Which city was captured by the British?
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In the first eighteen months of armed conflict with the British (the conflict would not become a "war for independence" until July 4, 1776), Washington had begun to create an army and forced the British army in Boston to evacuate that city in March 1776. The major question after their evacuation was what they would do next. Washington was almost certain that the British would attack New York, since that position was of critical importance for their operations both North and South. Besides, that is what he would have done had he been in Sir William Howe's shoes. Show
George Washington Papers Even though his premonition eventually proved true, British intentions did not become clear until their fleet descended upon New York in August 1776. For a variety of reasons, Washington and his generals made a number of mistakes during the engagements in the New York area. These mistakes and Britain's far superior naval power led to decided British victories on Long Island and on Manhattan. Had the British commanders been a bit more aggressive, their naval power might have put the Continental Army at great risk of total defeat. After Washington was driven from Manhattan, his army fought Howe's forces to a standstill at White Plains. Even so, the British were now in control of New York City. Again, the question became, what would the British do next? Washington thought the logical next step for them to do was to move on Philadelphia, so he moved most of his army south into New Jersey. Indeed, British forces under General Charles Lord Cornwallis chased and harrassed the Continentals all the way through New Jersey. When Washington's army reached Trenton Falls, their fortunes seemed at low ebb. Surprisingly, at that point Howe ordered his army into winter quarters rather than attacking the Americans. Seizing the opportunity Howe presented him, Washington counterattacked at Trenton in late December 1776 and then at Princeton in early 1777. What Washington had done in nine days was truly staggering. Just when many Americans thought all was lost, Washington had produced two major victories over one of the world's most powerful armies. Trenton and Princeton tended to put to rest the second-guessing about Washington's leadership, a belief that had grown as the Continental Army suffered defeats in New York and then retreated through New Jersey. These victories had also been watched closely by many European leaders; they now came to view Washington as an adroit and able commander. On the other hand, the British were not impressed with Washington's accomplishments. All in all, Lord North thought 1776 had been a very good year for the British. They had retained Canada and captured New York City, their losses of soldiers had not been great, and nearly 40,000 loyalists had received pardons from Howe. British leaders would also have been heartened had they fully known what Washington knew about the chronic problems experienced by the Continental Army. Washington was continually concerned with problems of the militia, recruits, and deserters and he constantly reminded Congress of the need for a standing professional army and a better system of supply. For additional documents related to these topics, search Loc.gov using such key words as Boston, Long Island, Manhattan, White Plains, New Jersey, Trenton, Princeton, and General Howe. Search Washington's Papers by date (of specific battles, for example), and use the terms found in the documents. In 1941, Britain was an imperial power with colonies across south and south-east Asia. In December 1941, Japan attacked British territories in Hong Kong, Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore and Burma (now also known as Myanmar). These objects, photographs and artwork from IWM’s collections tell stories from Britain’s bitter and brutal war against Japan. Photographs Photographs The fall of MalayaJapanese forces invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941. Their commander, General Yamashita, launched an aggressive offensive that quickly demoralised and defeated Malaya’s garrison of British, Indian and Australian troops. In this photograph, taken in January 1942, Japanese troops are seen clearing pockets of resistance in the streets of Kuala Lumpur after occupying the city. See object record  Japanese troops clear pockets of resistance in the streets of the Malay city of Kuala Lumpur, January 1942. © IWM (HU 2776) Equipment Equipment Surrender at SingaporeBy February 1942, Japanese forces had occupied Malaya. They then launched a new attack against the strategic island of Singapore, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. On 15 February 1942, British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese. This flag was carried by Brigadier Thomas Newbigging, as he walked with other officers as part of the surrender party. Prime Minister Winston Churchill would later call the surrender ‘the worst disaster…in British history’. See object record Flag carried by Brigadier Thomas Newbigging at the surrender of Singapore in February 1942. © IWM (FLA 2449) Photographs Photographs Flight from BurmaJapan’s invasion of Burma prompted many from Burma’s Indian, Anglo-Indian and British communities to flee to the safety of India. While some, particularly wealthier people, were