The Assault on TORTOISE

In the midst of all this the 3rd Carabiniers had been called upon to play the major role in raising a further British armoured regiment in India, to be called 25th Dragoons, and 12 officers and 102 other ranks were despatched to that end.

In the meantime, Lt-General William Slim, commanding the newly formed 14th Army, was forming plans for a further offensive in the Arakan. When the Japanese had evicted 14th Indian Division earlier in 1943, they had halted their advance along the line Maungdaw/Buthidaung, two towns on either side of the Mayu range, connected by the only metalled all-weather road in the area. This road ran along the track-bed of a disused narrow gauge railway which, at the summit of the line, ran through two tunnels, and the Japanese had spared no pains in fortifying the position. The capture of this road, together with Maungdaw and Buthidaung, was the primary objective of Slim's offensive, for without possession of it troops east of the Mayu range could only be supplied with difficulty, along a winding fair weather track that ran through the hills several miles to the north. The route this track followed was called the Ngakyedauk Pass, but as this placed an unnatural strain on British and Indian vocal equipment, it was referred to generally as Okey-doke. It represented only a temporary solution, and further operations in the Arakan were only envisaged after the capture of the Tunnels road and its termini.

For the task Slim had Lt-General A. F. P. Christison's 15th Corps, comprising the veteran 5th Indian Division, the comparatively inexperienced 7th Indian Division, two brigades 81st West African Division; and 25th Dragoons, who would supply armoured support for the Corps' operations as required.

5th Division would advance down the coast on Maungdaw, whilst 7th Division moved on a parallel axis on the other side of the range, and the West Africans operated well inland, guarding the left flank.

Maungdaw fell on 9th January 1944, but further progress to the south was denied 5th Division by an extremely strong enemy position at Razabil, and 25th Dragoons were called forward.

The regiment was at its forward base area at Reju Khal on the Teknaf Peninsula, and was ferried across the wide Naf River in barges to its final assembly area at Chamba. The move was made in secrecy, as it was not desirable to alert the enemy to the presence of armour, and with a view to preserving the element of surprise, no attack was launched with the tanks until the whole regiment was concentrated.

On 26th January C Squadron carried out an attack on a feature known as Tortoise Hill in company with 161 Brigade. A preparatory air strike by Vengeance fighter-bombers went into the target satisfactorily, but a follow-up by Liberator bombers fell short amongst the tanks, damaging three and causing some casualties amongst the crews. The remainder pressed on, plastering the position with 75 and 37-mm fire, destroying bunkers and lacing the feature with machine guns.

The Japanese, however, were canny fighters, and retired to the reverse slopes whenever the British artillery and tanks opened up, only to rush back and hurl showers of grenades at the advancing 4/7th Rajput infantry whenever the fire support lifted. By nightfall the position remained untaken.

The following day C Squadron and the Rajputs tried again, without success, but were now adapting their gunnery techniques to the particular requirements of the battle, firing HE ahead of the infantry with gradual lifts until the target bunker was hit, when a change was made to AP shot. At this point, the infantry's mortars would open up on the crest and reverse slopes, compelling the enemy to keep their heads tucked in.

On the 28th it was B Squadron's turn to support the Rajputs, whilst A Squadron worked with 4th Royal West Kents. Casualties were inflicted on the enemy and several anti-tank guns knocked out, but progress was painfully slow, and the Japanese were now being reinforced faster than they could be killed. The tanks' movements were inhibited by soft ground and chaungs which ran between banks twenty feet in height, and the battle tailed off to a position of stalemate by the end of the month, although the Dragoons had succeeded in bringing their bunkerbusting techniques to a fine art in co-operation with the infantry.

At the beginning of February, 25th Dragoons were ordered to cross the Mayu range by way of the Ngakyedauk Pass, and assist 7th Division in its capture of Buthidaung.

Afternote:

This action was supported by MMGs of A Company 3/4 Bombay Grenadiers. The company commander, Maj. AHJ Dunlop, went with the MMG sections onto the position and whilst moving back down the hill was shot through the hand by a sniper.

Tank Tracks to Rangoon - The Story of British Armour in Burma

by Bryan Perrett