Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay
Meiktila and Mandalay, central Myanmar (Burma)
What happened
The British Fourteenth Army under General William Slim fought the Japanese Burma Area Army under General Hyotaro Kimura. In early 1945, Slim tricked the Japanese into thinking his main attack would hit Mandalay, using a fake headquarters and radio messages. Meanwhile his army crossed the wide Irrawaddy River further south, and a fast force of tanks and troops struck at the key base of Meiktila, taking it in under four days. Mandalay fell in March after the Japanese left its old fort.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It destroyed most of the Japanese forces in Burma and was the decisive battle of the Burma campaign. The Allies were then able to retake most of Burma quickly.
What came next
Allied forces moved south and later recaptured Rangoon, the capital.
Did you know?
When a Japanese officer reported 2,000 vehicles heading for Meiktila, his staff thought it was a mistake and deleted a zero.
Timeline
- January 1945The Fourteenth Army advances into central Burma.
- February 1945The Irrawaddy River is crossed.
- 28 February 1945The attack on Meiktila begins.
- March 1945Mandalay is taken.