The Landing of Tanks on Akyab Island

British Sherman tanks on LCT as Bren Carrier wades ashore on Akyab Island.

by Lieutenant-Colonel F. J. Enoll, ADAFV (Tech)

From a 1945 report

AFV (Tech), Adv HQ, ALFSEA,

12 January 1945, FJE/AAR

This report is an account of the landing of Sherman V tanks on Akyab Island, as seen by an officer of AFV (Tech) who accompanied the tanks throughout. It is therefore a record of personal observation only. The part played by tanks in this, the first major amphibious operation in South East Asia Command, is described in some detail, as it may be of interest to the Tank Division of the Ministry of Supply, U.K., and possibly to others.

Diary of Officer’s Movements

Saturday, 30 December—Adv HQ ALF-SEA, HQ 15 Corps, Tank HQ.

Sunday, 31 December—At Tank HQ.

Monday, 1 January—ditto.

Tuesday, 2 January—Embarked on LCT.

Wednesday, 3 January—Landed on Akyab Island from LCT. Moved to Kaundaga.

Thursday, 4 January—Kaundaga to Akyab. Akyab to Foul Point and to a point north of Indin.

Friday, 5 January—North of Indin, HQ 15 Corps.

Saturday, 6 January—HQ 15 Corps, Advance HQ ALFSEA.

Outline of Operation

The assault on the island was to open with an artillery bombardment from the end of the nearby Mayu Peninsula, followed up by a short intensive aerial bombing, and a supporting naval bombardment from cruisers and destroyers. Commandos were to land on the selected beach and clear it of small arms fire. A tank reconnaissance party was to land with this opening wave, locate a suitable tank harbor, and tape out a mine-free route to it if possible. A second wave of Commandos was to land 30 minutes later and proceed inland to capture an anti-tank ditch. After a further 20 minutes (50 minutes after the tank reconnaissance party had landed) the tanks were to land and endeavor to reach the harbor where waterproofing equipment could be removed. From there they would move forward as the situation required. The part actually played by the Shermans will be described in the paragraphs that follow.

Preparation

‘A’ Squadron had waterproofed its vehicles some time previously, with the normal North American 6-foot wading equipment, and so had only the finishing touches to carry out. They had sealed the turrets by packing in asbestos compound and Inco seal only, so that the turrets could be rotated if necessary immediately on landing without having to remove any cloth sealing material. The guns were protected by thorough oiling of the barrels, with paper seals over the muzzle so that any type of round could be fired first. Each tank carried the following ammunition:

80 rounds HE

20 rounds APC or APCBC

18 rounds APCBCHE

9 rounds Smoke

8,000 rounds of 0.30 Browning ammo

500 rounds of Sten ammo

17 Grenades

The LCTs arrived at the landing point, Aminpara Jetty, on Tuesday, 2 January, and the Shermans which had been driven the four miles from the vehicle park were run on to the craft. Although the Indian drivers had not practiced this before, there were no mishaps, and no damage was caused to the wading equipment. These landing craft were first used in the Sicilian landings and they have been employed a great deal since. Their permissible load had therefore been restricted to four Sherman tanks each and two light vehicles. The tanks had to be placed as near the stern as possible, which meant that the light vehicles (jeeps, carriers, or lorries) were nearest the ramp and would be first off. Everyone on board therefore hoped for a beach which would permit these vehicles to land successfully.

In addition to the Sherman tanks, two Valentine bridge layers and two Don-8 tractors were taken. On the day before the embarkation some reductions in the loading seemed inevitable. But so popular is the bridge layer that it was decided that a Sherman would be left behind rather than one of the Valentines. However, no reduction proved necessary, and at mid-day the LCTs sailed quietly down the Mingalagyi Chaung to the Naaf River with their planned complement of vehicles and men.

The Voyage

After anchoring in the Naaf River for about two hours the LCTs continued down to its mouth where they anchored again for the night. The Indian tank crews of the squadron—three troops were Sikhs and one were Jats—had many of them seen the sea only once before on the occasion of their journey out to Arakan. They very quickly settled down in the afternoon to a meal of chappattis and tea, a brew which is even sweeter than that made by British troops. To an outsider they gave an impression of self-confidence and efficiency.

