, plus education and sign on bonuses. Parents help your grads start their career.

[Tom Holland]

[e-mail] youm say you'll never join the Navy. Never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit or break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Learn [e-mail] America's Navy forged by the sea.