Key Facts
- Date
- January 1945
- Theatre
- Burma Campaign, Arakan Peninsula
- Attacker
- Japanese 54th Division
- Defender
- British 3rd Commando Brigade
- Strategic role
- Decisive battle of the Arakan campaign
Strategic Narrative Overview
The 3rd Commando Brigade landed at Myebon and advanced to seize Hill 170 near Kangaw in January 1945. The Japanese 54th Division launched determined counter-attacks against the commando positions, recognising that loss of the hill would sever their own lines of communication and retreat. The fighting reached intense close-quarters combat as the commandos held their ground against repeated assaults, in what became the climax of the Arakan operations.
01 / The Origins
By late 1944, Allied forces in Burma were pressing to sever Japanese supply and withdrawal routes toward Rangoon. The XV Indian Corps ordered the 3rd Commando Brigade to assault the Arakan Peninsula at Myebon, tasked with seizing dominant terrain features of the southern Chin Hills. Control of these heights would cut off the Japanese 54th Division and secure the Allied bridgehead on the Myebon Peninsula, forming a key element of the broader Burma Campaign strategy.
03 / The Outcome
The commandos successfully defended Hill 170, repelling the Japanese attacks. Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison credited the brigade's defence as the decisive factor in winning the Battle of Kangaw and, by extension, the entire Arakan campaign. The outcome broke the fighting spirit of the Japanese 54th Division, secured the Allied bridgehead, and effectively cut Japanese supply and escape routes toward Rangoon.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.