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Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean theatre
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:26 pm
by dhuffjr2
Just finished reading Gerald Astor's The Jungle War. He makes a statement towards the end about the lack of allied resources for a Rangoon invasion and the strength of the Japanese Navy in the region.
My question is just how much did they keep there? The air threat seems negligible based on the low aircraft numbers he reports.
RE: Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean theatre
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:47 pm
by Dixie
IIRC, by 1945 there were a couple of cruisers based in Singapore and little else.
EDIT: The lack of suitable shipping was a bigger issue for the British forces. There were hardly any landing craft, those that were in theatre were only there as they had been deemed unable to make the trip to the Med. According to British Pacific & East Indies Fleet 50th Anniversary the transports available for a landing at Ruywa were:
1x LCH
4x LCI
1x LCT
21x LCM
29x LCA/LCP
5x LCS
1x BYMS (Yard Minesweeper)
An unspecified number of motor launches
RE: Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean theatre
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:48 pm
by Mynok
Well shoot, isn't that enough for five knights and a killer bunny? Seems plenty enough to take Rangoon to me.....[:D]
RE: Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean theatre
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:24 pm
by Dixie
ORIGINAL: Mynok
Well shoot, isn't that enough for five knights and a killer bunny? Seems plenty enough to take Rangoon to me.....[:D]
Not really enough to lift a division plus follow up forces the length of the Burmese coatline... An invasion of Rangoon was first considered in Feb 1945 when British forces were around Akyab, getting to Rangoon with the knackered landing craft that were available wasn't really feasible at that point.