Geography

The distance from Bangkok to Nakhorn Sri Thammarat is approximately 720 kilometres. At the time, only one main road connected the province with the rest of the country. From Nakhorn Sri Thammarat (the provincial capital) to the wooden bridge across Phakpun Canal the road, which runs adjacent to the coast, is concrete. From then on up to the Tha Pae Canal and beyond, passing the town of Tha Pae and 6th Army Monthon's Camp Vajiravhud, was a dirt road, which would eventually continue southwards to the next province.

Camp Vajiravhud, home to the administrative command centre of 6th Army Monthon, is situated directly south of the Tha Pae Canal, south-west of Tha Pae town, east to the main road, and north of 39th Infantry Battalion's base camp.

There were no telephone lines that connect Camp Vajiravhud to the rest of the country; all communications were either handled manually or through the 6th Signals Battalion's radio station, situated within the camp itself. Telephone lines do connect the airfield and Nakhorn Sri Thammarat with Bangkok, however.

Preliminaries

1941 saw the occupation of French airfields in Indochina by the Japanese. By October, with more and more Japanese troops stationed in Indochina, the Royal Thai Army's General Staff informed all senior army officers that war in the Far East would start soon, and that Thailand could expect herself to be attacked and invaded in the months to come. The enemy, in this case, would undoubtedly be the Japanese.

Following an exhaustive number of conferences, Major General Luang Senarong, General Officer Commanding 6th Army Monthon, ordered that geographic surveys of the area be carried out in order to prepare defences. A committee of representatives from the different battalions would be responsible for having the surveys drawn up.

In early November Lieutenant Colonel Luang Sawasdolnlayuth, 6th Army Monthon's Chief of Staff and head of the survey committee, returned from his tour of inspection and reported that all of the coastal provinces in the south are possible landing grounds for the Japanese.

Major General Luang Senarong, GOC 6th Army Monthon

Captain Prachum Tatayanonth, representing 39th Infantry Battalion, wrote a detailed report outlining the possible landing grounds in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat. In it, he predicted that in the event of a Japanese invasion, the enemy would land at Tha Pae before proceeding on to occupy Camp Vajiravhud. On December 8th, his prediction would prove to be entirely accurate.

As a result of this, trenches, barricades, and field fortifications soon appeared in the area around Camp Vajiravhud. The idea around this was that were the Japanese to land and hit Camp Vajiravhud, then it would be sensible to try to either stop or contain them here, in the Tha Pae Canal.

The government in Bangkok also sent the 17th Infantry Battalion to Nakhorn Sri Thammarat. On paper this was a formidable addition to 6th Army Monthon, however, the battalion was under strength and under-equipped. Still, the unimpressed GOC commented that it was better than having no additional troops at all.

By the beginning of December, most if not all of the positions and fortifications were completed.

The Engagement

A number of motorboats were driven into Tha Pae Canal in the early hours of Dec. 8th, and, under the cover of darkness, Japanese troops of the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Hajime Shimomura, began disembarking and unloading their equipment on the banks of the canal, before proceeding on to occupy the outskirts of Tha Pae town.

It was noted by the few who were awake at the time that the motorboats had the Trairong hoisted up, as to appear to have belonged to the Thai navy.

Privates Jon Jaichue and Term Luksua were on patrol in the area at the time, and both were captured by the invaders. Their absence would soon be noticed by the other sentries.

While the Japanese were quietly consolidating their hold around Tha Pae, a postman hurriedly paddled his bicycle through the rain, riding into Camp Vajiravhud. There, Major General Luang Senarong, was handed a telegram marked “urgent”, and before long, the postman was off, happy with the knowledge that he could now return home and rest. The GOC, 6th Army Monthon, had been unable to sleep through the storm and thus sat at the veranda of his house, drinking a warm cup of Ceylon tea while the rain poured down upon the Nakhorn Sri Thammaraj.

Curious, the GOC opened the envelope, and read the telegram. He put it down, and swiftly went inside to put on his uniform. Once this trivial task was completed, Major General Luang Senarong called for a bugler, who was then ordered to play a tune he'd never done before.

At 05:00, soldiers inside Camp Vajiravhud awoke to a sound they thought they would never hear: the call to arms.

Within half an hour, the troops were dressed and fully kitted, and were assembled on the parade ground, in front of the command building. There, the GOC informed them with news that at 04:00 enemy troops have entered Songkhla Bay, and had captured the main administrative district on Khao Tang Kwuan. He had received earlier that morning a telegram from Songkhla which, in a panicky tone, had urgently requested for reinforcements from Nakhorn Sri Thammarat to be sent. The telegram was already an hour old.

