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Akyab (Sittwe; 92.900E
20.147N) is a rice-milling
and fishing port
located on an island off the south tip of the Mayu Peninsula in
the Arakan region of the
west coast of Burma. It
has an
extremely
pronounced monsoon
climate in which vast
quantities
of rain fall in summer, while the winter months are virtually free
of
rain. The Mayu Peninsula is mountainous
and jungle-clad, with its
highest
peaks reaching over 2000 feet (600 meters). The island of
Akyab
is located in the estuary of several small rivers and consists
mostly
of marsh and rice paddies.
The British
garrisoned Akyab in January 1942 with 14 Battalion, 7 Punjab
Regiment, to prevent the Japanese using the airfield to bomb Calcutta. Two more battalions
were sent in on 18 March, but were withdrawn after the Japanese
occupied the Andaman Islands.
Heavy Japanese bombing and malaria
eroded the remaining garrison's morale,
and they came close to mutiny before being withdrawn on 4 May. The
island subsequently became the objective of two separate Arakan campaigns, the second
ending with the reoccupation of the town on 12 January 1945. XV
Indian Corps (Christison)
planned a massive amphibious
invasion by 25
Indian Division (Wood)
and 3
Commando Brigade on 3 January 1945, supported by three cruisers and 200 aircraft of 224 Group.
However, an artillery
spotter could
see no enemy activity on the island and landed his aircraft at the
airfield, where local inhabitants confirmed that the Japanese had
left.
Christison cancelled the bombardment but had the landings go
forward as
a massive exercise.
Climate Information:
Elevation 29'
Temperatures: Jan 81/59, Apr 90/75, Jul 84/77, Oct 87/76, record 100/47
Rainfall: Jan 0.1/0.1, Apr 2/2.0, Jul 28/55.1, Oct 9/11.3 == 202.9" per annum
References
Yank (CBI Edition, Part 4;
accessed
2010-3-31)
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