able to leave by air or sea, hundreds of thousands were forced to make their way on foot across Burma’s mountainous border with India. Thousands died along the way from disease, exhaustion, malnutrition, or through drowning while trying to cross Burma’s many rivers. This photograph shows Indian refugees on the Prome Road from Rangoon in January 1942. See object record Indian refugees on the Prome Road from Rangoon, January 1942. © IWM (JAR 1240) Souvenirs and ephemera Souvenirs and ephemera Unconventional tacticsBy June 1942 the Japanese had driven British, Indian and Chinese forces out of Burma. In February 1943 3,000 British and Nepalese Gurkha troops mounted a long distance raid behind Japanese lines. These troops, known as ‘Chindits’, were commanded by the deeply eccentric Brigadier Orde Wingate. This is a ‘blood chit’ carried by the Chindits in case they became separated from their unit and needed assistance from local people. It is made of rayon and carries a printed message in seventeen languages, including Burmese, Karen, East and West Shan, Thai, Chinese, Tamil, Vietnamese, Bengali, French and English. This message identifies the bearer as an Allied soldier and encourages locals to offer help. See object record A ‘blood chit’ carried by the Chindits during the Second World War. © IWM (EPH 1855) Souvenirs and ephemera Souvenirs and ephemera The 'Death Railway'After the surrender of Singapore, thousands of Allied servicemen became prisoners of the Japanese. They were subjected to a brutal regime of violence, callous neglect and forced labour. From 1942 prisoners were forced to build the Burma-Thailand railway, which became known as the ‘Death Railway’ for its high mortality rate, among both prisoners of war and civilian forced labourers. This golden nail was used during a Japanese ceremony to mark the completion of the railway. The inscription carries the date 25 October in ‘Showa 18’ (1943), the eighteenth year of the reign of Emperor Showa, also known as Hirohito. See object record Golden nail used during a Japanese ceremony to mark the completion of the Burma-Thailand railway. © IWM (EPH 581) Posters Posters The menace of tropical diseasesBritish troops fighting the Japanese were threatened by deadly and unfamiliar tropical diseases. In 1943, for every soldier evacuated due to battle wounds, 120 soldiers were evacuated due to sickness. Malaria was a key problem, but other diseases included dysentery, skin conditions and typhus. This 1943 poster by graphic artist Ashton was designed for use by the Royal Air Force in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It warns airmen against trusting in unofficial remedies or protections against malaria. See object record Poster by graphic artist Ashton, 1943. © IWM (Art.IWM PST 15913) Art Art Fighting the elementsBritish troops in Burma had to contend with unfamiliar weather conditions. These could include high temperatures and high humidity, as well as monsoon winds and thunderstorms. This 1945 painting by British war artist Leslie Cole, titled Burma - 14th Army: The Battle of the Sittang Bend, gives a vivid impression of the impact of monsoon weather. A patrol of British soldiers from the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment wade through a flooded paddy field, looking for the enemy. Overhead the sky is black with rain clouds. See object record Burma - 14th Army: The Battle of the Sittang Bend, 1945, by Leslie Cole. © IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 5617) Souvenirs and ephemera Souvenirs and ephemera India invadedIn spring 1944 Japan launched an invasion of India. It aimed to capture Imphal, a garrison town in the Indian border province of Manipur, and so prevent a British return to Burma. In order to isolate Imphal from a large supply base at Dimapur, Japanese troops attacked the small village of Kohima, which became the scene of ferocious fighting. This brass hunting horn belonged to Captain John Smyth of 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey). During the Battle of Kohima, Smyth used this horn to rally his troops. Smyth was killed in action on 7 May 1944, aged 22. As he has no known grave, Smyth is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial. See object record Captain John Smyth's brass hunting horn. © IWM (EPH 9909) Uniforms and insignia Uniforms and insignia The Fourteenth Army - Slim's SwordIn 1943 the Fourteenth Army was formed in India. Under the command of Lieutenant-General Bill Slim, the Army’s task was to retake Burma from the Japanese. Slim’s generalship combined effective defensive tactics with imaginative and daring offensives. He was immensely popular with the Indian, Gurkha and British troops under his command. This is the badge of the Fourteenth Army, which was designed by General Slim. He planned to invade Burma from the north, and so the sword points downward. The crossguard of the sword forms an ‘S’, standing for Slim. See object record Fourteenth Army badge. © IWM (INS 4079) Uniforms and insignia Uniforms and insignia The Empire strikes backThe war in Burma drew in troops from across the British Empire. These are two examples of unit insignia. The first is the insignia of 81st West African Division. It depicts the spider Ananse, a character from West African mythology. The division recruited from British colonies including Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Gambia, and