This week in the War, 2–8 March 1942: The Fall of Rangoon

Victorious Japanese soldiers in front of Government House, Rangoon, March 1942 [Public domain, wiki]

Victorious Japanese soldiers in front of Government House, Rangoon, March 1942 [Public domain, wiki]

Burma: This week in the war, 7 March 1942, British forces evacuated Rangoon, the Burmese capital. Before leaving, they destroyed the dockyard installations and the oil refineries. Japanese troops had landed in the Irrawaddy delta. Next day, 8 March, the Japanese occupied Rangoon.

Japanese invasion of Burma and India [Public domain; author: Mike Young]

Japanese invasion of Burma and India [Public domain; author: Mike Young]

Despite their losses, the British managed to disengage and withdraw into central Burma with a view to joining up with Chinese forces in the north.

The Japanese campaign in Burma would last well into 1945 and take them into India. Weather (monsoons) affected operations and diseases such as malaria took a heavy toll.

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