Battle of Nankan (1943)
Battle of Nankan (1943) was fought between the United Kingdom and the Empire of Japan. The village of Nankan was attacked by the Britishers under Guy Griffiths who successfully defeated the Japanese and INA troops and forced them to retreat.
Background
Mike Calvert's strategy was to send a force to destroy the bridge near point 561, Another force commanded by Calvert himself would be marching towards point 555 and the army commanded by Commadar Kum Singh would protect these two parties in case there is a surprise attack by the Japanese and Indian National Army. Another army was stationed at the northern side of Nankan station to defend the allies in case the Japanese attacked from Wuntho. While the process was going on Calvert received a message from Guy Griffiths that he had been ambushed by the Japanese and needed reinforcements to hold them down.
After the bridge was successfully destroyed Calvert quickly marched towards Griffiths to help him against the Japanese and Indian National Army. In the way he met with Chesley G. Peterson and explained him the situation, the combined army of both the commanders then marched forward to help Griffiths against the Axis forces. The party moved forward in open formation on either side of the line and finally settled a position along the line from where they were able to fire at the Japanese troops.
Battle
When Mike Calvert reached the village of Nankan the fighting had been going on for a significant amount of time. The first attack was carried out by Kum Singh, he have said to killed "nearly half a dozen of Japanese" on his own. He was being outnumbered as more and more Japanese and INA troops arrived, he immediately sent a message to Guy Griffiths to send reinforcements. Griffiths as soon as receiving the message from Kum Singh joined him with reinforcements and reported the situation to Calvert.
The allied forces defended the village from continuous Japanese assaults. Calvert and Chesley G. Peterson carried out a series of explosions cutting off the entire Railway line and destroying nearly seventy places and three brigades. In the afternoon Calvert and Peterson arrived at Nanknan and the situation of the battlefield was stabilized. Meanwhile the Japanese had also been reinforced and the battle continued, eventually the Japanese were defeated by the British forces and they retreated into the jungles of Bruma leaving the battlefield strewn with the dead.
After the action Calvert commanded all his soldiers to proceed to the designated meeting point near Chaunggyi where the soldiers had a meal and some tea. By the morning of 7 March, all the men had reported back. They caused at least fifty casualties and destroyed three vehicles. Griffiths and Kum Singh had an outstanding fight against the enemies. Singh was awarded with the Indian Distinguished award while Calvert reported back to the headquarters.
See also
- Battle of Imphal
- Battle of Kohima
- Operation U-Go