The GOC had already deduced that all positions and points of resistance in Songkhla would have collapsed by now, but kept the thought to himself. Nevertheless, regardless of what he thought, he prepared for the 39th Infantry Battalion to move to reinforce Songkhla.

One company was immediately sent to the train station to act as an advance guard, while the rest of the battalion would follow. Before long, however, the company would be recalled back.

The rest of 6th Army Monthon would man the positions they've prepared, and to wait for further instructions.

Because of the rain, wireless signals were constantly disrupted, which rendered Camp Vajiravhud's radio station useless. For this reason, Major General Luang Senarong had personally gone to use the telephone exchange at the nearby airfield. Unable to get any call through to the Ministry of the Interior, he telephoned Don Muang, seeking further news of the situation. Don Muang and, admittedly, Bangkok, knew nothing of the invasion that was unfolding, and thus could provide no useful information.

Having hung up the call, Major General Luang Senarong went on to telegram all army and police units in the southern provinces, warning them of possible attacks along the eastern coast. Satisfied, the GOC and his ADC got into their car and drove off into the rain, heading back to Camp Vajiravhud.

Corporal Pong Pwangduangngam was on duty late in the morning when he saw men in uniforms he did not recognised approached the camp. He immediately ran back to the northern guardhouse, and brought a section of men out to the right-hand side of the road, where they took up positions. Before long, the sentries took aim, and the corporal ordered them to open fire.

Upon his return to Camp Vajiravhud, Major General Luang Senarong called for a quick meeting at his headquarters. It was 07:00. There, he briefed his staff and the officers of 6th Army Monthon that further possible Japanese landings may have taken place at Pattani and Khota Bahru.

Before he could outline his plans for the defence of the province, the sound of gunfire erupted. Corporal Prasaad Sithiwilai, his uniform covered in mud, burst in and reported that enemy troops, their strength unknown, have entered Tha Pae Canal and are in the process of occupying the nearby town.

The GOC quickly re-evaluated the situation, and scrambled off into the rain, towards the developing frontline. All moves to Songkhla were cancelled, and 39th Infantry Battalion would have to defend its base camp.

A platoon of artillerymen from 1st Battery, 15th Artillery Battalion, under 2nd Lt. Prayong Kraijit, joined the sentries, and took up positions on the western side of the road. A number of Japanese continued to advance under fire, while the rest offered supporting fire.

6th Army Monthon's transport company, under Captain Chumnuan Monthanayothin, also rushed into battle to help reinforce the new line that was forming along the road.

The Japanese were raking the area around the artillery warehouse with small arms fire so intense that it was virtually impossible for the guns to be moved out. Captain Thong Sirivechapanth thus took a number of men from 1st and 2nd Batteries, 15th Artillery Battalion, into Nakhorn Sri Thammarat to retrieve the guns that were going to be used as show-pieces in the upcoming Constitution Day celebrations.

Lieutenant Colonel Luang Praharnripurab, CO 39th Inf. Battalion

They came back with 105mm Bofors howitzers, each having to be manhandled across the bridge and into the camp.

1st Battery had the guns set up in front of the artillery warehouse, while 2nd Battery occupied a position next to the arsenal. Both batteries then began to shell the Japanese along the canal. Four more 105mm guns and two 75mm ones were successfully dragged into positions by 1st Battery.

The Japanese replied with an artillery barrage of their own, directed at the 105mm guns, wounding all of the crew and killing 2nd Lieutenant Prayong Kraijit, 1st Battery's officer who was directing artillery fire onto the Japanese landing grounds at the time.

Captain Mom Rachawong Lek Ngonroth, 2nd Battery's CO, assembled the rest of the artillerymen, armed them with rifles, and took them into battle.

Along the Tha Pae road, the situation deteriorated rapidly for the Thais. The transport company's commanding officer, Captain Chumnuan Monthanayothin, took a bullet through the head, leaving his men leaderless. Major Luang Ranronsongkhram, 6th Army Monthon's deputy chief of staff, who was sent to observe the battle and to report on the enemy, quickly took command, rallying the men on. Moving across the road, the Major was hit by a fusillade of shots and fell abruptly down onto the ground. Privates Jamrasd Klommitr and Thanom Jitkhamkuln left the field gun they were manning and ran up to save the wounded officer, and managed to drag him halfway back before both were killed. Major Luang Ranrongsongkhram consequently bled to death alongside the bodies of the men who had tried to rescue him.

