The Japanese advance into Burma

11th February 1942: The seemingly unstoppable advance of the Japanese in the Far East continues - and India itself is now threatened

The Japanese attack had begun with the bombing of Rangoon.

The Japanese had already taken Hong Kong and were poised to take Singapore. Desperate battles were being fought in the Philippines and they were now island hopping into the Dutch East Indies - Indonesia.

From the British strategic perspective their assault on Burma, begun in mid January, was eve…