The tanks were remarkably free from inflammable outside stowage. Each vehicle carried a camouflage net and two long wooden fascines about a foot in diameter and long enough to lie across the complete width of the tank. In some cases there was a tarpaulin or second camouflage net. Each tank also carried two small reels of barbed wire, and picks and shovels. There was a length of spare track draped down the front of each vehicle. Over the engine compartment was a flat blanket bin, about 12 inches deep and 3 feet long by 4½ feet wide, which all troop leaders agreed was a most useful local modification. (This blanket bin has been approved by the Director of Mechanization, and an improved version is in production which does not in any way restrict the depression of the gun when pointing to the rear. See Report No. 1 para. 56.)

Some of the LCTs were short of drinking water, and this meant that the platoon of supporting infantry carried on each LCT had only their water bottles to rely on. Tank crews had of course relatively ample supplies in their water containers.

Early on the following morning (3 January) the LCTs weighed anchor and continued in convoy down the Arakan coast, until Foul Point, the southernmost tip of the Mayu Peninsula, was reached.

At first there was surprise that the naval and aerial bombardments were delayed. Then it was gradually realized that they must have been called off for some reason. Half an hour before the tanks were due to land it came over the tank W/T that the landing would be made without opposition. Unknown to those on board the LCTs, an artillery observation officer had flown over the island on the previous day. As the inhabitants waved their hands at him he decided to land, and learnt that the last remaining Japanese had already left. It is reported that he took the village headman (a graduate of Rangoon University) back with him to the mainland where he was introduced to the corps commander. As a result of this the air strike and naval bombardment were cancelled, but the landing proceeded according to plan.

The Landing

The LCTs approached the beach which was better than reports had indicated. When the ramps were let down it was found that the sea was only about 2½ to 3 feet deep. The carriers and jeeps in the bows were thus able to drive off the ramps and into the water without mishap. A small bow wave drenched the Indian driver of one carrier but he drove steadily to the shore. The Sherman tanks followed, and all reached the beach without difficulty. As the water was shallow the waterproofing was not, of course, fully employed but it certainly proved satisfactory on this occasion.

As far as could be seen the beach was free of all obstacles. There were no stakes or projections below the water line nor was there any type of obstacle above it. A single run of rusty barbed wire was the only sign of enemy defensive preparations, and this was soon trampled down. Although a double row of mines had been reported, these were never located, and their suspected presence in no way interfered with movement on the beach.

From Beach to Tank Harbor

The tank reconnaissance party had located a suitable harbor and indicated a mine-free route to it by means of white tapes. The party was on the beach to guide the tanks. As soon as they had landed, the tanks therefore turned on the beach, and made for the safe route inland. The beach itself consisted of firm muddy sand which provided good safe going. Above the high water mark the sand was soft and yielding, but no tank became stuck in it, although it was necessary to lay some Army track to enable the ‘B’ vehicles to cross the stretch.

On arrival at the harbor the tanks were stripped of their waterproofing equipment, care being taken not to damage the chutes, so that they could be used again on any future occasion. Here, too, there were no unexpected difficulties. The chutes came away easily and so did the asbestos compound and Inco seal. Within a few minutes turrets could be traversed freely and guns elevated and depressed. Crews did have a little difficulty in opening the co-drivers flaps which had been sealed some time previously because the sealing compound had set rather hard.

Movement Inland

From this harbor the tanks moved forward to their first inland harbor at Senthama. They passed many men of the Commandos and reached the hamlet without any trouble, crossing a derelict tank ditch on the way perfectly easily. From there the tanks moved on to the village of Kaundaga where they harbored for the night. The senior NCO of the LAD was present, but no mechanical troubles had developed which required reporting to him. ‘A’ Squadron was soon asleep on its first night in Akyab Island.

On the following morning (4 January) the Shermans continued through flat pasture land and paddy fields to Anauktha, about two miles from the center of Akyab town. In doing this they had to cross a Japanese anti-tank ditch about 8 feet wide by 3 feet deep. This presented no difficulty to the Shermans, but the obstacle proved too much for the jeeps which had to make a short detour.

