Battle of Hill 170 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Hill 170
Part of the Burma Campaign
A Sherman tank of the 19th King George's Own Lancers, getting into position to fire at Japanese lines in the Arakan hills, 22 January 1945
Date 22–31 January 1945 Location Arakan, Burma Result Allied victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Campbell Hardy	Shigesaburō Miyazaki
Units involved
3 Commando Brigade	54th Division
Casualties and losses
45 dead 90 wounded	minimum 340 dead wounded unknown

The Battle of Hill 170 was an important fight during World War II. It happened in January 1945, as part of the Burma Campaign. This battle was between the British 3rd Commando Brigade and the Japanese 54th Division.

The 3rd Commando Brigade had a big job. They needed to attack the Arakan Peninsula at Myebon. Their goal was to capture and hold the high ground in the southern Chin Hills. If they succeeded, they would cut off Japanese supplies and escape routes to Rangoon. This would also help secure a safe landing area for more Allied troops.

The fight for Hill 170 was the most important part of the Arakan operations. It greatly weakened the Japanese 54th Division. If the commandos had lost their positions, all Allied units on the Myebon Peninsula would have been in danger. After the battle, Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison, a top British commander, praised the 3rd Commando Brigade. He said their defense of Hill 170 was key to winning the entire Arakan campaign.

Why the Battle Happened

In late 1944, the XV Indian Corps, led by Lieutenant General Christison, began attacking. On December 29, the 3rd Commando Brigade, led by Brigadier Campbell Hardy, landed on Akyab island without any fighting. After this, they explored the Myebon Peninsula and nearby islands. During one patrol, commandos from No. 5 Commando met some Japanese soldiers. They killed four Japanese without losing any of their own men.

On January 12, 1945, the commando brigade landed on the peninsula. No. 5 Commando moved inland. They soon faced machine gun fire from a hill called 'Rose'. The next morning, after getting air support and tanks from the 19th Lancers, No. 5 Commando attacked. They captured the hill, and the Japanese defenders fought until they died. No prisoners were taken.

For the next few days, No. 5 Commando patrolled the area. They cleared out enemy forces. Then, they rested for a couple of days. After that, the brigade captured the village of Kantha. This was a step towards Kangaw, a village across several waterways on the mainland. General Christison wanted to cut off the Japanese escape route there. The land was tough, with no roads. It had mangrove swamps and rice paddies. This made it hard for tanks or artillery to land at first. The whole area was overlooked by a small wooded ridge called Hill 170.

The Fight for Hill 170

British soldiers wading ashore from landing craft during the Burma Campaign.

The 3rd Commando Brigade landed about 2 miles (3 km) south of Kangaw. They landed quietly, without naval or air attacks, hoping to surprise the Japanese. Each unit in the brigade had different goals. 1 Commando was to secure Hill 170, a large hill codenamed "Brighton". They were supported by 5 Commando.

No. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando was in charge of protecting the landing area. This area was between two tidal creeks called "Thames" and "Mersey". 44 Commando aimed for two valleys east of Hill 170, named "Milford" and "Pinner". "Milford" was secured on January 22, and "Pinner" the next day. All these goals were met with very little Japanese resistance.

However, on the night of January 23/24, the Japanese attacked "Pinner". They also started a very heavy artillery attack on Hill 170. This shelling continued for the next four days.

On January 26, the 51st Indian Infantry Brigade arrived. They had support from Sherman tanks of the 19th Lancers. They took over 44 Commando's positions on "Milford" and "Pinner". On the night of January 28/29, the 51st Brigade attacked Kangaw. They also attacked two heights called "Perth" and "Melrose" that controlled the road east from Kangaw. They only partly reached their goals because Japanese resistance was growing. But Kangaw was captured, and the British now controlled the main road.

Japanese Counter-Attack

The plan was for the 3rd Commando Brigade to leave on January 30. But a new Japanese attack stopped these plans. The 154th Infantry Regiment launched a counter-attack on the brigade's positions. Early the next morning, at 5:45 AM, the 2nd Battalion, 154th Infantry Regiment, launched a surprise attack on Hill 170. They used heavy artillery and machine gun fire.

Their main target was the northern end of Hill 170. This part was defended by No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando. The Japanese threw grenades and attacked at 7:30 AM. They came in waves, platoon by platoon, across a 100-yard (91 m) front.

Hill 170 was defended by No. 1 and No. 42 commandos. They had support from a tank troop from the 19th Lancers. The Japanese engineers managed to destroy two of the three Sherman tanks. They climbed on top of them and used explosives in hand-to-hand fighting.

Japanese soldiers attacked Hill 170 all day. Most of the attacks hit No. 4 Troop of No. 1 Commando. At 9:30 AM, a counter-attack by W Troop, No. 42 Commando, and No. 3 Troop, No. 1 Commando, failed. They could only advance 20 yards (18 m) against heavy machine gun fire. Another counter-attack by X Troop, No. 42 Commando, with the last Sherman tank, also failed. The commandos then used all their available artillery and mortar fire on the Japanese.

At 2:00 PM, No. 6 Troop, No. 1 Commando, tried a counter-attack. This also failed, and the troop lost almost half its men. East of Hill 170, on "Pinner", No. 5 Commando was replaced by the 8/19th Hyderabad Regiment from the 51st Brigade. They rejoined the 3rd Commando Brigade on Hill 170. Their machine guns added to the heavy fire against the Japanese.

At 4:00 PM, the 2/2nd Punjab Regiment from the 51st Brigade moved around the left side of Hill 170. They attacked the Japanese from there. At the same time, No. 5 Commando moved forward to take over the front line from No. 4 Troop. One section of No. 4 Troop had been cut off and overrun. Just after 5:00 PM, some Japanese were seen leaving the hill. The 2/2nd Punjabi Regiment started a flanking night attack, but it failed to push the Japanese off their positions. The Japanese responded with their own night attack against No. 5 Commando's positions, which also failed.

About 700 Japanese shells hit the hill on the last day of the battle. The fighting was continuous, often hand-to-hand. The men of No. 1 and No. 42 commandos fought off many waves of Japanese soldiers. Early the next morning, No. 5 Commando moved forward. They found the hill empty, except for over 340 dead Japanese soldiers. The British lost 45 men killed and 90 wounded in the battle.

What Happened Next

The commandos' victory in the 36-hour battle for Hill 170 was crucial. It cut off the escape route of the Japanese 54th Division. More landings by the 25th Indian Infantry Division and an advance by the 82nd (West Africa) Division made the Japanese position in Arakan impossible to hold. They were forced to retreat to avoid their entire Twenty-Eighth Japanese Army being destroyed.

To honor this battle, the commandos received the battle honour Kangaw. Many men from the 3rd Commando Brigade received awards for bravery. This included a posthumous Victoria Cross for Lieutenant George Knowland of No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando. He received this highest award for his amazing bravery. He commanded his platoon on Hill 170, which faced very strong Japanese attacks all day. He moved among his men, encouraging them and fighting bravely, even when exposed to enemy fire. He took over a machine gun when its crew was wounded, firing from an exposed position to protect his men. He also used a mortar, standing in the open to fire it and kill several enemy soldiers. Even when wounded, he continued to fight, saving his platoon and helping to hold the vital hill. His actions inspired his men to hold their ground for twelve hours against fierce attacks.

Images for kids

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  A Sherman tank of the 19th King George's Own Lancers, getting into position to fire at Japanese lines in the Arakan hills, 22 January 1945

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  3rd Commando Brigade coming ashore during the Burma Campaign