Informed by the GOC of the Japanese landings, Lieutenant Colonel Luang Praharnripurab, CO 39th Inf. Batt. (Nakhorn Sri Thammarat), quickly set up a new defensive line around his base camp. While doing so, he also ordered a platoon from 1st Company, under Captain Sawasdiwong Boonawismit, to make for Tha Pae and reinforce 15th Art. Batt.'s positions, as well as for Captain Prachum Tatayanonth's 4th (MG) Company, to follow up and set the machine guns up at both ends of the frontline.

The troops and machine guns embarked on trucks and were quickly rushed forward to Tha Pae. Lieutenant Bunchwuai Kaewketthong's 1st Platoon, 4th (MG) Company departed in three trucks with the machine guns, while Captain Prachum commandeered a truck carrying additional ammunition.

Captain Saad Khamasunthorn brought into the camp the 55th Yuwachon Thaharn Company (Nakhorn Sri Thammarat). The GOC ordered them to act as a secondary reserves unit, and had it occupied positions around the 6th Signals Battalion's area. The students soon found themselves helping medics carry the wounded off, mostly under heavy fire.

Strengthening the fledging line along the canal, Captain Mom Rachawong Lek Ngonroth ordered his artillerymen to move forward and push the enemy back. The counterattack went well for a while, but the Thais were forced to go to ground under intensive fire.

Back at 39th Inf. Batt.'s base camp, Lieutenant Colonel Luang Praharnripurab had 3rd Platoon, 4th (MG) Company reinforced the recently arrived 17th Inf. Batt. Positions were ordered to be set up facing the eastern side of the camp, all officers and nco's were to stay close to their men, and the battalion's 75mm Bofors guns were to be strategically placed in different positions.

Captain Sawasdiwong Boonawismit, along with a platoon from his 1st Company, 39th Infantry Battalion, arrived on the scene, and the fighting again intensified. Picking up a light machine gun from one of his company's corpses, the captain fired away before being knocked unconscious by a nearby grenade burst. A stretcher party picked him up, and before long the platoon began to withdraw, leaving the artillerymen and the sentries, by now a dwindling unit, to fend for themselves.

When the Japanese began to spread out in an attempt to avoid the concentrated bombardment, Lieutenant Colonel Luang Anansurakajd, 15th Artillery Battalion's commanding officer, had one 75mm gun turn its attention to the north-western side of the camp, where the Japanese were seen to be advancing through the adjoining forest in an attempt to outflank the guns. Subsequently, the area there was cleared of trees.

At 08:30, 1st Lieutenant Bunchwuai Kaewketthong's 1st Platoon, 4th MG Company, 39th Infantry Battalion, disembarked from their trucks in front of Camp Vajiravhud's main guardhouse. The first two machine guns were promptly set up here. Having done so, the Lieutenant went to report to the GOC, who ordered him to quickly take his troops out and plug the widening gap on the road. Lance Corporal Pwang Phara also brought up his 2nd Machinegun Platoon, and set the guns up near the guardhouse. Leaving the crews to man their machine guns, 1st Lieutenant Bunchwuai took the rest of his men up the road. While cautiously making their way through the tall grass that grew alongside the road, the platoon encountered Lieutenant Colonel Luang Surasinthisombun, who was earlier sent as a replacement for the dead Major Luang Ranrongsongkhram.

Continuing on up the road, they met the remnants of 1st Company making their way back, carrying the unconscious body of Captain Sawasdiwong. One of the stragglers turned out to be Captain Thong Sirivechapanth of 15th Artillery Battalion, himself wounded, who informed the platoon that the tide of the battle can be turned only if the artillery warehouse could be retaken.

1st Lieutenant Bunchwuai thus advanced with his platoon to the artillery warehouse, where a furious fire fight soon developed. The Japanese were gathering around the warehouse and the wooden fences behind, while the Thais entrenched themselves in the pre-built fortifications opposite. Both sides suffered relatively low casualties, despite the fact that they were only approximately 150 metres away from each other.

The Japanese now tried outflanking manoeuvres around Camp Vajiravhud, taking 15th Artillery Battalion's headquarters building, and forcing the occupants, among them Lieutenant Colonel Luang Anansurakajd and his staff, to make a rapid if undignified exit.

The Thai machine gunners suffered horrendous loses in the rain, as crew after crew manned the guns to the very end. As the Japanese began concentrating all of their available firepower on the machine guns, Lance Corporal Pwang Phara was killed while trying to heave a dead crewman out of the way so that others could take the dead man's place.

