Burma 1942 1945

Burma-felttogene, 1942-1945 - den engelske general William Joseph Slim, "Bill" Slim, "Uncle Bill", 1891-1970, skrev i 1956 disse krigserindringer om de berømte felttog og kampe i Burma, hvor det efterhånden lykkedes at få vendt krigslykken og få nederlagene vendt til sejre, og få overtaget fra de ellers så mægtige og uovervindelige japanske styrker i Sydøstasien, speciel Burma og Nordindien. "It is a personal narrative, written from the standpoint of a corps or army commander in the field, whose outlook was often limited by his own surrondings. It is based on a short account I wrote at the time, a skeleton diary, some contemporary papers, and my recollection."

The battle for Burma during the Second World War was of vital importance to the Allies and the Japanese. The Allies fought to protect British India and force the Japanese out of Burma; the Japanese fought to defend the north-west flank of their newly conquered empire and aimed to strike at India where anti-British feeling was growing stronger. Yet the massive military efforts mounted by both sides during four years of war are often overshadowed by the campaigns in Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and China. Philip Jowett, using over 200 wartime photographs, many of them not published before, retells the story of the war in Burma in vivid detail, illustrating each phase of the fighting and showing all the forces involved – British, American, Chinese, Indian, Burmese as well as Japanese. His book is a fascinating introduction to one of the most extreme, but least reported, struggles of the entire war. The narrative and the striking photographs carry the reader through each of the major phases of the conflict, from the humiliation of the initial British defeat in 1942 and retreat into India and their faltering attempts to recover the initiative from 1943, to the famous Chindit raids behind Japanese lines, the Japanese offensive of 1944 and their disastrous retreat and ultimate defeat.

The campaign in Burma was the longest and biggest ground war fought by the British and Americans against the Japanese. Including 1000 mile-long retreats and the great Allied victory at Kohima-Imphal, Burma brought the Allies a wealth of incomparably bitter combat experiences. Using the Imperial War Museum's archives, Major General Julian Thompson provides a gripping and unforgettable picture of what it was like to fight in this extraordinary conflict.

Following the fall of Burma to the Japanese in May 1942, reopening and expanding the link from India to China through Burma became the allied force's principal war aim in South-East Asia. This book argues that the campaign's development was driven more by what was logistictically possible than by pure strategic intent.

This WWII biography vividly recounts one man’s experience as a Special Ops soldier and POW in Japanese occupied Burma. In his postwar life, Frank Berkovitch was a quiet, reserved tailor. But during World War II, he served with the legendary Chindits in Burma and endured years of Japanese captivity. He fought as a Bren-gunner on Operation LONGCLOTH, the first mission to take them deep behind enemy lines. He was even General Orde Wingate’s batman. The Chindits were Wingate’s inspired idea. Under his dauntless leadership, they dispelled the myth that the Imperial Japanese Army was invincible. Outnumbered, outgunned, and reliant on RAF air drops for supplies, the 3,000 men of the Chindit columns overcame harsh jungle terrain to take the fight to the enemy. They wreaked havoc with enemy communications and caused heavy enemy casualties while gathering vital intelligence. During the desperate race to escape from Burma, Frank was captured crossing the Irrawaddy river. He spent two years imprisoned by notoriously cruel captors. Superbly researched, this inspiring book vividly describes the Chindits’ first operation and the heroism of Frank and his comrades, many of whom never returned.

Generosity amid the greatest cruelty, Building the Death Railway gives the American perspective on events that shocked the world.