Brad the Impala
November 11th, 2007, 17:16
Following comments on the "Lest We Forget" thread, it is interesting to read the background to Thailand's involvement. It seems like for Thailand it was more about beating the French than signing up with Japan! As we talk about Ko Chang as a holiday destination, who knew that there was once a naval battle between France and Thailand there!
Franco-Thai Conflict in WW2
Thailand before WW2
Alone amongst the South East Asian states during the Nineteenth Century, Thailand (or Siam) remained independent of direct European rule. The British had fully annexed Burma by 1886, thus placing them on the western Thai border, while the French had gradually gained control of Indochina (Annam, Tonkin, Cochinchina, Laos and Cambodia) by 1887. Both European powers then seem to have treated Siam as a convenient buffer state, which they occasionally aquired territory from, but otherwise dealt peacably with.
The nineteenth-century Thai Kings had taken note of the change in Siam's political position - previously the dominant military power of the area, extracting tribute from the surrounding states, she was now virtually at the mercy of Britain and France. In response, the Thais entered into an intense period of westernisation and attempted to appease her sometimes rapacious neighbours. King Rama V (reigned 1868-1910) had to cede the following territories to France during his reign to maintain his country's independence:
Sibsong Chuthai and Huapan Tanghok in 1886-87.
All the Laotian territories on the left bank of the Mekong and all the islands in the river in 1893.
Paklai opposite Luang Prabang and Champasak (Bassac) in 1904.
Battambang, Srisophon and Siamrap in 1907.
Additionally, Britain took Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Trengganu in 1909, which were turned into protectorates.
King Rama VI (1910-25) had been educated in England (at Eton, Christ Church [Oxford] and Sandhurst), and joined the Allies in 1917 to improve Siam's international standing. A military mission was sent to the Western Front, consisting of a motorized ambulance unit and aviation personnel (who were trained by the French, but not in time to see active service), but her main action of the war was to intern enemy aliens and thus disrupt German activity in Asia, and for this the Siamese government was granted possession of all German property in the country.
The last absolute monarch of Siam was King Prajadhipok (1925-35), who granted a provisional constitution during 1932 in the face of a popular revolution led by European educated Thais of the 'People's Party'. With the country now run by the new party, the King confirmed the constitution later in the year. The army was reorganised, and the King's Guards reduced in strength and power.
A series of coups and political crises led to the King abdicating in 1935, having already moved to England (where he remained until his death on 30th May 1941). Prajadhipok had not named a successor, and so the National Assembly nominated Prince Ananda Mahidol as the new king. But as he was only 10 years old, and at school in Switzerland, a Council of Regency was formed to act on his behalf. They did so by appointing Colonel Luang Pibul Songgram the new Prime Minister. (There are various alternate spellings of his name).
This vigorous despot immediately set about increasing the tempo of Siamese modernisation, and had the country renamed Thailand in 1938 to emphasis the growing Thai nationalism which he similarly promoted. This change in temper was to lead to conflict with French Indochina in 1940-41.
Apart from the Burmese, the Thais had no real "traditional" foes until the French arrived in the nineteenth century. While the British also took provinces from the Thais, these were Muslim, Malay areas with no true cultural links to Thailand itself. But the areas confiscated by France were regarded as Thai, or at least ethnically and culturally similar. With Songgram leading a nationalist "crusade", a simmering hatred of the French amongst the Thai people, a large-scale rearmament with Japanese help, and an obscure border incident at Poipet, the Thais issued demands to Admiral Decoux (Governor-General of Indochina) to return the "Thai" provinces of Cambodia and Laos. The French government rebutted these claims on 14th October 1940, and Songgram began preparations for war.
French Indochina
French colonial aspirations in the east were initially centred on India, but with their disastrous defeat at Plassey the Indian dream came to an end. Despite some activity (mainly by individual French adventurers), the period of Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars saw little official interest in the area. But in the mid-nineteenth century the French built upon missionary efforts in Indochina, and nibbled out an empire of sorts from the petty states along the Mekong. These areas had been largely Thai vassals, but the outclassed Thais could do little to stop the Gallic onslaught, which by 1887 was firmly established on their borders. As stated above, the Thais were forced to cede further territory by treaty with France.
