Meiktila 1945: The battle to liberate Burma

Description

In the spring of 1944, Japanese 15th Army was shattered at Imphal and Kohima, allowing General William Slim, commander of 14th Army, to liberate Burma overland from India - a task considered impossible by the British chiefs of staff. Overcoming immense logistical problems, Slim coordinated a precisely timed attack along a 200-mile front, the longest opposed river crossing of the entire war, and an armored dash behind enemy lines that seized Meiktila, cutting Japanese supply lines. Mandalay fell and at the end of March 1945, with the battle lost, the Japanese withdrew south. Slim gave them no chance; Allied troops raced south and captured Rangoon. The Japanese army in Burma was finished.

Edward Young developed an interest in the Meiktila campaign whilst writing his book Air Commando Fighters of World War II. Previous work includes Aerial Nationalism: A History of Aviation in Thailand (Smithsonian Institution, 1995). He has also contributed to numerous British and American aviation magazines. Edward is by profession a financial analyst in New York City and lives with his family in New Jersey. Howard Gerrard studied at the Wallasey School of Art and has been a freelance designer and illustrator for over 20 years. He has won both the Society of British Aerospace Companies Award and the Wilkinson Sword Trophy and has illustrated a number of Osprey books. Howard lives and works in Kent.