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Section III
Report by General the Honourable Sir Harold R.L. G. Alexander, K.C B., C S.I.. D.S 0., M C , on Operations in Burma from 5th March, 1942, to 20th May, 1942.
1. The following is a report on the operations of the Allied Forces in Burma from my arrival in that country on the 5th March, 1942, up to the 20th May, 1942, by which date the rear guard of the Imperial Forces had withdrawn into India.
2. I arrived by air at 12.00 hours on the 4th March at Dum Dum aerodrome Calcutta, where I met the Commander-in-Chief in India, General Sir Archibald Wavell, and there he gave me a resume of the situation in Burma and a verbal directif to the following effect: —
" The retention of Rangoon was a matter of vital importance to our position in the Far East and every effort must be made to hold it. If, however, that was not possible the force must not be allowed to be cut off and destroyed but must be withdrawn from the Rangoon area for the defence of Upper Burma. This must be held as long as possible in order to safeguard the oil fields at Yenangyaung, keep contact with the Chinese and protect the construction of the road from Assam to Burma."
 I. OPERATIONS RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF RANGOON
II. REGROUPING FORCES ON THE FALL OF RANGOON
III. THE BATTLE FOR THE OILFIELDS
IV. PLANS IN THE EVENT OF WITHDEAWAL NORTH OF MANDALAY
V. THE JAPANESE BREAK-THROUGH IN THE SHAN STATES AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE ALLIED FORCES NORTH OF MANDALAY
VI. THE WITHDRAWAL TO INDIA
VII. ADMINISTRATION
VIII. MISCELLANEOUS
IX. CONCLUSIONS
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