20th Indian Infantry Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1945 |
Country | India |
Allegiance | British Empire |
Branch | British Indian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Close-quarters combat Combined arms Jungle warfare Raiding Reconnaissance Urban warfare |
Size | Division |
Engagements | Burma Campaign War in Vietnam (1945-1946) |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Major General Douglas Gracey |
The 20th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army in the Second World War, formed in India, and took part in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War. After the war, the bulk of the division was deployed to French Indochina to oversee the handover from Japanese to French rule. For nearly all is operational life the division was commanded by Major-General Douglas Gracey. [2] The division's history is subject of open source and historical records research, including the Order of Battle, on an open access, WW2 history website and subject of updates in August 2021 [3]
The division was formed at Bangalore in April, 1942. It was commanded by Major-General Douglas Gracey and at first it consisted of the Indian 32nd, 51st and 53rd Brigades. In July that year, the 51st and 53rd Brigades were detached to form the Indian 25th Infantry Division and replaced by the Indian 80th Infantry Brigade and Indian 100th Infantry Brigade (the latter brigade being transferred from the 34th Division which had recently disbanded in Ceylon). The division was intended from the start for operations in jungle and mountain and was on a Mixed Animal and Mechanical Transport establishment for maintenance in rough country.
The division's insignia was a hand wielding a tulwar, in white on black. [1] After training in Southern India and Ceylon, the division joined Indian XV Corps at Ranchi in Bihar in December but from July 1943 it was transferred to IV Corps in Imphal.
At the start of the Battle, the 20th Indian Division was deployed forward to Tamu in the Kabaw Valley. To avoid being cut off, it retreated to the Shenam Saddle in the hills surrounding the Imphal Plain. Because the 17th Indian Infantry Division was in difficulty in its sector, the 32nd Brigade was temporarily detached to it. With other detachments, the 20th Division was reduced to only five battalions, to defend the Saddle against the Japanese Yamamoto Force.
During April and the first part of May, the division held the saddle against attacks by infantry, tanks and heavy artillery. It was then relieved in place and ordered to counter-attack, north-east from Imphal to Ukhrul. The monsoon had broken and movement was very difficult. After several Japanese counter-attacks, at the start of July the division was transferred to the XXXIII Indian Corps and slowly eliminated large numbers of Japanese in and around the village, which had been made into a Japanese communication and logistic centre.
During the remainder of the monsoon, the division rested around Dimapur. As the monsoon ended, it moved into a bridgehead across the Chindwin River at Kalewa. It attacked southward on 4 December and cleared Japanese rearguards from Monywa. On 13 February 1945, the division made a crossing of the Irrawaddy River 20 miles (32 km) west of Mandalay. The boats used were leaky and other items of equipment already worn out. The first precarious footholds were counter-attacked every night for a week but eventually linked up into a solid bridgehead. On 13 March, the 20th Division attacked southward, gaining immediate success against the understrength Japanese 31st Division. A column formed from the divisional reconnaissance unit and an attached tank unit, known as Claudecol, reached far into the Japanese rear, before turning north and mopping up the disorganised enemy.
In early April, two brigades were converted to lorried infantry by acquiring the vehicles of the British 2nd Infantry Division which was being withdrawn to India. The division fought its way southward along the east bank of the Irrawaddy, until it met units of the XV Indian Corps, which had occupied Rangoon in Operation Dracula. During this period the 22nd (East Africa) Infantry Brigade was attached to the division, from 28 June to 11 August 1945. [4]
In August 1945, the Japanese surrendered after two atomic weapons were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Allied South East Asia Command (SEAC) area of responsibility, was expanded to embrace several countries including French Indochina. While Chinese Nationalist troops occupied the northern part of the country, Gracey's division occupied the southern part in Operation Masterdom. [5] The division was to release former Allied prisoners of war and disarm and repatriate Japanese units. Later, the division was instructed to hand over to the returning French regime, before returning to India. There were several battles with Viet Minh, who were intent on achieving independence. Major Richard Holbrook McGregor, on Gracey's Intelligence Section Staff, learned of an impending Viet Minh attack on Saigon. Gracey, never one to mince his words, criticised the French for their dismissive attitude towards his Indian and Gurkha units. The division was disbanded in India in 1946.
