Benutzer:Gunsou/Kampf um Prachuab Khiri Khan
| Datum | 8. Dezember 1941 bis 9. Dezember 1941 |
|---|---|
| Ort | Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand |
| Ausgang | Sieg der Japaner |
| Konfliktparteien | |
|---|---|
 Thailand |
 Japan |
| Befehlshaber | |
|
Wing Commander Mom Luang Pravasd Chumsai |
Major Utsunomiya Kisoyoshi |
| Truppenstärke | |
| 5. Geschwader 120 Mann verstärkt durch Piloten, Bodenpersonal und Polizisten |
2. Bataillon des 143. Infanterieregiments der 55. Division ca. 800 Mann |
| Verluste | |
|
38 Tote, 27 Verwundete |
217 Tote?, 300 Verwundete? |
Der Kampf um Prachuap Khiri Khan fand am 8. Dezember 1941 am Flugplatz von Prachuap Khiri Khan im Zuge der an mehreren Stellen an der Ostküste und zu Land von Französisch-Indochina aus ohne Vorwarnung erfolgten Invasion des neutralen Thailands durch Japan statt. Die japanische Armee beabsichtigte, Thailand als Ausgangsbasis für ihren Angriff gegen die britischen Besitzungen in Burma und Malaya zu benutzen. Trotz hartnäckigem Widerstand der thailändischen Truppen ließ die thailändische Regierung unter Premierminister Feldmarschall Phibul Songkhram am 9. Dezember 1941 sämtliche Kampfhandlungen einstellen und gestattete der japanischen Armee, Thailand als Basis zu benutzen. Am 21. Dezember 1941 schloss Thailand mit Japan ein Militärbündnis und am 25. Jänner 1942 erklärte es den Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritannien den Krieg.
Kampfverlauf
Am 8. Dezember 1941 um etwa 03:00 begann unter dem Kommando von Major Utsunomiya Kisoyoshi das 2. Bataillon des 143. Infanterieregimentes der 55. Division der Kaiserlich Japanischen Armee Truppen bei Prachuab Khiri Khan an Land zu setzen. Als Wing Commander M. L. Prawat Chumsai, Kommandant des in Prachuab Khiri Khan stationierten 5. Geschwaders der Königlich Thailändischen Luftwaffe davon erfuhr, erteilte er sofort den Befehl, Widerstand zu leisten. Die Einheiten am Flugplatz verfügten über sechs schwere und zwei leichte Maschinengewehre, die sie gegen die japanischen Truppen, die das Flugfeld einkreisten, richteten. Die kleine Garnison aus Bodenpersonal und Piloten wurde durch Angehörige der örtlichen Polizei und der Yuwachon Thaharn (einer militärischen Jugendorganisation) verstärkt, denen die Flucht aus dem nahen Prachuab Khiri geglückt war, nachdem die Japaner das Telegraphenbüro und die Polizeistation besetzt hatten. Obwohl die Japaner einen Teil des Flugfeldes eingenommen hatten, versuchten die Piloten der Kong Bin Noi 5 im ersten Morgengrauen mit ihren Flugzeugen zu starten, um die vormarschierenden Japaner mit Bomben und Bordwaffen anzugreifen.
on December 8, 1941, the 2nd Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment of the 55th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, under the command of Major Kisoyoshi Utsunomiya, began landing troops at Prachuab Khiri Khan. When news of the Japanese attack reached Wing Commander M. L. Prawat Chumsai, the commander of Kong Bin Noi (Squadron) 5, he immediately gave orders to resist the invaders. The air force units on the airfield had six heavy and two light machine guns, which they turned against the Japanese troops trying to surround the airfield. The small garrison of ground crews and pilots were further reinforced by members of the constabulary and the Yuwachon Thaharn (a teenage military auxiliary) who had managed to escape from the nearby town of Prachuab Khiri Khan once the enemy captured the telegraph office and the police station. Despite the fact that the Japanese had taken part of the airfield, at first light, Kong Bin Noi 5's pilots attempted to take off to bomb and strafe the advancing Japanese.
Chief Warrant Officer Prom Chuwong gelang es, mit seiner Curtiss P-36 Hawk III abzuheben, wurde aber durch japanisches Bodenfeuer sofort abgeschossen und getöten. Die Japaner schossen zwei weitere Hawks beim Startversuch ab, wobei beide Piloten starben, und verwundeten einen dritten, als er zur Startbahn rollte. Nur einem Piloten, Flying Officer Man Prasongdi, gelang es, mit einer Hawk III, die mit vier 50-kg-Bomben, beladen war, hochzukommen. Er griff japanische Transportschiffe im Hafen Manow an, erzielte aber aufgrund des dichten Nebels und Regens keine Treffer.
