THE R.A.N.

IN BURMA
HARD pressed on the east in the Philippines in November 1944, the Japanese now found themselves increasingly under
pressure in the west in Burma, where the tide had turned in the Allies' favour. A comparison between maps of the situation
in Burma in the first half of 1944 and at the end of the year shows how strongly that tide had run. In March 1944 the
Japanese opened their main offensive in the north-west. They crossed the border from Burma into India and besieged
Imphal and Kohima, but though the garrisons were hard pressed they received supplies and reinforcements by air and
repelled all attacks. Meanwhile the Japanese were suffering severe interference with their supplies as a result of the British
air offensive from Indian airfields, and the activities of the Chindits, flown into the Irrawaddy Valley between Indaw and
Myitkyina, towards which General Stilwell was advancing southwards from Ledo. By the middle of May the Japanese had
been halted, and were faced with the necessity of retreating to the Chindwin River through the monsoon, with their rear
communications cut. Their losses were heavy. In June the 2nd British and 5th Indian Divisions met just north of Imphal and,
as the Supreme Commander S .E.A.C., Admiral Mountbatten, said in his report at the time: "The Japanese bid for India was
virtually over, and ahead lay the prospect of the first major British victory in Burma."
Improved transport and medical treatment enabled the British, contrary to Japanese expectations, to pursue their
advance through the monsoon. They crossed the Chindwin River in November and December, and soon the whole
Fourteenth Armythe largest single army in the warwas driving eastward towards the plain above Mandalay. With the
army now extending its lines of communication, air transport from the Indian airfields would be unable to keep up supplies,
and an alternative base had to be found. Akyab, on the Arakan coast, was the choice. From airfields there it would be
possible to supply the army as it advanced down the central Burma valleys. Thus Akyab, the last Burmese port from which
the British withdrew before the Japanese occupation of the country in May 1942, was to be the first to which the British
would return now that the tide of victory had set. As Commodore Cosmo Graham, then Commodore Commanding Burma
Coast, said in his report on the naval side of the 1942 campaign, the naval contribution was slight, but the retention of Akyab
did ensure that the Japanese could not use the airfield until the safe retreat of the army was ensured and time had been
gained to build up an air force in the eastern provinces of India. Now the securing of Akyab was going to provide the British
with that air support which had been denied to the Japanese nearly three years before.
It was decided that an amphibious assault should be launched against Akyab to coincide with an offensive by LieutGeneral Christison ' s lXV Corps which was in the area Maungdaw-Buthidaung. These two are separated by twelve miles
stretching E .N.E. across the northern base of the Mayu Peninsula, from Maungdaw on the Naf River to Buthidaung on the
Kalapanzin. About seven miles south of Maungdaw the Naf River runs into the sea, and from there, S .S .E. 37 miles to its
southern extremity of Foul Point, the Mayu Peninsula is bounded by the sea on the west, and the Kalapanzin River and its
continuation, the Mayu, on the east. Where the Mayu empties into the sea at Foul Point it joins with the waters of the
Kywede River, also there entering the sea from a network of waterways and islands. One of these, four miles across the
Mayu-Kywede estuary from Foul Point, is Akyab, on the south-east corner of which lies the harbour and town of that name.
For 100 miles south of Akyab the Arakan coast of Burma is broken by indentations and channels lying behind an archipelago
of islands, the largest being the Borongasthree long slim fingers stretching S .S .E. from the nether side of the Kaladan
River, on the north bank of which is the harbour of Akyaband, 30 miles S.S .E. from them, Ramree and Cheduba. South of
Cheduba the coast stretches, almost clear of offshore islands, some 170 miles to Pagoda Point, south-western extremity of
Burma, and of the river-tattered coastal fringe leading to Rangoon, 200 miles to the north-eastward.
Originally the assault on Akyab was planned for 18th February 1945. Naval forces for the operation were under the
command of Rear-Admiral B. C. S. Martin, Flag Officer Force W. They consisted of flotillas of landing craft of various
categories, M.L's, H.D.M.L's, frigates and sloops. These would maintain the communications of the army. An offshore and
bombardment forceForce 61under the command of Rear-Admiral A. D. Read, comprised Queen Elizabeth, Newcastle
(Flag), Nigeria, Kenya, H.M.A. Ships Napier, Nepal, Norman, and two other fleet destroyers, the escort carrier Ameer, and 23
personnel and store ships. The troops to be landed were the 26th Indian Division and the 3rd Commando Brigade.

