Mountbattens Genius or Folly ?? 

Following the great success of Operation Buccaneer
and the seizure of the Andaman Islands and its 
crucial airfield Admieral Mountbatten somehow managed 
to persuade the Joint Chiefs that an exploitation landing 
in Southern Burma (Operation Dracula) was possible. 
 
In a spectacular coup de main Gurkha paratroopers of the 
44th Parachute Division supported by Royal Marine Commandos 
from 3rd Commando Brigade forced their way ashore during the
last days of the monsoon while Japanese defences were 
surprised.
 
At great cost the British secured Rangoon harbour and 
airfield intact forcing the Burma Area Army out of Rangoon. 
XV Corps under General Christianson landed over the next 
few weeks bypassing Akyab  the armour and artillery of
 XV Corps secured the Southern Burmese plain being checked 
by resolute Japanese defence at Sittang Bridge and in the 
North before the air field complex at Toungoo. 

Unfortuantely with Overlord looming and the assault on the
Marianas imminent support to exploit the success  or even 
secure XV Corps bridgehead cannot remain in theatre. 

XV Corps must fight alone until Slim can break through 
in the North 

The situation is critical. Mountbatten has pocketed in a grand 
strategic envelopment all of 15th Army and 28th Army  
Mountbatten believes the Japanese are defeated
unfortunately someone neglected to tell Yamashita that he 
was beaten !! 

Great rewards bring great risk the allies are exposed and unbalanced 
but face an opportunity to achieve great things. 

Is XV Corps the hammer to 14th Armies Anvil  
will Singapore fall ?? Or has Mountbatten reached too far !!! 
