Blood Mist Confusion (Revelation of Anti-Japanese War in Yunnan-Burma and Japanese War Crimes)

Author: Chen Zuqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: On July 7, 1937, Japanese militarists launched the July 7 Incident at the Marco Polo Bridge, marking the beginning of a full-scale invasion of China. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces staged a surprise attack on the U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor, initiating the Pacific War. Within a hundred days, they successively invaded Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Guam, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Siam (Thailand). From August to September 1941, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters formulated a specific plan to launch the Pacific War. The plan specified three stages of the war: simultaneously with the Pearl Harbor attack, launch offensives against the Philippines and Malaysia, and occupy places such as Guam, Hong Kong, and the Bismarck Archipelago. The second stage aimed to capture Java and Sumatra, while the third stage sought to occupy Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. After seizing these regions, Japanese militarists intended to establish the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," centered around the Japanese homeland, including China, Southeast Asian resource regions, and the strategic areas of the Western Pacific. At this time, Japan had 51 infantry divisions and 58 independent regiments, totaling 2.1 million personnel; 151 army aviation squadrons with 3,000 aircraft; and 9 combat fleets in the navy, with 391 warships of various types and 2,170 naval aviation aircraft, bringing the total active military strength to over 2.41 million.
The Japanese forces into the Pacific War consisted of 5 army corps, 15 divisions, and 150 army aviation aircraft. The navy's basic forces were also engaged in the Pacific operations. The Japanese expected the Pacific War to be completed within five months. Myanmar was the only Southeast Asian country not yet occupied by Japanese forces at the early stage of the Pacific War. The Burma Road was the only land route for the United States to transport war materials to China. At that time, Myanmar was a British colony and had become the southern flank shield of the Allies in mainland Asia, with its strategic importance increasingly recognized. To cut off the military supply line from the United States and Britain to China—the Burma Road—to capture Yunnan, covet Chongqing, and force China to surrender in order to quickly end military operations in the Chinese theater, Japanese forces advanced toward India, pressuring it to break away from Britain to realize their ambition of establishing the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." This inevitably led to an attack on Myanmar.
To launch an attack on Myanmar and control Siam (Thailand), on December 8, 1941, the Japanese 15th Army, under the command of Major General Zenjiro Iida, landed in Bangkok with the 33rd and 55th Divisions, numbering over 35,000 personnel. On December 19, Japanese forces occupied the Dagon area in southern Myanmar, capturing three airfields. On December 23 and 25, Japanese forces launched fierce air raids on Rangoon. On January 4 and 19, 1942, the Japanese the 56th and 18th Divisions, along with two divisions from the Siamese army, to advance from northern Siam into southern Myanmar, attacking Tavoy and Moulmein. At this point, Japanese forces numbered 63,000, excluding the puppet army of Siam, with an additional 564 supporting aircraft.
By January 31, Japanese forces had occupied Moulmein and the areas south of it, rapidly advancing toward Rangoon. When Japanese forces launched a major offensive in Myanmar, the British defenses in the country consisted of only a newly formed Indian infantry brigade with inadequate equipment and training, a Burmese infantry brigade, and a few other units. Another Indian brigade had not yet arrived, and the total British forces were only...