Hello, and thank you for listening to the History of World War II podcast, Episode 298,

The Battle of Prone.

Last time, the invading Japanese were able to add on to their gains in Burma by taking

the town of Tanggu on the Satan River, about 200 kilometers or 124 miles north by northeast

of Rangu.

Though the Chinese 200th Division had tried valiantly to hold it.

The Chinese troops nominally under the American General still well, who himself was more than

willing to serve under Sir Harold Alexander as the Irishman had earned the Americans respect

after a conversation, had agreed to the new dispositions, which left all hoping it would

be the beginning of halting this latest Japanese offensive.

Alas, Tanggu had gone the way of so many other southeastern possessions throughout the

last few months.

If Burma could be viewed as a chessboard, the Japanese holding the southern end had just

set themselves firmly closer to the center.

From Tanggu, Lashio, just over 300 kilometers to the northeast, was threatened, as was

the Burma road and even further north, the Lato road.

But also, now the Shahn states, to the north and east of Tanggu, which had their own access

to China and its people had been well regarded by the British Imperial system, were threatened.

But the largest strategic threat to the Allies now was that their southern defense line

was no longer enough.

Now the enemy, if they kept pushing north of Tanggu, could hit central Burma from the east.

Generals slim and still well, the latter still trying to determine his exact position

...