Fearing the worst, Lieutenant Colonel Luang Praharnripurab handed command of his 39th Inf. Battalion to his second in command, Major Khun Khajornkittiyuth, and set off to join the fighting, along with a signals platoon under 1st Lieutenant Jarun Prakobpholn.

Throughout the course of the battle Major General Luang Senarong ran around the different Thai positions, continuously shouting a series of orders. Followed hard on his heels was his aide-de-camp, Captain Chai Chaikaln, who had the thankless task of recording in his notebook every single piece of order the GOC gave out.

Seeing that the last of the machine gunners have fallen, Lance Corporal Jarern Sinsombat took his squad of men over to the silenced positions in an attempt to take over the machine guns. Sprinting towards the machine guns, the squad were rapidly mown down by the Japanese.

Sergeant Plang Sithisut was ordered to evacuate the soldier's families, and this he did quickly and efficiently, completing the task within an hour and a half. Not knowing that the Japanese have already set themselves up in parts of the camp, the sergeant walked right into a group of Japanese soldiers occupying one of the recently evacuated houses, who shot him dead on sight.

Lance Corporal Khan Sridi's squad frantically tried to unload their machine guns from the only truck that didn't make it to the guardhouse, for it was stuck in the mud. A platoon of Japanese troops shortly spotted them, and took aim. The men were rapidly gunned down.

Though seriously injured, Private Sukh Kungnok managed to single-handedly set one of the machine guns up, and proceeded to open fire on the attacking enemy at point-blank range.

The Tha Pae Canal Bridge, damaged during the battle.

Fatally wounded Lance Corporal Khan crawled up to Sukh, and helped feed the machine gun with belts of ammunition. When the gunner fell, Khan took his place, and kept on firing.

Having reached the frontline, Lieutenant Colonel Luang Praharnripurab immediately rallied the Thais together, and while doing so became a target for the Japanese sharpshooters. Fortunately, one near fatal bullet missed its mark by a few inches and instead, knocked his helmet off. The Lieutenant Colonel continued on to distinguish himself on the field, ignoring his head wound.

Having safely placed their wounded captain in the custody of the medics, 1st Company, 39th Infantry returned to do battle with the Japanese. They counterattacked, and successfully forced the invaders to withdraw across the Tha Pae Canal bridge, which was the closest Japanese landing ground.

1st and 2nd Platoons of 1st Company quickly became scattered by a determined mortar barrage, leaving the men either wounded or pinned in their positions. The Japanese took advantage of the situation and charged across the bridge. Private Shu Toping halted the assault by aiming his light machine gun at the enemy. However, the private's two magazines were swiftly used up, and thus he had to abandon the Madsen and dash for cover.

It was half an hour before Lance Corporal Khan's machine gun ran out of ammunition. When it did, the lance corporal desperately crawled back, dragging the machine gun along, to the mud-covered body of Private Hid Sailuang. Private Hid had earlier tried to reach the machinegun with fresh ammunition belts when he was shot down. Although injured, he crawled on before a grenade blew off his stomach. Despite this, the private crawled on before he was finally finished off by an enemy sniper, lying only a few metres away from the machine gun.

Not long after, the machine gun of Lance Corporal Khan Sridi began firing with renewed vigour.

The Japanese now attempted a second, more energetic bayonet charge. Private Pha Rangrwuanchit, upon seeing the enemy, left his field gun and picked up a rifle from one of the dead, and fired a few shots at the invaders. When this failed to deter the charging Japanese, he made a run for 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon's light machine gun. He grabbed the weapon and fired away, scattering the Japanese.

He was joined by Private Lae Lakkhana of 2nd Squad. The Madsen continued on rattling in the rain and mud, pinning the enemy down. However, the two's position became prone to a third round of bombardment from enemy mortars. Privates Pha and Lae then jumped into the canal, setting themselves up in shallow water on the southern bank.

Seeing that the two Thais were gone, a third wave of Japanese mounted another assault across the bridge.

Japanese artillery, safely positioned away from the fighting, shelled Camp Vajiravhud throughout the battle, damaging and destroying many buildings, including 2nd Battery's barracks and stables. The Tha Pae Canal bridge was also heavily damaged, initially by Thai artillery fire, and subsequently by the Japanese.

15th Artillery Battalion's field guns kept firing at the Japanese positions, pausing only to reload or take cover. Enemy mortars and artillery pieces caused horrific casualties, but the Thais had a near infinite number of artillerymen ready to throw away their rifles and help man the guns, replacing those already wounded.

