Battle of Hill 170
5 Commando carried the advance inland until they came under machine gun fire from a hill that had been named 'Rose' by the planning staff.5 Commando carried out patrols throughout the peninsula as the enemy were cleared from the area, before they were withdrawn to the beachhead for a couple of days rest.After this, the brigade captured the village of Kantha as a preliminary move on Kangaw,[3] across a number of waterways on the mainland, where Christison had decided that he wanted to cut the Japanese line of withdrawal.The terrain was difficult, with no roads and consisting of mangrove swamps and rice paddies that prevented tanks or artillery coming ashore initially.[5] Over the night of 23/24 January, the Japanese attacked "Pinner" and an artillery barrage unprecedented for the theatre of war landed on Hill 170 and would continue for the next four days.[5] On 26 January, 51st Indian Infantry Brigade—supported by a troop of Sherman tanks from the 19th Lancers—arrived from the beachhead and took over the positions of 44 Commando on "Milford" and "Pinner".On the night of 28/29 January, 51st Brigade attacked Kangaw and two heights codenamed "Perth" and "Melrose" which dominated the road east from Kangow.Though they only partially achieved their objectives as the Japanese resistance along their withdrawal route was increasing, Kangaw was captured and the British occupied positions to dominate the main road.The next morning at 05:45, the 2nd Battalion, 154th Infantry Regiment launched a surprise attack on Hill 170 under cover of a fierce artillery bombardment and heavy machine gun fire.[9] The men of 3rd Commando Brigade were awarded a number of decorations for gallantry, which included a posthumous Victoria Cross for Lieutenant George Knowland No.In Burma on 31 January 1945, near Kangaw, Lieutenant Knowland was commanding the forward platoon of a Troop positioned on the extreme North of a hill which was subjected to very heavy and repeated enemy attacks – throughout the whole day.Before the first attack started, Lieutenant Knowland's platoon was heavily mortared and machine gunned, yet he moved about among his men keeping them alert and encouraging them, though under fire himself at the time.Such was the inspiration of his magnificent heroism, that, though fourteen out of twenty four of his platoon became casualties at an early stage, and six of his positions were overrun by the enemy, his men held on through twelve hours of continuous and fierce fighting until reinforcements arrived.As it was, the final successful counter-attack was later launched from the vital ground which Lieutenant Knowland had taken such a gallant part in holding.
Burma campaignSouth-East Asian theatre of World War IIPacific TheaterWorld War IISherman tank19th King George's Own LancersArakanAlliedBritish EmpireEmpire of JapanCampbell HardyShigesaburō Miyazaki3 Commando Brigade54th DivisionJapanese invasion of Burma (1941–1942)Bilin RiverSittang BridgeTaukkyanYunnan-Burma RoadTachiaoOktwinToungooYenangyaungBurma campaign (1942–1943)The HumpChinditsBurma campaign (1943–1944)Admin BoxImphalShangshakTennis CourtKohimaMyitkyinaMogaungNorthern Burma and Western Yunnan (1943–1945)Mount SongBurma campaign (1944–1945)Meiktila and MandalayPakokkuRamree IslandTanlwe ChaungDraculaElephant PointSittang Bend3rd Commando BrigadeSecond World WarMyebonRangoonbridgeheadXV Indian CorpsLieutenant GeneralPhilip ChristisonBrigadierNo. 5 CommandoNo. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando19th Lancersmangrove swampsrice paddies1 Commandotidal creeks44 Commando's51st Indian Infantry BrigadeSherman19th Hyderabad Regiment2nd Punjab Regiment25th Indian Infantry Division82nd (West Africa) DivisionTwenty-Eighth Japanese Armybattle honourdecorations for gallantryposthumousVictoria CrossGeorge KnowlandThe London GazetteBritish Commando raids of the Second World WarAbstentionAgreementAmbassadorAnkletArcheryAquatintAflameAmherstArchwayAbercrombieAcid DropAlbumenAstrakanBaobabBasaltBitingBigamyBatmanBegoniaBulbasketBrandyBarricadeBardiaBristleBranfordLitani RiverCandytuftChestnutClaymoreCold ComfortCollarColossusCartoonChariotCanuckCrackersCheckmateChopperDriftwoodDunhillDeep CutExporterFlipperFranktonFreshmanFahrenheitForfarFarrierFoxrockGauntletGrouse