Battle of Yenangyaung
Yenangyaung, Magway Region, Myanmar
What happened
British, Indian and Burmese troops under William Slim, helped by the Chinese New 38th Division under Sun Liren, fought the Japanese 33rd Division. Japan was advancing through Burma, and the oil fields at Yenangyaung were a key prize. Slim ordered the oil wells and refinery destroyed so the Japanese could not use them. When about 7,000 British soldiers and civilians were surrounded, Chinese troops under Sun Liren fought through to help them escape.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Allies lost the oil fields, and after losing Rangoon too, they had to retreat north. As one historian put it, the question 'was no longer whether to retreat, but where to?'
What came next
The Allies continued their long retreat out of Burma. A monument to the battle was put up in 2013.
Did you know?
Yenangyaung means 'stream of oil'; its oil wells were famous long before modern times, and Aung San, leader of Burma's independence movement, went to school there.
Timeline
- 1795A British visitor describes 'the celebrated wells of Petroleum'.
- 15-16 April 1942The oil fields are destroyed.
- 16-19 April 1942The Battle of Yenangyaung.
- 2013A monument to the battle is erected.