Battle of the Admin Box
The Battle of the Admin Box (sometimes referred to as the Battle of Ngakyedauk or the Battle of Sinzweya) took place on the southern front of the Burma campaign from 5 to 23 February 1944, in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II.
Battle of the Admin Box | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II | |||||||
Sikh troops of the 7th Indian Infantry Division man an observation post in the Ngakyedauk Pass area of the Arakan, Burma, February 1944 | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Philip Christison | Tokutaro Sakurai | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
At start: 2 infantry divisions 1 armoured regiment Reinforcements: 2 infantry divisions | 1 infantry division | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
3,506 total 3 Fighter aircraft |
3,106 killed 2,229 wounded 65 Fighter aircraft | ||||||
Sinzweya Sinzweya, Myanmar |
Japanese forces attempted a local counter-attack against an Allied offensive with the aim of drawing Allied reserves from the Central Front in Assam, where the Japanese were preparing their own major offensive. After initial setbacks, the Allies recovered to thwart the Japanese attack, pioneering the methods which would lead to further Allied victories over the following year.
The battle takes its name from the "administration area" of the Indian Army's 7th Division, which became a makeshift, rectangular defensive position for Major-General Frank Messervy and his staff after their divisional headquarters was overrun on 7 February.