Battle of Ramu

Overview

The Battle of Ramu, also known in Burmese as ပန်းဝါတိုက်ပွဲ fought in May 1824, was one of the major opening battles of the First Anglo-Burmese War. On May 10, 1824, the Burmese under General Maha Bandula launched an invasion of Chittagong from Arakan as the southern part of a two-pronged attack aimed at Calcutta. They offered to end the invasion if the British were to hand over some Arakanese rebels that had taken refuge in the Bengal Presidency. The British commander at Ramu, Captain Noton, rejected the offer, and the Burmese detachment under Maha Thiha Thura, the future Lord Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa attacked. After three days of fighting the British troops, a mixed force with a total strength of several hundred men, was routed and forced from Ramu on May 17. The British losses in killing, wounding, and missing amounted to more than half the strength of the garrison. The Burmese however failed to exploit their advantage, and Maha Bandula's army would withdraw to counter the British occupation of Rangoon.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Ramu was one of the opening engagements of the First Anglo-Burmese War and formed part of the southern arm of a Burmese two-pronged invasion launched from Arakan toward Chittagong, with Calcutta as the broader strategic objective. The Burmese force under Maha Thiha Thura defeated the British garrison after three days of fighting, routing the mixed British force and inflicting casualties that amounted to more than half the garrison's strength. Despite the tactical success, the Burmese did not press their advantage. Maha Bandula's army subsequently withdrew to respond to the British occupation of Rangoon, which neutralized whatever strategic momentum the Ramu victory might have generated. The battle illustrates how the British seizure of Rangoon, by threatening the Burmese heartland, compelled a reorientation of Burmese forces away from the offensive in Arakan and Bengal, effectively capping the early Burmese initiative in the west.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)