The 20th Indian Division was constituted as follows in 1944–45: [4] [6] [7] Note the division's British battalions were removed in April 1945 [8]
The 4th Indian Infantry Division, also known as the Red Eagle Division, is the infantry division of the Indian Army. This division of the British Indian Army was formed in Egypt in 1939 during the Second World War. During the Second World War, it took part in campaigns in East Africa, Syria, North Africa and Italy. Post independence, the division is part of the I Corps and headquartered at Prayagraj.
The 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles,, was originally a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was first formed in 1890, taking its lineage from a police unit and over the course of its existence it had a number of changes in designation and composition. It took part in a number of campaigns on the Indian frontiers during the 19th and early 20th centuries, before fighting in the First World War, the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the Second World War. Following India's independence in 1947, the regiment was one of four Gurkha regiments to be transferred to the British Army. In the 1960s it was active in the Malayan Emergency and Indonesian Confrontation. It was amalgamated with the other three British Gurkha regiments to form the Royal Gurkha Rifles in 1994.
5th Gorkha Rifles, also abbreviated as 5 GR(FF) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. It was formed in 1858 as part of the British Indian Army. The regiment's battalions served in the First World War (Mesopotamia) and Second World War.
The 5th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II that fought in several theatres of war and was nicknamed the "Ball of Fire". It was one of the few Allied divisions to fight against three different armies - the Italian, German and Japanese armies.
The Order of battle of the Chindits, an Allied special force which carried out two deep penetration raids behind Japanese line during the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
The 8th Mountain Division was raised as the 8th Indian Infantry division of the British Indian Army. It is now part of the Indian Army and specialises in mountain warfare.
The 19th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, and played a prominent part in the final part of the Burma Campaign.
The 17th Infantry Division is a formation of the Indian Army. During World War II, it had the distinction of being continually in combat during the three-year-long Burma Campaign. The division was re-raised in 1960 and 17 Mountain Division is presently located in Sikkim under XXXIII Corps.
The 7th Infantry Division is a war-formed infantry division, part of the Indian Army that saw service in the Burma Campaign.
The 23rd Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It fought in the Burma Campaign. It was then reformed as a division of the independent Indian Army in 1959.
The 44th Indian Airborne Division was an airborne forces division of the Indian Army during World War II, created in 1944. It provided a parachute battalion for one minor airborne operation, but the war ended before the complete formation could take part..
The 25th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II which fought in the Burma Campaign. It was re-raised within the post-independence Indian Army in 1948.
The Burma Corps ('Burcorps') was an Army Corps of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in Prome, Burma, on 19 March 1942, took part in the retreat through Burma, and was disbanded on arrival in India in May 1942.
The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was converted from the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade in September 1939, and assigned to the 4th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade first moved to Egypt and took part in the early battles in North Africa. Then in 1941, it moved to the Sudan with the 5th Indian Infantry Division. Returning to 4th Indian Division command it took part in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. The brigade then returned to North Africa coming under command of the 5th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions, and the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in the Campaign in Tunisia. The brigade once more returned to the 4th Division for the Italian Campaign and the Greek Civil War.
The 17th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
The 100th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in April 1920 at Jhansi. The brigade was assigned to the 34th Indian Infantry Division until June 1943, when it was transferred to the 20th Indian Infantry Division until the end of the war. It was known for its participation in Battle of Imphal or known as "Imphal Campaign" where it fought along with other Indian Infantry regiments converged to form the 20th Indian Division and drove back the Japanese Army back to Burma inflicting heavy losses. This was a turning point in the Burma Campaign, part of South-East Asian theatre of World War II.
The 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939. In June 1940 it was assigned to the 5th Indian Infantry Division and in September 1940, sailed for East Africa. The brigade spent time attached to other formations, the 4th Indian Infantry Division between June 1940 and March 1941, and the British 10th Armoured Division between March and June 1942, where it was destroyed during the Battle of Gazala. A new brigade was formed in Egypt and assigned to the 10th Indian Infantry Division, with which it fought in the Italian Campaign from April 1944 until the end of the war.
The 20th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
The 21st Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II.
The 25th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in February, 1941 at Ahmednagar in India and assigned to the 10th Indian Infantry Division. The brigade was attached to the 8th Indian Infantry Division in August 1941, and took part in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. Returning to the 10th Indian Division in August 1941, they arrived in the desert just in time for the Battle of Gazala and continued to fight in the Western Desert Campaign and later in the Italian Campaign. While in Italy the brigade was attached to the British 46th Infantry Division from 7 to 11 December 1944.