New 6th Army
Encyclopedia
New 6th Army was a Chinese combat command involved in the Burma Campaign
of World War II
, and later, the Chinese Civil War
.
They operated in the Shan State
s and the Karen State of eastern Burma. The New 6th Army's General
and Supreme Commander
was Liao Yaoxiang
.
New 6th Army was among the top five nationalist crack units (The other four included New 1st Army
, Reorganized 11th Division (army-sized, formerly known as the 18th Army and later reverted to its original designation), Reorganized 74th Division (army sized, formerly known as the 74th Army), and the 5th Army.
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and later, the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
.
They operated in the Shan State
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
s and the Karen State of eastern Burma. The New 6th Army's General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander may refer to:* Commander-in-chief, a military rank**Supreme Allied Commander, title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances...
was Liao Yaoxiang
Liao Yaoxiang
Liao Yiaoxiang was a high-ranking nationalist commander who successful fought against both the Imperial Japanese Army and Chinese Communist forces. He was one of the few nationalist commanders who graduated from a western military academy besides General Sun Liren...
.
New 6th Army was among the top five nationalist crack units (The other four included New 1st Army
New 1st Army
New 1st Army was reputed as the most elite Chinese military unit of the Kuomintang. Nicknamed the "1st [Best] Army Under the Heaven" during the Chinese Civil War, it caused the most Japanese Army casualties during the Sino-Japanese War ....
, Reorganized 11th Division (army-sized, formerly known as the 18th Army and later reverted to its original designation), Reorganized 74th Division (army sized, formerly known as the 74th Army), and the 5th Army.
Notable facts
- On April 23 1942, the 6th Army was involved in skirmishes with Japanese forces, and were forced to retreat from TaunggyiTaunggyi-Transportation:The main access to Taunggyi is by road. A railway line that passes through Taunggyi was recently built in 1995, but at the moment it offers no passenger service. Regular railway passenger service to the rest of the country is through the town of Shwenyaung, twelve miles to the...
, toward the Yunnan Province. Two days later, they returned and beat back the Japanese, recapturing the location in the process. - On March 31, 1945, the British 36th Division and units of the Chinese 6th Army, captured Kyaukme, which is northwest of MandalayMandalayMandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
. A fortnight before, the 6th army gained control of Hswipaw, 80 kilometres southwest of LashioLashioLashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the...
. - Mobile medical support for the command was provided by a unit assigned by Britain; one notable member of the unit was the "Burma Surgeon" — Gordon SeagraveGordon SeagraveGordon Stifler Seagrave born 18 Mar 1897 in Yangon, Myanmar; he died March 1965 in Redlands, CA. His parents were American Baptist missionaries Rev. Albert Ernest Seagrave and Alice Vinton. Seagrave followed their path and became a missionary and medical doctor in Burma. He was sometimes referred...
. - The command worked with the USAFCT (U.S. Army Forces, China Theater) in redeploying over 2200 animals (including horses and mules) by aerial transport from Burma into Chan-i. The effort was executed in January 1945. In April of the same year those animals were airlifted from Chan-i to Chih-chiang.