38269 2581 TO Of FRIDAY, the 2$rd of APRIL, 1948 by Registered as a newspaper MONDAY, 26 APRIL, 1948 NAVAL OPERATIONS IN RAMREE ISLAND AREA JANUARY TO 22ND FEBRUARY, 1945 The following Despatch was submitted to the himself on divisional level with Major-General Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty on Lomax at Kyaukpyu and to render all the 2nd May, 1945, by Vice-Admiral Sir assistance to that officer in his task of clearing ARTHUR J. POWER, K.C.B., C.V.O., the enemy off Ramree Island. Though this Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station. step meant that my Chief Staff Officer was divorced from me from 24th January to 24th East Indies Station. February, I am of the opinion that the results 2nd May, 1945. obtained justified it. The accompanying reports by Flag Officer, 3. As will be seen from the report the naval Force " W " on naval operations in the Ramree operations were of a unique kind, calling for Island area between I9th January and 22nd resourcefulness, determination and professional February, 1945, are forwarded for the experience, and Captain Bush rose to the information of Their Lordships. occasion in the able manner I expected him to, 2. I concur in the conclusions of the Senior and I consider that the success of the naval Officer Advanced Force " W ", and in the operations at Ramree was due to this officer's remarks of Flag Officer, Force " W " Con- efforts siderable ingenuity and resourcefulness were 4. I fully concur with paragraph 36 et seq. shown by all the Commanding Officers in this of the report operation, and the endurance and determina- tion of the crews of small craft during Operation (Signed) B C. S. MARTIN, " Block " were most creditable. The Royal Rear-Admiral. Indian Navy landing craft crews demonstrated again the zeal and efficiency which have Enclosure 2. formed a notable contribution to the success of all the combined operations on the Arakan Office of Senior Officer, Coast. Advanced Force " W "f (Signed) ARTHUR POWER, Kyaukpyu, Ramree Island. Vice-Admiral. 22nd February, 1945. Enclosure I. I have the honour to submit the following Report on Naval Operations in the Ramree Office of Flag Officer Force " W " Island Area from igth January to 22nd 20th March, 1945. February, 1945. These operations formed part REPORT ON NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE RAMREE of the strategic advance of the I5th Indian ISLAND AREA. Corps down the Arakan coast with a view to securing the airfields on Ramree Island from The attached report on the Naval Operations which Fourteenth Army could be supplied on at Ramree Island is forwarded. their advance on Rangoon, and operations 2. As stated in paragraph 7 of the report I could be mounted for the capture of that port instructed my Chief Staff Officer, Captain by sea should it become necessary, and which E. W. Bush, D.S.O , D.S.C., R.N., to place 1 in fact did prove the case. 2582 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 26 APRIL, 1948 Introduction. 10. The advance of the 7ist Indian Infantry 2. The initial assault (Operation "Matador") Brigade was supported by destroyers and by the 26th Indian Infantry Division, Major- sloops. General C. E. N. Lomax, C.B., C.B E , D.S.O., M.C., and troops under his command, 11. It was expected that the Japanese would had taken place at 0942 on 2ist January, 1945, fight a strong delaying action near Mount Peter after preliminary bombardment by the a,ir and Black Hill, to enable their reinforcements forces. to reach the Leiktaung area where a narrow defile, through which our troops must pass, 3. The Assaulting Brigade, the 71 st Indian offered a natural defensive position. Infantry Brigade, Brigadier R. C Cottrell-Hill, 12. As events transpired, determined *e^st- O.B.E , M.C., and the " Follow Up " ance in the Mount Peter—Black Hill area was Brigade, the 4th Indian Infantry Brigade, •not as protracted as expected and after some Brigadier J. F. R Forman, had been landed brisk fighting our troops drove the enemy off under cover of R A.F. aircraft and guns of the and passed quickly through the Leiktaung Fleet without meeting with much opposition Gap and reached the Yan Bauk Chaung* on On 26th January they were joined by the 36th 26th January, where they were brought to a Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier L. C halt by a strong Japanese force entrenched on .Thomas, D.S.O , O.B.E., M.C. the south bank of the Chaung. 