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{{Globalize|article|United Kingdom|2name=the United Kingdom|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict = Battle of Pegu
|partof = The [[Burma Campaign]]
|image =
|caption =
|date = 3–7 March 1942
|place = [[Pegu]], [[British Burma|Burma]]
|result = Japanese victory
*British retreat continued
|combatant1 = {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]]
*{{flagicon|British Raj}} [[British India|India]]
|combatant2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan}} [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
|commander1 = {{flagicon|UK}} [[John Anstice]] DSO
|commander2 = {{flagicon|Empire of Japan|army}} [[Shōjirō Iida]]
|strength1 = 1 armoured brigade
|strength2 = 2 divisions
|casualties1 = unknown 3 light tanks destroyed 3 light tanks damaged
|casualties2 = unknown 4+ light tanks destroyed 1 light tank abandoned 4 anti-tank guns captured
|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Burma}}
{{Campaignbox South-East Asia}}
}}

The '''Battle of Pegu''' was an engagement in the [[Burma campaign]] in the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Fought from 3–7 March 1942, it concerned the defence of Rangoon (now [[Yangon]]) in Burma (now [[Myanmar]]). [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] forces closed in on the [[Indian Army (1895–1947)|British Indian Army]] who were deployed near Pegu (now [[Bago, Burma|Bago]]).

With the [[17th Infantry Division (India)|17th Infantry Division]] decimated and scattered, the forces available for the whole of Burma were the [[1st Burma Division]] and the [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]], equipped with American-made [[M3 Stuart#Variants|Stuart]] or "Honey" [[light tank]]s. The British commanders had already decided not to contest Rangoon, but their new strategy relied on convincing the Japanese that Rangoon would be heavily defended.<ref name="LH p.218">Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218.</ref>

British/Indian forces fighting at Pegu were the [[7th Queen's Own Hussars]], the [[Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)]], 2nd Battalion, [[12th Frontier Force Regiment]], and surviving elements of the 17th Infantry; the [[West Yorkshire Regiment]], 1st Battalion, [[4 Gorkha Rifles|4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles]], [[7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles]], and the 4th Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment.<ref name="Rodger343">Rodger, p. 343</ref>

==The battle==
{{Quote box|width=25em|bgcolor=#D1EEEE|quote=About midday on March 8 215th Regiment (of XXXIII Division) entered Rangoon to find to its surprise that the city was unoccupied and deserted. General Sakurai immediately ordered it to pursue the British column which he now realised was the whole of the British forces from the Rangoon area. It was too late and the golden opportunity of destroying the British garrison was lost.|source=—Official History.<ref>Quoted in Liddell Hart 1970, p. 218.</ref>}}

===Payagyi===
"B" Squadron of the 7th Hussars, Maj. G. C. Davies-Gilbert commanding, arrived in the village of Payagyi to find the Japanese already there. Visibility was poor, and radio communication difficult. After a brief infantry engagement, the [[M3 Stuart|Stuart]] [[light tank]]s (nicknamed "Honeys" in the British and Commonwealth militaries) opened fire, destroying two [[Type 95 Ha-Go]] Japanese tanks. A confused battle ensued, in which two more Type 95s were destroyed, another Type 95 was abandoned by its crew, and four Japanese anti-tank guns captured. Then the order came for the British to move to [[Hlegu]].

===Hlegu===
Hlegu was also in Japanese hands as the British approached. The Japanese had erected a roadblock, and they defended it with [[molotov cocktails]], knocking out one of the Honeys. In the end, they were forced to retreat in the face of heavy fire from the tanks. The 7th Hussars' [[Royal Army Chaplains' Department|regimental chaplain]], the Revd Neville Metcalfe, was awarded an immediate [[Distinguished Service Order]] for his actions in helping the British wounded, and conducting burial services for the dead, despite being wounded by mortar fire.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35532|page=1796|date= 21 April 1942}} Metcalfe was a Chaplain 4th Class who wear the same rank insignia as [[captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captains]] in other corps of the British Army</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7659360|title=Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Metcalfe, Neville|work=DocumentsOnline|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|format=fee usually required to view full pdf of original recommendation|access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
General Alexander realised that Rangoon was doomed, and his new plan involved a withdrawal to Prome, some 200 miles to the north. The objective, to convince the Japanese that Rangoon would be defended, had been achieved.

The British Indian Army moved on to Taukkyan that evening.

===Battle honours===
The British and Commonwealth system of [[battle honours]] recognised participation in the Battle of Pegu in 1956, 1957 and 1962 by the award to one unit the battle honour '''Pegu''' and the award to six units the battle honour '''Pegu 1942''' for resisting the Japanese invasion of Burma on 6–7 March 1942.<ref name="Rodger343"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*[[Basil Liddell Hart|Liddell Hart, B.H.]], ''History of the Second World War.'' New York: G.P. Putnam, 1970. {{ISBN|0-306-80912-5}}.
*{{cite book | last = Rodger | first = Alexander | year = 2003 | title = Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces | publisher = The Crowood Press | location = Marlborough | isbn = 1-86126-637-5}}
* [[William Slim|Slim, William]] (1956), ''Defeat Into Victory''. Citations from the Four Square Books 1958 edition which lacks an ISBN, but also available from NY: Buccaneer Books {{ISBN|1-56849-077-1}}, Cooper Square Press {{ISBN|0-8154-1022-0}}; London: Cassell {{ISBN|0-304-29114-5}}, Pan {{ISBN|0-330-39066-X}}.

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.desertrat.brigades.btinternet.co.uk/7thAB1942.htm#Rangoon|title=History of the British 7th Armoured Division: The 7th Armoured Brigade Engagements - 1942|last=Paterson| first=Ian A|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814062218/http://www.desertrat.brigades.btinternet.co.uk/7thAB1942.htm#Rangoon|archive-date=2007-08-14}} An account of the Battle of Pegu.

{{coord missing|Myanmar}}

[[Category:South-East Asian theatre of World War II|Pegu]]
[[Category:Military history of Burma during World War II|Pegu]]
[[Category:Battles and operations of World War II involving India|Pegu]]
[[Category:1942 in Burma]]
[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Pacific theatre|Pegu]]
[[Category:Land battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|Pegu]]
[[Category:March 1942 events]]

Battle of Pegu - Revision history

Bot at 13:51, 6 July 2022