Battle of Yenangyaung

Battle of Yenangyaung
Part of the Burma Campaign
The Japanese conquest of Burma (the left red arrow represents Japanese movements to Yenangyaung)
Date 11–19 April 1942 Location Yenangyaung, Burma Result Allied tactical victory
Belligerents
China  United Kingdom  British India	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Sun Li Jen John Henry Anstice James Bruce Scott	Shozo Sakurai
Strength
8,000	7,000
Casualties and losses
Minimal	one battalion

The Battle of Yenangyaung (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally: "Great Victory at Yenangyaung") was fought in Burma, now Myanmar, during the Burma Campaign in World War II. The battle of Yenaungyaung was fought in the vicinity of Yenangyaung and its oil fields.

After the Japanese captured Rangoon in March 1942, the Allies regrouped in Central Burma. The newly formed Burma Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General William Slim and consisting of British, Indian and locally raised Burmese troops, attempted to defend the Irrawaddy River valley, while the Chinese Expeditionary Force (in Burma) defended the Sittaung River valley to the east. After the Japanese captured Singapore and the Dutch East Indies, they were able to use divisions released by these successes and captured trucks to reinforce their army in Burma and launch attacks into Central Burma.

One of the Japanese objectives in the Irrawaddy River valley was the Yenangyaung oil fields. The battle for the oil fields started on 11 April and continued for a week. The Japanese attacked 48th Indian Infantry Brigade at Kokkogwa at night in a storm. On the next day, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2nd RTR) was in action near Magwe at Thadodan and Alebo. From 13 to 17 April, the British fell back under attacks by the Japanese. On several occasions Japanese roadblocks split the Burma Frontier Force (an internal security force acting as infantry), 1st Burma Division, the British 7th Armoured Brigade HQ and 2nd RTR into three forces.

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