Interestingly, considering France's position as the home of liberal thought and modern revolution, the French administration in Indochina was vicious and cruel. Aiming to maximize profit for a small clique of rubber merchants (and, of course, for the French Government), an horrific regime of murder and repression was set in place. Serving French military officers sent postcards home to their families showing piles of slaughtered Vietnamese peasants, and the French secret police force (the Surete) was wisely feared by all. The only part of the French administration which made any attempt to mix with the native populace were the men of the 5th Regiment Etranger d'Infanterie (5 REI) - a unit of the famous Foreign Legion, consisting of men with impeccable disciplinary records and at least ten years' service. The posting to 5 REI was regarded as a reward for long-service, and many of the men married local girls. This then created a useful system in certain areas, where the legionnaires were given warnings of rebel activity in return for not rampaging through their in-laws' villages.
The Outbreak of War
With the 'Phoney War' in Europe under way, neither Britain nor France wished trouble in Asia. Hence a Non-Aggression Pact was signed between these two powers and Songgram's Thailand on 12th June 1940. This gave a clear message of Allied weakness to the Thai dictator, which was further reinforced by the Fall of France on 24th June.
But bigger predators than Songgram had scented French defeat - in August 1940, to aid their continuing campaign in China, the Japanese demanded to be allowed the use of three airfields in northern Indochina, the right to put 5,000 troops north of the Red River Valley, to traverse Tonkin to attack China and to evacuate a division from China via Tonkin. The French colonial administration agreed in principle with acceding to these demands, but would haggle over details. During September 1940, the Japanese placed their troops in Tonkin, and the "Franco-Japanese Defence of Indochina" was brought into effect. The only military action was a brief firefight between Japanese troops and part of the 5 REI at Lang Son on the Chinese border, which was started by French questioning of small print in the agreement. In effect, the Japanese now controlled the output of Indochina, while the French ran the colony.
Several groups took this as a further sign of French military impotence, and general revolt broke out in the Mekong delta. At this point, on 20th October 1940, "Field Marshal" Songgram mobilised 50,000 troops. Realising that his airforce was largely obsolete, he dealt with Japan for 93 more modern aircraft.
In early November the Thais began sending troops across the Mekong in probing actions on the Cambodian border, and began skirmishing with the French.
War in Cambodia
The French now had four military tasks in Indochina - staring down the Japanese, suppressing the Mekong revolt, fending off the Thai incursions and garrisoning the country. With limited numbers of troops available, only 14 battalions were in the province of Battambang which was the main Thai target.
By late December 1940, fighting was general along the Thai-Cambodian border, and the French were hard-pressed. The Thai airforce bombed Cambodian and Laotian towns by day, and the French bombed Thailand by night. In addition, the Thais moved their navy out into the Gulf of Siam to support the land actions.
To relieve pressure on the army, the French Navy's Saigon Squadron was sent into the Gulf to seek out their Thai counterparts.
On the 16th January 1941, the main Thai advance (including some 37mm-armed Vickers 6-ton tanks) met the major French force at Yang Dam Koum. The fighting was fierce, especially as the French had no anti-tank equipment or tanks of their own, but at the end of the day both sides withdrew.
The next (and last) major encounter was on the following day, when a French Loire 130 seaplane found and bombed the Thai Navy off Koh-Chang Island. Captain Berenger of the Lamotte Picquet (a Duguay Trouin light cruiser, the flagship of the Saigon Squadron) then led his force into battle with the alerted Thai Navy. The Saigon Squadron comprised the Lamotte Picquet, 2 colonial sloops (Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charner) and 2 older sloops (Tahure and Marne), while the Thais counted ten torpedo-boats, two gunboats, two minesweepers, nine minelayers, two coast defence ships and four submarines (not all present at Koh-Chang). The two fleets opened fire at 6:15 a.m., and thirty minutes later the French withdrew unscathed leaving three sunk Thai torpedo-boats, with the defence ship Thonburi sunk, and the other defence ship (Sri Ayuthia) forced aground (to sink later).
For an excellent description of the naval actions, together with ideas for naval wargaming, see David Manley's article in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth-Century Wargamers No. 28, or on-line at the Koh Chang page
With their fleet dispersed, and their army halted in Battambang, the Thais were amenable when the Japanese "offered" to arbitrate. A Tokyo Agreement between Thailand and Vichy France actually gave the disputed provinces to Thailand, as the Japanese wished to humiliate the French! However, the Thais were themselves invaded by the Japanese soon after, and became a puppet-state.
mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/wwars/thai.htm (http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/wwars/thai.htm)
Franco-Thai Conflict in WW2
Thailand before WW2
Alone amongst the South East Asian states during the Nineteenth Century, Thailand (or Siam) remained independent of direct European rule. The British had fully annexed Burma by 1886, thus placing them on the western Thai border, while the French had gradually gained control of Indochina (Annam, Tonkin, Cochinchina, Laos and Cambodia) by 1887. Both European powers then seem to have treated Siam as a convenient buffer state, which they occasionally aquired territory from, but otherwise dealt peacably with.
