| Special Forces Operations in May 1945 |
| May 1st, 1945 – May 6th, 1945 |
| Operation Dracula |
| 1st Air Commando Group, 2nd Air Commando Group, 44th Indian Airborne Division |
| By April 1945, the British Fourteenth Army advances to within sixty-four kilometres of Rangoon but is delayed until May 1st, 1945, by an improvised Japanese force defending Pegu. On the same day, as part of Operation Dracula, a composite Gurkha parachute battalion lands at Elephant Point at the mouth of the Rangoon River. After securing the coastal batteries, minesweepers clear the river of mines. The operation is supported by the U.S. 1st and 2nd Air Commando Group. The following day, the Indian 26th Infantry Division begins landing on both sides of the river. The monsoon breaks earlier than anticipated, but the Japanese have already abandoned Rangoon, allowing the Indian 26th Infantry Division to occupy the city and its docks without resistance. Four days later, they link up with the Fourteenth Army. The British suffer casualties when B-24 Liberators from the U.S.A.A.F. mistakenly target C Company, leading to 15 soldiers killed and 30 wounded. In the subsequent assault on Japanese positions, the battalion incurred an additional 41 casualties. Approximately 40 Japanese defenders were killed during this engagement. |