Tank Tracks to Rangoon (38 page)

Thus, without the benefit of a cavalry tradition, the Japanese embarked upon the creation of their armoured corps. It was almost inevitable that the hierarchy, dominated by infantrymen, would demand that the new arm existed for the foot soldiers’ benefit, and since there were none to say them nay, they had their way. Japanese tank officers grew up taking their orders from another arm, and were given little scope to develop their own ideas.

So, whilst Liddle Hart, Guderian and Zhukov were preaching concentration, constant mobility and deep penetration, the demands of their infantry kept the Japanese tanks dispersed, and moving at a foot’s pace to achieve strictly limited objectives. An armoured division did serve in China, but since the Chinese possessed virtually no armour of their own, this was no test at all, and no significant change in doctrine emerged. The Russians’ use of armour at Khalkin Gol could have taught the Japanese much, but did not.

In Burma, the Japanese employed one tank regiment, the 14th.
The regimental establishment was generally one light tank company and four medium tank companies, all probably below strength, but able for a while to augment their numbers with captured Stuarts. It is possible that one or two independent light companies, equipped with light tanks or tankettes, were also present.

Allowing that Japanese tanks were no match for the Allied armour in a stand-up fight, there were occasions during the campaign when they could have been used to good effect, notably against the Chindit keeps. One or two tanks did put in an appearance here, and caused some trouble before they were disposed of; meanwhile the rest of their regiment rotted away in inactivity along the Tiddim road.

On the few occasions that Japanese and Allied armour met, it was apparent that Japanese vehicle commanders would react in one of two ways; either they would panic, running hither and thither in an attempt to escape or they would remain absolutely immobile assuming the role of a pill-box until destroyed. In mitigation, it must be emphasized that on these occasions, the Allied armour was generally present in overwhelming strength, whilst the Japanese, because of their philosophy of dispersion, could only field a bare handful of vehicles. Even so, by good minor tactics, they could have extracted a higher price for their destruction, had they possessed any instinct for the game – after all, in Europe, with the exception of the Russians, the Allies fought almost all their tank battles undergunned and under-armoured.

In designing their vehicles, the Japanese had taken the Chinese Army’s anti-tank and armoured capacity as their yard stick. Since this was virtually nil, their designs were adequate whilst they were fighting the Chinese during the 1930s, and
appeared
to be adequate whilst fighting a tankless enemy in Malaya and the East Indies. However, much water had flowed under the bridge since the original designs were laid down, so that by 1942 they were years out of date. Work was carried out on a number of more advanced prototypes, but steel production was strictly limited, and as tank manufacture came low on the list of Japanese priorities, the existing designs continued to be produced on a quantity rather than quality basis. Faced with a combination of faulty dogma and obsolete vehicles, it is not surprising that the Imperial Armoured Corps performed without distinction in Burma.

Japanese tanks were powered by air-cooled diesel engines which performed efficiently. Internally, they were extremely cramped, and few hatches were provided for the crew. The machine gun mounted in the rear face of the turret proclaimed their conception as infantry support weapons.

Below are set out a few technical details of the Japanese tanks to see service in Burma.

History of the Second World War
– Vols 1–6 (Purnell)

The Seventh and Three Enemies
– Brigadier G. Davey. History of the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars in World War II.

I Serve
– Lt-Colonel L. B. Oats. Regimental History of the 3rd Carabiniers

The Spirit of a Regiment
– Brigadier J. G. Pocock. History of 19th King George Vth’s Own Lancers

The Life of a Regiment, The Gordon Highlanders
, Vol 5. Wilfrid Miles
History of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 1919–1952
– C. N. Barclay

The York and Lancaster Regiment, 1919–1953
– Maj. O. F. Sheffield

Ball of Fire – The 5 th Indian Division in the Second World War
– Anthony Brett-James

Golden Arrow
– Brig. M. R. Roberts

Imphal
– Geoffrey Evans and Anthony Brett-James

A Change of Jungles
– Miles Smeeton

The Road Past Mandalay
– John Masters

History of the 16th Light Cavalry
– Lt-Colonel C. L. Proudfoot.

Privately Published Operation Summaries of Actions Fought by the following Indian Cavalry Regiments:

The Royal Deccan Horse

7th Light Cavalry

Probyn’s Horse

Official Documents

Campaign of the Fourteenth Army, 1944–45

Summary of Operations, 255 Tank Brigade, 1945

Regimental War Diaries of 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, 2nd Royal Tank

Regiment, 25th Dragoons, and 149 Regiment RAC

Twelfth Army Intelligence Summaries

Abdul Razak, Ris
,
173

Admin Box,
87
–
94
,
112
,
113
,
192

Agnew, Lt-Col. R. L.,
191

Ainley, SSM,
69

Akyab Island,
78
,
86
,
191
,
193
,
194

Alebo,
55

Alexander, Gen. H. R. L. G.,
33
,
38
,
41
,
67
,
76

Alexander, Capt.,
92

Ali Khan, Ris.,
120

Allagappa,
185

Allanmayo,
53
,
213

Allason, Maj. J.,
93

Alon,
72

Ammunition Hill,
89
,
90

An Pass,
195
,
204
,
205
,
215

Anstice, Brig. J.,
30
,
41
,
50
,
53
,
63
,
67
,
68

Anwar Khan, Jem.,
120

Arakan Yomas,
195

Arkinstall, Maj. W. M.,
164

ARMY, BRITISH AND INDIAN

Corps

1 Burma
,
62
,
66
,
69
,
70
,
74
,
75
,
76

4
,
82
,
97
,
98
,
112
,
113
,
131
,
143
,
149
,
150
,
151
,
152
,
160
,
161
,
179
,
187
,
209
,
210
,
217
,
223
,
228
,
233

15
,
84
,
94
,
96
,
191
,
193
,
208
,
209
,
215
,
217

33
,
113
,
138
,
140
,
144
,
149
,
150
,
151
,
179
,
187
,
209
,
210
,
214
,
215
,
217