World War II Stories, the Banzai Hunters: The Forgotten Armada of Little Ships That Defeated the Japanese, 1944-45

London: Conway Maritime Press, 2007. New book, 191 pages. Burma, 1944. In the thick, dense jungle of the Arakan, units of the Royal Marines and Royal Navy steal quietly along the rivers to open the way for a strategic turning point in the Second World War - as vital as El Alemein in the Wester Desert or the D-Day landings in Normandy. These men fought for every inch of the Arakan coastline, in amphibious operations and covert attacks on land, to engage the Japanese on a second front while the troops of the Allied 14th Army in India struck south to retake Burma. They were fighting a ruthless enemy, lead by Lieutenant-General Sakurai, who told his men to show no mercy and take no prisoners. Their piercing cries from the undergrowth - Banzai! Banzai! Banzai! - would preclude an ambush as the British troops navigated dangerous waterways and lethal swamps. While the British 14th are now known as the 'Forgotten Army' because their story has always taken second place to the archievement in Europe, the story of the 'Banzai Hunters' is even less well known. Through a combination of official documents, contemporary reports and recollections of those who were there, this book seeks to give them their rightful place in history.. Soft Cover. As New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.