Meanwhile the army in Arakan opened its offensive on 12th December 1944. Of the XV Corps, which carried out the
main Arakan offensive, the 25th Division was to advance down the Mayu Peninsula with the 74th Brigade on the right
supported and supplied by naval forces, and the 53rd Brigade on the left supplied by boats of the Inland Water Transport
from the Mayu and Kalapanzin Rivers. The advance of the 25th Division was rapid. Its lines of communication were secure
on its sea flank, despite the Japanese following tactics which had previously been successful, and cutting in behind the
division and severing its land communications. On 26th December the 74th Brigade reached Foul Point and, after an advance
of 30 miles in 14 days, opened the mouths of the Mayu and Kywede Rivers for the operations of light naval forces and for
seaborne maintenance. In less than three weeks the 25th Division had secured its objectives a fortnight ahead of schedule,
and was ready for the occupation of Akyab Island.
In this Arakan campaign the navy had anticipated the army's offensive with operations by coastal forces which
started in October 1944. These forces, consisting of flotillas of M .L's, had as their objective the disruption of Japanese
communications on the coast, and penetration into enemy-held harbours and waterways so as to interrupt his supply routes.
It was a task they carried out with considerable success. With the opening of the army's offensive, another naval side came
into being, that of direct support of the army's right flank. This support was afforded by a group consisting of Napier and
Nepal of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla, and two British H .D .M.L's, 1275 and 1303.
II
During 1944 the ships of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla had refit spells in Australia. Because of the shortage of escort
vessels in the Indian Ocean they had been largely divorced from Fleet duties to engage in convoy escort work. Buchanan, in
Norman, commented on this when at the beginning of the year the Eastern Fleet was built up with the arrival in the Indian
Ocean of Renown, Queen Elizabeth, Valiant and Illustrious. In his report of proceedings for January 1944 he remarked:
The arrival of Force "A" shows that the Eastern Fleet will at last be able to take an active part in the war at sea, and the
realisation of this and the more stimulating atmosphere that goes with a modern fleet unit should do much to shake us out
of a state of "convoyitis".

Norman arrived in Sydney for refit in April, and on 9th July sailed from Fremantle to resume her duties in the Indian
Ocean. She left Australia in company with a tanker, and with the Eastern Fleet corvettes Cairns and Wollongong, which were
also returning to Indian Ocean work after refitting in Australia. August, September and October were spent by Norman
mainly on convoy escort workwith the break in October when she took part in the diversionary attack on the Nicobar
Islands area, of which mention has been made.
Napier (Lieut-Commander Green) sailed from Addu Atoll for her refit on 17th July escorting the American tanker
American Arrow (8,327 tons) towards Fremantle in company with Tamworth and Ipswich, both bound for a dockyard spell in
Australia. The previous month Napier broke a long association when, on 4th June, the broad pendant of Commodore Arliss
was struck, and that of Commodore Poland, Commodore (D) Eastern Fleet, was hoisted in her. As Captain (D) 7th Flotilla,
Arliss commissioned Napier at Fairfield's yard on the Clyde in November 1940, and he remained in her when he became
Commodore (D) Eastern Fleet in 1942. His successor, Commodore Poland, had earlier association with Australian destroyers
when, during the North African campaign and "Tobruk Ferry" days of 1941, he was S .N.O. Inshore Squadron.
Napier refitted in Williamstown dockyard during August and September, during which period Nepal (LieutCommander Plunkett-Cole) refitted in Sydney. Nepal arrived at Williamstown from her refit on 3rd October, and Plunkett-Cole
then assumed command of Napier, his place in Nepal being taken by Lieut-Commander Stephenson, who had relieved Green
in command of Napier the previous month. The two destroyers sailed from Fremantle to rejoin the Eastern Fleet on 21st
October, in company with Ipswich and Tamworth and tanker British Fusilier (6,943 tons), and on 1st November arrived at
Trincomalee. As the result of a decision by the Admiralty to transfer the administration of the 7th Flotilla from Commodore
(D) to Captain (D) 7th Flotilla, there was now another change in Napier's command. Buchanan, from Norman, was appointed
Captain (D) 7th Flotilla, and he and Plunkett-Cole exchanged commands on 2nd November. November was spent by both