The ground so far covered had been flat and firm. There were occasional wooded copses which could have served admirably as tank harbors. They could have been used equally well for enemy strong points, but the firm, dry ground would have provided many excellent opportunities for tanks to have surrounded these positions. This ground consisting largely of derelict paddy fields was covered with tall dry grass. The tank exhausts did not burn up the grass in any way, nor did the grass clog the sprockets or tracks.

A Sherman tank did stick in one soft patch and the troop placed all their fascines in front of it so as to provide a firm grip for the tracks. The tank came out easily and the troop leader concerned spoke very favorably of these fascines. This was the only occasion on which they were used so it does not conclusively prove their value, but they might certainly be tested thoroughly, and compared with other methods of recovery.

The flat, level terrain on Akyab Island provided excellent tank going, and it was the opinion of officers of the squadron that they would have been able to make full use of all their opportunities if the enemy had decided to oppose them. This terrain must not be regarded as typical of the Arakan mainland, although that possesses many similar stretches which would provide equally good going for tanks. Fuller details of the terrain in Arakan will be given in the next report.

Akyab: The Town and Harbor

As there was no immediate likelihood of the tanks moving farther forward, the squadron leader decided to send a reconnaissance party into Akyab to find the most suitable tank routes, should any advance into the town be ordered. This reconnaissance, which was one of the first entries to be made, revealed that the town was derelict. Every building was damaged or burnt out, and creepers and weeds grew thickly over the ruins. The narrow tar mac roads were partly overgrown and interrupted here and there with old bomb craters. There were no signs of enemy occupation. The port itself, consisting of an iron jetty and stone pier, was equally derelict. A sunken steamer lay at the end of the jetty and a damaged barge at the side of the pier. The decking on the jetty was rotten, but no demolitions had been carried out.

On returning, the reconnaissance party was told that the squadron was to remain in harbor for some time. The immediate part to be played by the tanks was thus virtually over, and it was now time for the AFV (Tech) officer to return to headquarters.

Return Journey

The return journey was uneventful but interesting, since it included a 25-mile drive in the dark along the beach from Foul Point to a point north in Indin. This is the only land route along the Mayu Peninsula and it can only be used around the times of low tide. This is because the otherwise smooth beach is interrupted at a number of places by “chaungs” or tidal creeks which extend some distance inland. These chaungs are only fordable at low tide, when they vary from a few inches to some two feet in depth.

In one of these chaungs a jeep was stranded. The Indian driver, who was alone and was carrying despatches, could not make up his mind whether to abandon his jeep in order to deliver the bags, or to stay with the jeep in the hope that someone would come along in time to pull the jeep out. Fortunately a recovery lorry came along shortly and pulled it out. The remainder of the journey was uneventful.

Conclusions

As far as one may generalize from the personal observations of an individual officer it may be said that no mechanical troubles were experienced before, during, or after the landing. Tank equipment appeared to function satisfactorily and no obvious improvements immediately suggested themselves. Further points may come to light at a later date, in which case they will be included in a future report.

A town map of Akyab (Sittwe) produced in December 1944. 

British Sherman tank lands on Akyab Island.

British Sherman tanks with Indian troops move ashore on Akyab Island.

British Sherman tanks with deep wading equipment move inland on Akyab Island.

British Sherman tank moving inland on Akyab Island.

British Sherman tank on Akyab Island.

Jeeps being unloaded from landing craft during the landings on Akyab Island.

Landing craft on the beach at Akyab Island.

Indian troops wade ashore at Akyab.

Landing craft on the beach at Akyab Island.

An aerial photograph taken from an RAF aircraft of Eastern Air Command during the landings, shows the port and jetty of Akyab. The two ships were sunk as a result of RAF bombing, and were not scuttled to obstruct the entrance to the port. January 1945.

Another view of the same scene as the previous photo.

The same sunken ship as seen at right in the previous photo.

An aerial view of Akyab (now Sittwe) taken during an RAF raid. This may be when the ship that later served as a COPP base in Akyab was sunk.

Australian officers with locals in Akyab, Burma.