Battle of Ramu

Battle context

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.