214th Infantry Regiment

War record

January–May 1942 (part of the 33rd Division). After taking Pegu and Rangoon in southern Burma, moved north for Yenangyaung, Burma's only oilfield district→the 徳重 battalion (1st Battalion) led the way and struck the flank and rear of the British-Indian forces→the British-Indian forces fell back all along the line→from the night of 16 April onwards it met counter-attacks that included British-Indian tank units in the desert country at Yenangyaung and fought hard (the book records that this became the fiercest battleground of the whole Burma campaign)→the main body of the regiment broke through the north-eastern edge of the Yenangyaung settlement and took the oilfield installations intact

According to the book, the 徳重 Battalion was hastily pulled out of the units under direct division command and, on the order of Division Commander 桜井, rushed up from the rear — a move that opened the way to victory.

Source: The Regimental Histories of the Pacific War, 戦史の本 誌面32-33