As the Japanese stormed across the bridge, Privates Pha and Lae sprang their ambush on the unsuspecting attackers. Khaki uniforms collapsed down into the canal, their bloodied bodies a testimony to how deadly a Madsen light machine gun can be at close range.

At 10:30, a telegram from Bangkok reached Major General Luang Senarong, informing him of the armistice. Field Marshal P. had ordered all Thai units to stand down, and for negotiations to take place.

Exactly fifteen minutes after the arrival of the telegram, at 10:45 Lieutenant Colonel Luang Sawasdikolnlayuth unsheathed his ceremonial sword, tied a white handkerchief to it, and walked into the open, towards the Japanese, accompanied by Captain Saad Khamasunthorn and Sergeant Major Kunshorn Pornsing.

Firing continued late into the day as news of the general armistice was treated as a rumour and consequently disbelieved by the Thais. It was not until 12:00 that negotiations commenced, due to the fact that the Japanese commander had been killed (this is stated as not to have been true by Japanese sources, however) and no one could represent him or the Japanese Empire.

For now, both the Thai and Japanese officers had to wait it out while the fighting continued.

The Negotiations and the Cessation of Hostilities

The Japanese cordially received the three-man delegation, and, once a “representative” for the officer in command had been selected (this is what Thai sources say), opened negotiations immediately at noon. Throughout the course of the meeting, the firing continued on, but with less intensity, until only short bursts were to be heard.

This was largely due to the efforts of 2nd Lieutenant Chalerm Suthilak from 6th Signals Battalion, who ran around the Thai positions, ordering the troops to cease firing.

The invaders requested that all Thai soldiers be withdrawn back away from Tha Pae Canal and the landing grounds within one hour, and for the airfield to be made available as soon as possible. Until then, no further negotiations will take place. Lieutenant Colonel Luang Sawasdikolnlayuth then crossed back into the Thai lines.

Thai units were pulled back to a new perimeter not far from the original dispositions, and units were ordered not to stand down unless ordered to do so, for there were fears that the Japanese would not adhere to the rules of engagement.

A telegram was despatched to Bangkok. It read:

To Army C-in-C,
Have ceased firing, as according to your instructions. Have withdrawn to a new line as have been agreed upon following initial negotiations. Further negotiations will follow. Will report as follows.
Maj. Gen. Senarong

At 13:30, a second attempt to reach an agreement with the Japanese was undertaken by the General Officer Commanding 6th Army Monthon himself, Major General Luang Senarong. He bitterly noted in his memoirs later on that he had thought that, as a professional soldier, the negotiations would go smoothly with honourable terms that both sides could agree upon for, after all, they were professionals.

However, it was not to be so. The Thais were humiliatingly treated as the losers of the battle, and as such did not have the rights to issue any terms. The Japanese have moved their artillery forward, additional weapons have landed, and they demanded that Camp Vajiravhud and the nearby airfield that belonged to the Air Force's Southern Region Combined Wing be evacuated. The Thais were given 24 hours to complete this demand. It was later changed to 6 hours for the houses near Tha Pae.

Lieutenant Colonel Luang Sawasdikolnlayuth recalled that the GOC had tried to alter the terms in favour of the Thais, but was sharply rebuffed by the Japanese, who in turn threatened to bombard Nakhorn Sri Thammarat with their artillery. The GOC, dejectedly accepted the terms of the “surrender”, and returned to the camp.

Trucks were prepared to move the troops and their families out, along with their baggage. The Japanese quickly forced them to disembark from the trucks, for they were to be used for the Imperial Army in its rapid advance towards British Malaya, and thus the Thais had to abandon Camp Vajiravhud and their belongings. All weapons and ammunition were also seized at the end of the day.

Houses in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat were set up to accommodate the officers, while the soldiers and their family had to make do with any available shelter offered by sympathetic civilians in the area.

Major General Luang Senarong himself chose to take refuge, along with a number of troops, in the nearby monastery. When the Thais returned a month later, they found their homes thoroughly looted by their new “allies”.

As Major General Luang Senarong prepared to leave Camp Vajiravhud the following day, one final message from Bangkok came through via 6th Signal Battalion's radio station. The message read:

To GOC, 6th Army Monthon Nakhorn Sri Thammarat,
Have been informed of your actions. Am exceedingly grateful. Let them pass through. Am extremely sorry for the damage and losses.
P. Phibunsongkhram

The GOC tore the message, and left Camp Vajiravhud.