End Game Burma: Slim's Masterstroke At Meiktila (2010) By Michael Pearson
 
When the Burma campaign is discussed, the turning point battles of Imphal and Kohima are most often thought of. However, General Bill Slim's bold but risky plan to outflank the Japanese on the Irrawaddy at Mandalay deserves far more credit.
 
With the Japanese withdrawing, Slim's 14th Army (with two Corps XXXIII and IV) risked a punishing crossing of the mighty Irrawaddy at Mandalay, opposed by the main Japanese army. To avoid this, it was decided to split the 14th Army and send the IV Corps on an arduous 300-mile march to seize the town of Meiktila, 85 miles south, a vital rail and road hub and the main Japanese administrative base. Complete secrecy was essential, as if the Japanese realised they faced only one Corps rather than two, they might have counterattacked successfully. In this detailed analysis of this crucial manoeuvre, the author describes the plan, the risks, the actions, the seemingly insurmountable logistical problems, and the efforts to retain US air support (for which Mountbatten was largely responsible).
 
Hard Cover with Dust Jacket
150 pages
In Good Condition