4. By 23rd January a firm bridgehead had 13. In the meantime Force WELLINGTON been established at the north west extremity consisting of Royal Marines from the East of Ramree Island. The Naval Officer in Charge, Indies Fleet, with naval support under com- Lieutenant-Commander G W. S. Goss, mand of Rear-Admiral A. D. Read, Flag R.N.V.R, with Port Party Number 31 had Officer Force 65, had occupied Cheduba Island set up his Headquarters on shore, and on the 26th January (Operation "Sankey ") Kyaukpyu harbour was in the process of being without meeting any opposition. developed, as an anchorage. Moored mines had been found in the inner harbour on D day 14. On 30th January, Force WELLINGTON and were being swept by B.Y.M.S.* under was relieved by the 2 AJMER Battalion command of Commander E. J. C Edwards, Group from the 4th Indian Infantry Brigade D.S.C., RN.V.R, Commander M/S, Bay of (Force CACTUS). On the same day, the Bengal. Sweeping operations were concluded 8/i3th Frontier Force Rifles Battalion Group on 24th January and the harbour declared clear of the 36th Indian Infantry Brigade (Force of mines. MARTIN), occupied Sagu Kyun (Operation " Pendant ") also without opposition, under 5. Captain E. T. Cooper, D.S.O., R N., had, cover of naval and air bombardment. The on Brigade level, carried out the duties of task of this Force was to establish a Naval Senior • Officer Assault Group during the land- Landing Craft Base as a springboard for' com- ings and remained in charge of the build up bined landings on South Ramree Island. and Ferry Service. 15. On ist February a company of the 6. The Commander, 26th Indian Division, 8/i3th Frontier Force Rifles from Force General Lomax, had disembarked on 2ist MARTIN landed without casualties on the January, with his staff and taken over control south tip of Ramree Island, under cover of of military operations, which had passed from naval and air bombardment. The task of this a Brigade Operation to a Battle on Divisional company was to guard the entrance to the Scale. Kalemgdaung River. 16. It was the original intention of the Com- 7. In compliance with verbal instructions mander I5th Indian Corps, Lieutenant-General received from Rear-Admiral B. C. S. Martin, Sir A. F. Philip Christison, Bart , K.B.E , C.B.E., D.S.O , Flag Officer Force " W ", I C.B , D S.O., M.C., to capture only as much joined General Lomax at Kyaukpyu on the of Ramree Island as was* necessary for the morning of 26th January, with a small Naval development of airfields to supply the i4th Staff, and with the title of Senior Officer, Army during the monsoon, and to launch at Advanced Force " W ". Here in a " tumble- an early date a major operation against the down " house, formerly occupied by the mainland in the Taungup area mounted from Japanese Military Staff, we were joined by Kyaukpyu. Wing-Commander R Smith, Royal Air Force, and established a Combined Headquarters. 17. On the 4th February, however, a directive was received from the Joint Force Narrative Commanders to the effect that the main- tenance difficulties precluded the major opera- 8. The Japanese had developed a strong tion against the mainland ,and the following defensive position guarding the beaches near operations were to be undertaken in lieu: — Thames Point. Their main body was estab- lished near Ramree Town. A landing a: fa) The whole of Ramree Island to be , Kyaukpyu was unexpected and tactical sur- captured. prise was achieved. (6) Raids and such minor landings as could be supported administratively to be 9 As soon as our bridgehead was consoli- carried out on the- mainland between dated, the 7ist Indian Infantry Brigade was Taungup and An Chaung with a view to ordered to advance rapidly southward down facilitating the eventual capture of Taungup the west coast road, leaving the 4th Indian itself. Infantry Brigade in defence of the Kyaukpyu Area. *Admiralty footnote —Chaung = the local' name for the innumerable narrow tidal channels or water- *Admiralty footnote —rB Y.M S = British Yacbf ways intersecting the low lying, jungle-covered, Minesweeper. Burmese coastal plain SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 26 APRIL, 1948 2583 18. Further attempts by the yist Indian In- the north east had for some time been the sub- fantry Brigade to cross the Yan Bauk Chaung, ject of close study by the Combined Staffs. paragraph 12, met -with no success, in spite of The conclusion reached was that with the use heavy gun support from destroyers and from of destroyers and all B.Y.M.S., M.Ls. cruisers of Force 65. It was, therefore, neces- L.C.S.(M) and L C.A ,* the Navy could block sary to review the situation in the light of the effectively the Chaung exits from the Taraung Joint Force Commanders' directive, and to Chaung to the Pakseik Taungmaw River in devise another plan for defeating the enemy.