Chief Warrant Officer Prom Chuwong got off the ground in a Curtiss P-36 Hawk III, but Japanese groundfire quickly shot him down, killing him. The Japanese shot down two more Hawks, killing both pilots, while they were attempting to take off and wounded a third pilot as he brought his Hawk onto the runway. Only one other pilot got airborne. Flying Officer Man Prasongdi managed to get off in a Hawk III armed with four 50 kg bombs and attempted to attack Japanese transports in Manow harbour but missed due to heavy fog and rain.
Bis 08:00 waren die meisten Hangars im Norden des Flugfeldes in die Hände der Japaner gefallen. Nach Aufgabe der Rollbahnen zerstörten die Thais die Instrumente im abseits einzeln stehenden Control Tower und brannten diesen ohne viel Federlesens nieder, da die Rollbahnen aufgegeben wurden. Ein neuer verteidigungsring wurde aufgebaut, wobei die sich zurückziehenden Luftwaffensoldaten wirksamen Feuterschutz erhielten durch ein am Tennisplatz des Klubhauses stationierten Maschinengewehrs, das durch die Soldaten Singto Saensukh und Kasem Wongkangya bedient wurde. Das Maschinegewehr
By 08:00, most of the northern hangars were in Japanese hands. The isolated airfield control tower had its instruments smashed and was summarily burned down, as the runways were being abandoned. A new perimeter was set up, while the withdrawing airmen were successfully covered by a machine gun positioned in the clubhouse’s tennis court, manned by Airmen Singto Saensukh and Kasem Wongkangya. The machine gun would keep on firing throughout the morning, and into the afternoon.
Pilot Officer Somsri and his men, whose strength now came up to around thirty, were forced to withdraw upon seeing their northern flank threatened by the abandonment of the runways.
Having successfully secured a beachhead, the Japanese quickly proceeded on to occupy what was left of the burnt down hangars and runways, while reinforcements, including artillery and ten tanks, were landed.
The families of the airmen took refuge in the guesthouses on Mount Laum Mwuak; the evacuation of the living quarters was supervised by Pilot Officer Phol Thongpricha.
A new perimeter was set up by the Thais, who divided themselves into three groups. One group was positioned by the guest houses on Prachuab Bay, which opened fire on anything that came up the road from the guardhouse.
The second group, under the immediate command of Wing Commander Prawat, quartered itself inside the area around the Command and administrative buildings, while the third and last group was situated in houses facing Manao Bay. These two groups based their area of fire on the hangars and the runway.
The fighting continued on into the afternoon and late evening, but with lessening intensity. The machine gun at the tennis court persisted in firing on the Japanese, while the one light machine gun held in reserve was moved about to plug any gaps in the perimeter.
Rumours that sailors were fighting their way through to relieve the airfield kept the Thais’ spirits up through the night. Ammunition was already running low, and at one point, the airmen had to contain the Japanese by firing blank rounds.
The following morning saw the exhausted Thais receive a telegram from the Ministry of the Interior, brought by a postman during a lull in the battle, ordering the defenders to cease fighting as an armistice had been arranged between the two countries.
The telegram was ignored as the Thais thought it was a trick by the Japanese, thus further infuriating the invaders. Fighting again erupted, with the Japanese mounting assaults with renewed vigour, forcing the defenders back. It was around this time that the lone machine gun in the tennis court was taken out; the crew were severely wounded.
By 10:00, with the Japanese closing in, Wing Commander Prawat ordered the Command Building to be burned down, along with all documents. As flames engulfed the building, Flying Officer Prayhad Kanchonwiroj, the head medical officer, had the hospital building evacuated and set on fire.
With hopes of relief fading away, the Wing Commander ordered that all officers should save a bullet each for themselves, and that those who wish to could and should attempt to break out and head for the forests. The rest, including the wounded, were to fall back on Mount Laum Muak.
At noon, a car with a small white flag on its windshield arrived. It contained a number of Thai officials, including the province’s undersecretary, Jarunphan Isarangun na Ayutthaya. Jarunphan handed Wing Commander Prawat a direct order from Field Marshal Phibunsongkhram to cease all forms of resistance.
Fighting officially ended at 12:35 on December 9, 1941.
Verluste
Auf thailändischer Seite gab es 38 Tote und 27 Verwundete. Nach japanischen Quellen hatten die Japaner 116 Tote, thailändische Schätzungen lauten auf 217 Tote und mehr als 300 Verwundete.
