Thailand?

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Knave
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Thailand?

#1

Post by Knave » 28 Sep 2004, 12:42

I've read in several places that Thailand was allied with Japan during the War. I have not read much about whether they provided troops or not, or whether it was simply a formality for Japanese troops to use Thailand as a conduit for entry into Burma.

I gleaned this from another site;
At the time of World War II, Thailand, allied with Japan, declared war against the United States of America and the United Kingdom, but made the said declaration null after the War.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/thailand/

Leeward
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#2

Post by Leeward » 30 Sep 2004, 14:28

this state once sent her troops which was about 400 men to attack a town(?) in a China province named YunNan in 1944, besides this, a destroyer of thailand sunk a US submarine under japanese officers' command. that's the only action i know thailand made during WWII.


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PapageiStaffel
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#3

Post by PapageiStaffel » 30 Sep 2004, 22:35

Hi,

Thailand means the land of the thais but the problem is there are Thais not only in the former kingdom of Siam but also in the west Cambodia, in Laos and in Vietnam. Dien Bien Phu by example ( it's the vietnamese name) are in the "black Thais" country.
Here comes my point. Thailand was in war with France in Indochina in 1941. After a short war, that the Thailand didn't win, and under japanese pressures, the french governement had to give the west bank of the Mekong in Laos and the Battambang province to Thailand. The Thailand gave back those territories in 1946.

So long.

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USAF1986
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#4

Post by USAF1986 » 30 Sep 2004, 23:48

Here's an interesting entry from the Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II describing the Vichy French/Thai naval engagement off Chang Island (Koh Chang):

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN ... -1941.html

17 January 1941: Battle of Koh Chang: Vichy French retaliate against Thai moves against Cambodia. French squadron (Rear Admiral Jules Terraux) consisting of light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet, colonial sloops Amiral Charner and Dumont D'Urville and sloops Tahure and Marne, decisively defeats a Thai Navy force in a surface gunnery and torpedo action fought in the Gulf of Siam, sinking coast defense ship Dhonburi and torpedo boats Cholbury and Songkhla and damaging coast defense ship Sri Ayuthia and torpedo boat Trat in about two hours.

For those interested, here's a link to details and photos of the two Thai coast defense ships involved in the battle:

http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Syjam/Coa ... class.html

Best regards,
Shawn

major grubert
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#5

Post by major grubert » 03 Dec 2004, 14:48

PapageiStaffel,

You made it sound like Thailand didn't win the war!

Apart from the disaster at Koh Chang, the Thai forces more or less overran most of the French ground forces. Although the conflict bogged down and turned into a stalemate, it would be easy to presume that the Thais would have eventually won.

Most opinions agree that the French performance was abysmal---especially when it could've been better (that said, the FFL did put up a more than good fight).

Even the book "La présence militaire française en Indochine" comes up with this very conclusion; "During this French - Thai war, disappointing from every point of view, the Indochinese army loses more than 300 men (23). The feeling of giving up and ignorance, which seems to exist in the home country, and the awareness of a inevitable and complete powerlessness in face of problems, which are taking a world magnitude, are more important than those losses."

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#6

Post by Larry D. » 07 Dec 2004, 15:45

Knave -

9 Dec 41: Thailand and Japan signed an anti-British treaty and the two countries were allies for the balance of the war. Japanese troops entered Thailand and used it as a springboard for the invasion of Burma in Jan 42. Thai AF planes flew a few combat sorties over Malaya and in spring 42 three Thai divisions invaded Burma's Shan province.

1942-45: Thailand became a logistical hub for Japanese forces fighting in Burma and Japanese and Thai fighters and antiaircraft units jointly defended the ports, rail junctions and airfields against Allied air attacks. Japan sold modest quantities of weapons and equipment, including aircraft, to Thailand during these years.

On the political front, few Thais were supportive of the Japanese and the British SOE people in Ceylon and India had little difficulty raising Thai resistance groups beginning in 1944. By then, unfortunately, it was too late for this rapidly increasing guerrilla force to have much impact on the war in Thailand. Many Japanese units surrendered in Thailand on 15 Aug 45 and were disarmed over the following month.

Thailand had the distinction of being the last Axis nation to negotiate a peace treaty with the Allies, not because she didn't want to, but rather because of protracted bickering with the British and French over who got to retain several provinces in present-day Cambodia.

--Larry

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Andy H
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#7

Post by Andy H » 09 Dec 2004, 21:38

The link below details the OoB at the Battle of Koh Chang in January'41

http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_W ... -Chang.htm

Andy H

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Juha Tompuri
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#8

Post by Juha Tompuri » 10 Dec 2004, 21:30

HTMS Dhonburi (...or what's left from her):
http://www.j-aircraft.com/familyphotos/ ... asanan.htm
Battle of Koh Chang:
http://www.iamkohchang.com/Articles/battle.htm

Regards, Juha Dho... sorry... Thom... eh.... Tombu.... Tompuri

major grubert
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#9

Post by major grubert » 11 Dec 2004, 07:16

The Seri Thai was actually established in 1942, not 1944.

Wait a few weeks and my website on Thailand and the Second World War should be launched!

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Windward
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#10

Post by Windward » 11 Dec 2004, 18:08

major grubert wrote:The Seri Thai was actually established in 1942, not 1944.

Wait a few weeks and my website on Thailand and the Second World War should be launched!
I totally espect that! :D

And a question. Was the new border between Thailand and French Indochina really partly consisted (in the Khmer area) by north latitude 14 degree line between Maekong river and the verticle line northwards from the Batdambang- Siemreat provincial border junction on Tonli Sab lake, as the 1941 Franco-Thai Treaty described? Or it extends along natural borders as rivers and mountains?

regards

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DrG
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#11

Post by DrG » 11 Dec 2004, 19:25

Windward, from my maps it seems that the border was a straight line, not following any mountain or river; but I would really like further info from major grubert too. :)
I can post a map (not very detailed, but showing the new border) of Thailand in 1941 if anybody is interested.

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#12

Post by Ostfront Enthusiast » 13 Jan 2005, 08:49

Please do, I am very interested in any map or information regarding Japan's Asian allies in WWII.

Best Regards

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DrG
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#13

Post by DrG » 13 Jan 2005, 16:04

These maps were made in 1942; the first is from the "Calendario Atlante De Agostini 1943" and the second from the atlas "L'Europa e il Mondo attraverso due guerre", CTI, 1943 (in red the border of 1940). Notice that the Thai-Cambodian border looks like a perfect straight line, following a parallel rather than the terrain (mounts, rivers, etc.), but it's difficult to judge precisely.
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Ostfront Enthusiast
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#14

Post by Ostfront Enthusiast » 14 Jan 2005, 00:11

Thankyou very much DrG!

Several questions, however. Firstly, was not the island Hai Nan (indicated as Chinese) occupied by the Japanese at this time?

Secondly, do you know if the puppet state of Wang Jingwei's Nanjing state had an official name?

Thirdly, if it isn't too much trouble, could you post a scan of your period atlas showing the middle east?

Best Regards

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Klemen L.
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#15

Post by Klemen L. » 14 Jan 2005, 01:44

Firstly, was not the island Hai Nan (indicated as Chinese) occupied by the Japanese at this time?
Yes. Hainan Island was occupied by the Japanese in 1939.
... do you know if the puppet state of Wang Jingwei's Nanjing state had an official name?
I believe its official name was "Nanjing China". At least I couldn't find any other name for it nor have any sources that I have read came out with any different name.

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