fought mostly in the coastal Arakan region of southern Burma during 1944 and 1945. The second (INS 7395) is the ‘Black Cat’ of 17th Indian Division. Made up of troops from the Indian North-West Frontier and the Punjab, as well as Gurkhas from Nepal and British soldiers from northern England, the division fought throughout the Burma campaign from 1942 to 1945. See object record Unit insignia of the 81st West African and 17th Indian Divisions © IWM (INS 4165) Vehicles, aircraft and ships Vehicles, aircraft and ships Confronting the 'divine wind'While land forces were fighting the Japanese in Burma, the Royal Navy’s British Pacific Fleet took part in naval operations in the Pacific Ocean. On 6 April 1945, the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious was taking part in operations to support American landings on the Japanese island of Okinawa when a Japanese kamikaze (meaning ‘divine wind’) pilot attacked, aiming to ram his aircraft into the ship. Hit by anti-aircraft fire the aircraft missed Illustrious, crashed into the sea and exploded a few metres from the ship. Among the wreckage found on the aircraft carrier’s flight deck was this rubber dinghy. See object record Dinghy from a Japanese Kamikaze aircraft, recovered from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, 1945. Souvenirs and ephemera Souvenirs and ephemera HiroshimaFrom the summer of 1944 American heavy bomber aircraft, based on captured Pacific islands, had been able to strike Japanese cities. By summer 1945 these raids had destroyed large areas of Japan's major cities and caused enormous casualties. On 6 August 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was hit by an atomic bomb known as 'Little Boy'. The bomb's blast, fire and radiation effects would ultimately kill more than 100,000 people. This glass bottle was found in Hiroshima. It has been deformed by the effects of the bomb blast. See object record Glass bottle showing the effects of the atomic bomb explosion at Hiroshima. © IWM (EPH 4631) Souvenirs and ephemera Souvenirs and ephemera SurrenderIn the days following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and later of Nagasaki, the Japanese government debated whether to surrender. American aircraft could destroy Japanese cities at will, the Soviet Union had invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria, and the Japanese home islands were also threatened with invasion. On 15 August, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender. On 2 September 1945, a surrender document was signed aboard an American battleship moored in Tokyo Bay. A series of further surrender ceremonies followed in areas still occupied by the Japanese. This pen was used by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, to countersign the Japanese surrender at Singapore on 12 September. See object record One of the pens used by Lord Louis Mountbatten to countersign the Japanese surrender at Singapore. © IWM (EPH 4441) Art Art The fighting didn’t end in 1945This ink drawing, titled Indian Troops attacking Positions in Surabaya, Java, 1945, is by Australian war artist Tony Rafty. It shows Indian troops in action in Surabaya on the island of Java, Indonesia, in December 1945. Though the war between Japan and the Allies ended in August 1945, other conflicts in Asia and the Pacific continued. Days after Japan’s surrender, Indonesian nationalists declared independence from the Netherlands. In September, British troops arrived in Java to take the surrender of Japanese forces and to recover prisoners of war and internees. Relations between British and Indonesian forces soon broke down, with a major battle erupting in Surabaya. See object record Indian Troops attacking Positions in Surabaya, Java, 1945, by Tony Rafty. © IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 5886) Related ContentCourtesy of Vancouver archives CVA 447-2345. Photograph by Walter E Frostt Second World War The Sinking of Prisoner of War Transport Ships in the Far EastBetween 12 and 18 September 1944, Allied forces sank three Japanese steamships that were carrying supplies to support the Japanese war effort. But unknown to the Allies at the time, these ships were also carrying Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Javanese slave labourers (romushas). © IWM HU 2781 Second World War A Quick Guide To Japan's Role In The Second World WarIn December 1941 Japan, already at war with China, attacked British, Dutch and American territories in Asia and the Pacific. By June 1942, Japanese conquests encompassed a vast area of south-east Asia and the western Pacific. What American city did the British try to capture?The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress.
What city did the British capture to end the war?
Which city was captured and held by the British military base?Taking advantage of local assistance he flanked the American position outside the city, captured a large portion of Major General Robert Howe's army, and drove the remnants to retreat into South Carolina.
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Capture of Savannah.. When did the British capture Palestine?By the time Britain conquered Palestine at the end of 1917, it had made several conflicting agreements to gain support from various groups in the Middle East.
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