ships escorting and exercising. On the 8th of the month Napier, while exercising with Quiberon off Trincomalee, sighted and
took in tow two lifeboats of the Marion Moller, sunk by a submarine a few days earlier. And on the 26th Norman, in Bombay,
"put up a stout effort at cricket" against Gawler, according to that ship' s letter of proceedings for the month.
During this month Nizam, last of the four 7th Flotilla destroyers to proceed to Australia for refit, commenced hers at
Williamstown dockyard, and continued until 31st January 1945. She did not again return to the Eastern Fleet.
On 6th December Napier arrived at Chittagong, where she was joined next day by Nepal, and on the 11th Buchanan
and Stephenson flew to Cox's Bazar to discuss with representatives of the army and air force their forthcoming support of
the 74th Indian Brigade. The two ships arrived off St Martin's Island, just south of the mouth of the Naf River, on the 13th,
and thereafter until Sunday, 24th December, were on call by the 74th Brigade for bombardments as required. On 14th
December both ships left their anchorage at St Martin's Island and closed the Arakan coast near Thabyndaw village, where
were the 74th Brigade 's forward troops. Napier answered a call for fire with a bombardment of enemy positions. "It was
not, "wrote Stephenson in his Report of Proceedings for December, "until 1815 that day, Thursday 14th, that Nepal got an
opportunity of firing." And he continued:
We then engaged by indirect fire with air observation an enemy position on the Udaung Chaung. It was a successful
shoot and believed to be the first occasion on which Nepal had engaged the enemy. The largest Australian flag was
displayed at the foremast and the first round went off with a cheer. We anchored for the night off St Martin's Island at 1930.
Next afternoon the two ships shelled enemy troops at a range of 3,00 0 yards, near Sitaparokia Hill and, at the
request of the army, returned to this area at dusk and during the night carried out two indirect shoots at suspected enemy
positions. "With the aid of starshell we ranged on a convenient rock on the shore and when satisfied with the range shifted
to the target area."
The two destroyers took turns to return to Chittagong for fuel, stores and ammunition. On the 16th, which was a
quiet day on which the two ships patrolled the coast, Stephenson remarked that "it was most noticeable that the natives,
whenever we appeared off one of their villages, came down en masse to the beaches in full view of the ships, bringing with
them their belongings and driving their cattle". Various targets were engaged by the ships as required, but there were quiet
days with no bombardments. After four such days the bombardments were resumed on 23rd December, when Nepal
bombarded the enemy supply base of Rathedaung on the Mayu River. To do so she had to anchor as close as possible
inshore north of Donbaik, and fire at extreme range over the Mayu River. Spotting was done by an air observer in direct
radio telephone communication. That day the 74th Brigade captured Donbaik.
The two destroyers spent Christmas Day at anchor off Cox's Bazar. "The usual customs of the Service were observed
and a most enjoyable day was spent." Returning on the 26th they found that Japanese opposition had apparently ceased in
the Foul Point area. The ships proceeded some 15 miles up the Naf River, and anchored off the Arakan Coastal Forces
Advanced Base at Teknaf, where they remained available in the event of an emergency.
During their support of the 74th Brigade in its advance down the Mayu Peninsula the two destroyers fired 759
rounds with their main armament, in a total of thirteen bombardments. The two H .D.M.L's, which were attached to the
destroyers for patrol duties, proved themselves very useful. In them the Bombardment Liaison Officer was able to go close
inshore and observe for the ship doing "Direct Bombardment" on village s in advance of the British troops. They were also
used for close liaison with brigade headquarters, and a liaison officer went ashore daily in them.
III
On 26th December the troops of the 25th Division completed the reduction of the Mayu Peninsula and were at Foul
Point, looking across the Mayu estuary at the northern shore of Akyab Island. On the 27th it was learned at XV Corps
Headquarters that the Japanese were preparing to withdraw from Akyab. It was thereupon decided not to wait until 18th
February to assault Akyab as previously planned, but instead to carry out a small landing on the north of the island. Planning
for operation LIGHTNING, as the proposed assault was designated, proceeded rapidly.
The assault was timed for 3rd January, on a beach north-east of Mayu Point on Akyab Island, and opposite Foul
Point. The landing would be carried out by the 3rd Commando Brigade under Brigadier Hardy, 3 R.M., and the landing force

would be transported in Napier (which would also be Headquarters Ship for the Flag Officer Force W, Rear-Admiral Martin),
Nepal and H.M.S . Shoreham, and two L.C.I's and some M.L's. A number of landing craft concentrated in the Naf River.
These would embark the assault troops from the destroyers at a point six miles W .S.W. from Foul Point, and, after the initial
landing, ferry the 74th Brigade from Foul Point across the Mayu to Akyab Island. The landing would be covered by a
bombardment force of cruisers and destroyers (Force 61) under Rear-Admiral Read. Force 61 sailed from Trincomalee on
30th December and arrived at Chittagong on 1s t January.
On 2nd