Errors Of Judgment lo Burma Campaign

Northern Advocate, 12 March 1948, Page 5

Errors Of Judgment lo Burma Campaign

LONDON. Thu.—The loss of Burma was strategically the most serious reverse of the war in the Far East, says Field Marshal Earl Wavell in a War Office despatcli issued today which deals with operations in Burma during 1941 and 1942. Earl Wavell says that when the Australian Government refused his request that the 7th division of the A.I.F. should be sent to Burma, the last hope of holding Rangoon practically vanished.

More might have been done if Burma itself had placed the country on a war footing.

The troops were always outnumbered in the field. NATIVES UNRELIABLE

“I admit I did not in 1942 consider the threat to Burma was serious,” he says. ‘T over-estimated the natural difficulties of the wooded hills on the frontier. I did not realise the unreliable quality of the Burmese units, nor the lack of training of the British and Indian ’roops.” Earl Wavell pays tribute to the American Volunteer Group equipped with P4O lighter aircraft and led by General Chennault. The air defence of Burma, especially the vital port of Rangoon, would have been overwhelmed but for them. ALEXANDER’S REPORT

Viscount Alexander, who assumed command in Burma on March 5, 1942, took over an extremely difficult situation and a somewhat shaken and disorganised army.

Lord Alexander’s report says the technique of jungle fighting was virtually non-existent in his force. In addition, the infantry were not sufficiently well trained in modern tactics. Rangoon was about to fall when Lord Alexander took command. He had to fight a delaying and withdrawing action with numerically inferior forces.

His report tells in simple language something of his difficulties in fighting’ over sandy tracks, through jungles riddled with fever, crossing thicklywooded high mountains and . badlybridged and swollen rivers, contending with hostile Burmese, carrying his wounded with him,' and helping thousands of refugees, many of' them panicky.

There were also wholesale desertions of Burmese from the Burma Rifles. When the campaign ended, only two battalions of this division remained—one composed of Chins and the other wholly Indian. Lord Alexander highly praised his British and Indian troops. Japanese Air Losses Heavy Over Rangoon

LONDON, Thu. (10 a.m.).— The Japanese lost five times more planes than the Allies in the air over Rangoon in the 31 days from December 15, 1941, and thereafter did not attempt to enter the warning zone until the city was lost and the air bases captured in March. 1942. Air Vice-Marshal D. F. Stevenson reveals this in a report published in London today.

The Japanese could put 100 planes into the air at a time, compared with 35 British. Their losses were 233 in the air against the Allies’ 48. Air Vice-Marshal Stevenson praises the American volunteer group squadron for •‘admirable gallantry and fighting characteristics.”