The Great Victory (3)

Maing-yang Battle(Young Major Tin Aung Myint Oo was awarded the Thiha-Thura medal)

All together more than 2,000 troops supported by 60mm, 80mm, and 120mm assorted heavy mortars, 57mm and 75mm recoilless guns, .50 heavy duty machine guns, and hundreds of RPG launchers.

Their strategic dream was to set up the Maing-yang based Provisional People’s Government once they got hold of the town and then to expand their so-called liberated area of Burma form there.

The only obstacle for those more than 2,000 strong Communist forces to successfully implement their grand plan was the less than 400 strong troops of Burmese Army Frontline Infantry Battalion-11 on the garrison duty then at Maing-yang.

Burmese Army then had following units inside the Sector north of Kengtung covering a very large area.

The HQ and the Heavy-weapon company of frontline IB-11’s First Column was on the garrison duty in Maing-yang Town. Their fortified base was on the Aung-da-ghun Hill inside the town.

Another rifle company of frontline IB-11’s First Column was active as a mobile column between Maing-yang and Si-loo.

A rifle company of frontline IB-11’s Second Column was on the garrison duty at the Aung-tha-byay and Aung-myay Hills on the eastern outskirt of Maing-yang Town.

Another rifle company of frontline IB-11’s Second Column was active as a mobile column near those Aung-tha-byay and Aung-myay Hills.

All together 4 companies of IB-11 were in the Maing-yang Town while another rifle company of frontline IB-11 was on the garrison duty in nearby Maing-lway between Maing-khat and Maing-yang.

The HQ of Tactical Operations Command 881 (TOC-881) and three rifle companies of frontline Sixth Burma Rifles Battalion’s First Column were at Maing-khat.

Another rifle company of frontline Sixth Burma Rifles Battalion’s Second Column was active as a mobile reserve column in the areas of Lwe-yote, Lwe-mee, and Wanterpang.

The HQ and a rifle company of frontline First Kayah Rifles Battalion’s First Column were on the Kyat-u-taung (Egg Mountain).

Another rifle company of frontline First Kayah Rifles Battalion’s First Column was active as a mobile column in the area north of Kyat-u-taung (Egg Mountain).

The HQ of frontline LID-88 (Light Infantry Division-88) with the five companies of frontline IB-14 was in the Kengtung City.

Organization wise, LID-88 had 3 Tactical Operations Command, TOC-881 and 882 and 883, and each TOC had 3 infantry battalions. With one reserve battalion the LID-88 had 10 infantry battalions in total. Back in 1988 the three rifle battalions of TOC-881 were IB-11 in Maing-yang and Sixth Burma Rifles Battalion and First Kayah Rifles Battalion both in Maing-khat. The LID-88’s reserve battalion then was IB-14 in Kengtung.

Since the beginning of September 1988 Communist forces were active in the immediate surrounds of Maing-yang Town. Their troops from Pang-sang were moving down south towards Maing-yang. The local rumors of imminent attack on the town were popping up here and there too.

Accordingly the LID-88 HQ in Kengtung sent up two companies from IB-19 which arrived in Kengtung just two days before the Maing-yang Battle to the Maing-yang area. Unfortunately that IB-19 column was ambushed by the CPB advanced forces just before Mine-lway and their Battalion CO was killed and the column could not reach the target.

Since early September even before the actual Battle broke out CPB forces were testing our forces at Maing-yang. By frequent engagements with the army patrols they were gradually closing onto the town. Three enemy columns were seen approaching Maing-yang from both east and west of the town. 

In the morning on the first day of the battle the enemy began to attack the Aung-tha-byay Hill the garrison base of IB-11’s Second Column led by the DCO Major Tin Aung Myint Oo.

The mobile company there had repelled the CPB attackers and chased them but another CPB unit 100 strong was waiting for them at the Wan-kyone Monastery south of Aung-tha-byay Hill. The battle ensued and the army company had to withdraw back to the Aung-tha-byay Hill.

Another 100 more CPB troops arrived at the monastery and with the heavy-weapon support they attacked the Aung-tha-byay hill again. The ensuing battle lasted whole day and only at night the enemy withdrew as they couldn’t overrun the army’s strong defense positions.

CPB seemed to be just testing the strength of IB-11 Second Column as their preliminary attack before the arrival of their main forces. That day DCO Major Tin Aung Myint Oo was hit on his right wrist by a heavy-weapon shell’s shrapnel and severely wounded with his right hand broken.