AN IMPERIAL CITATION-MALAYA, 1942

The 'Gotanda' tank unit of the Japanese Imperial Guards Division was one of its crack 'dashing units' in Malaya early in 1942. It had some notable successes and its morale was high. Then it met some very definite checks at the hands of the Gunners of the 8th Division.

The first check occurred in the Muar-Bakri area on January 18th, 1942. The forward company of an infantry battalion had taken up a position astride a road. The field of view was short-a typical situation in the jungle terrain. Two RAA anti-tank guns (2-pdrs) were sited about 25 yards off the road and about 40 yards apart. Six enemy light tanks, close behind each other, moved down the road towards our position. The Gunners waited until the leading tank was almost level with the forward gun and then fired an Armour-piercing shot. To their amazement the tank came on. Apparently the shot had passed through the tank without doing much damage. A high-explosive shell was then loaded. The gun-sergeant allowed the three leading tanks to pass and then, turning his gun towards them, quickly put them out of action. With assistance from the second gun the three rear tanks were then knocked out. Just when the six tanks had been destroyed three more arrived and quickly met a similar fate. Thus the tally was nine in a few minutes.

On January 21st, in the same area, the survivors of a force which a few days had consisted of one Indian infantry brigade and two AIF battalions were completely surrounded. The enemy decided to send in his tanks supported by infantry. A gun-sergeant of a 25-pdr, sited for an anti-tank role, was manning his gun alone under heavy, continuous enemy short-range machine-gun fire which prevented his gun detachment from joining him. Five enemy medium tanks appeared about 400 yards away spraying machine-gun fire as cover for their advancing infantry. The sergeant drove off the tanks and the enemy infantry broke off its attack. The 25-pdr detachment rejoined its gun. Later, the enemy tried again to put in his tanks and infantry. This time the sergeant waited until the leading tank was 30 yards away and then engaged it with a high-explosive shell. The tank was knocked out and conveniently provided a road-block on which the other tanks banked up. The guns pasted them with rapid fire and, assisted by our infantry, destroyed them.

After a few more incidents of this kind the enemy became more circumspect in his use of tanks. The Japanese Divisional Commander has written his account of the few days' fighting during this period that every officer, NCO and man-and tank-of the Gotanda tank unit were killed or destroyed during the Muar-Bakri operations from January 18th to 21st, 1942. The unit was awarded an Imperial citation for its actions during that period!

By Lieut-Colonel G.P. Hunt, O.B.E.