Ngakeyedauk Pass

In '43 the Indian Army Engineers had improved and widened a narrow track through the Ngakeyedauk Pass and established the 7th Admin Box at the end of the pass for future operations. The Japanese had other plans. They wanted a limited operation to draw allied forces to this area allowing their planned attack further north to face less opposition.

Expecting the Japanese to assault the Admin Box the allies rushed forward reinforcements. Most critical was the inclusion of 25 light AA/ AT guns and 2 Squadrons of M3 Lee Tanks.

Japanese infiltration of the forward Indian positions resulted in a retreat to the Admin Box. Allied Command ordered the forces to dig in and not retreat further. Relief was ordered forward and the battle was intense. Surrounded, the Allied forces faced an enemy that had not been defeated in any operation they had tried. The defended clearing measured just 1200 yards in dia. Ammunition was dumped in the clearing 'Ammunition Hill' and the area was fortified. DC3's flew over 700 missions dropping over 2000 tons of supplies to the cut off defenders. The Enemy had not foreseen air dropped supplies and fighters were quickly brought up to deal with the DC3's but the allies were prepared and 3 squadrons of Spitfires from the newly established RAF base at Chittagong dealt with the enemy fighters claiming 65 kills for the loss of 3 Spitfires.

Japanese efforts to bring in supplies were less successful using pack mules over the rough terrain they were forced to feed those carrying the supplies as well as trying to carry enough food and munitions for the attacking troops. Resources diminished as the assaults continued.

On 7 Feb the Japanese overran the dressing station, 35 medical staff and patients were murdered. Rather than horrify the defenders this enraged them and made them understand that surrender was not an option. Repeated attempts to overrun the defenders failed often due to the tanks the defenders had which the Japanese had no counter to.

On 14 Feb the Japanese made an all-out assault and succeeded in the capture of one of the outlying defensive hill positions, but the next day the allies counter-attacked and recaptured the position.

On the night of the 16th Major Hoey’s company came under heavy machine gun fire. Major Hoey was wounded in the fire, struck in the leg and head he alone went forward with a Bren Gun and engaged the enemy strong point. Charging into the enemy fire with his Bren on his hip Major Hoey, wounded, outpaced his men and killed the enemy in the strongpoint. Mortally wounded his men found him in the position.

The vital position was then held by his men and the enemy driven off. 

By 22 Feb the Japanese troops were starving, supplies could not be brought up fast enough and the defenders had held on doggedly thwarting their attempts to break through. Allied air power rained death and destruction on the attackers and they had no means to counter this. The skies were controlled by the RAF and Hurricane Fighter-Bombers struck any large troop concentrations or supply units spotted.

By the 23rd it was all over, the Japanese withdrew leaving over 5000 Japanese troops dead or captured, compared to 3500 allied dead. For the first time in Burma the Japanese had been stopped and their tactics had been successfully countered.

By the 2nd week of March the allied attacks had captured the ‘Tortoise’ and other fortified positions around Razabil. By the end of April the Japanese had been forced back as far as the Railway Tunnels and then beyond. On 6 April the allied had taken point 551 which had been a scene of a vital battle a year ago. With the starting Monsoon Season operations ended as the allies withdrew saving their men from Malaria and supply issues.