The nineteenth-century Thai Kings had taken note of the change in Siam's political position - previously the dominant military power of the area, extracting tribute from the surrounding states, she was now virtually at the mercy of Britain and France. In response, the Thais entered into an intense period of westernisation and attempted to appease her sometimes rapacious neighbours. King Rama V (reigned 1868-1910) had to cede the following territories to France during his reign to maintain his country's independence:
Sibsong Chuthai and Huapan Tanghok in 1886-87.
All the Laotian territories on the left bank of the Mekong and all the islands in the river in 1893.
Paklai opposite Luang Prabang and Champasak (Bassac) in 1904.
Battambang, Srisophon and Siamrap in 1907.
Additionally, Britain took Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Trengganu in 1909, which were turned into protectorates.
King Rama VI (1910-25) had been educated in England (at Eton, Christ Church [Oxford] and Sandhurst), and joined the Allies in 1917 to improve Siam's international standing. A military mission was sent to the Western Front, consisting of a motorized ambulance unit and aviation personnel (who were trained by the French, but not in time to see active service), but her main action of the war was to intern enemy aliens and thus disrupt German activity in Asia, and for this the Siamese government was granted possession of all German property in the country.
The last absolute monarch of Siam was King Prajadhipok (1925-35), who granted a provisional constitution during 1932 in the face of a popular revolution led by European educated Thais of the 'People's Party'. With the country now run by the new party, the King confirmed the constitution later in the year. The army was reorganised, and the King's Guards reduced in strength and power.
A series of coups and political crises led to the King abdicating in 1935, having already moved to England (where he remained until his death on 30th May 1941). Prajadhipok had not named a successor, and so the National Assembly nominated Prince Ananda Mahidol as the new king. But as he was only 10 years old, and at school in Switzerland, a Council of Regency was formed to act on his behalf. They did so by appointing Colonel Luang Pibul Songgram the new Prime Minister. (There are various alternate spellings of his name).
This vigorous despot immediately set about increasing the tempo of Siamese modernisation, and had the country renamed Thailand in 1938 to emphasis the growing Thai nationalism which he similarly promoted. This change in temper was to lead to conflict with French Indochina in 1940-41.
Apart from the Burmese, the Thais had no real "traditional" foes until the French arrived in the nineteenth century. While the British also took provinces from the Thais, these were Muslim, Malay areas with no true cultural links to Thailand itself. But the areas confiscated by France were regarded as Thai, or at least ethnically and culturally similar. With Songgram leading a nationalist "crusade", a simmering hatred of the French amongst the Thai people, a large-scale rearmament with Japanese help, and an obscure border incident at Poipet, the Thais issued demands to Admiral Decoux (Governor-General of Indochina) to return the "Thai" provinces of Cambodia and Laos. The French government rebutted these claims on 14th October 1940, and Songgram began preparations for war.
French Indochina
French colonial aspirations in the east were initially centred on India, but with their disastrous defeat at Plassey the Indian dream came to an end. Despite some activity (mainly by individual French adventurers), the period of Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars saw little official interest in the area. But in the mid-nineteenth century the French built upon missionary efforts in Indochina, and nibbled out an empire of sorts from the petty states along the Mekong. These areas had been largely Thai vassals, but the outclassed Thais could do little to stop the Gallic onslaught, which by 1887 was firmly established on their borders. As stated above, the Thais were forced to cede further territory by treaty with France.
Interestingly, considering France's position as the home of liberal thought and modern revolution, the French administration in Indochina was vicious and cruel. Aiming to maximize profit for a small clique of rubber merchants (and, of course, for the French Government), an horrific regime of murder and repression was set in place. Serving French military officers sent postcards home to their families showing piles of slaughtered Vietnamese peasants, and the French secret police force (the Surete) was wisely feared by all. The only part of the French administration which made any attempt to mix with the native populace were the men of the 5th Regiment Etranger d'Infanterie (5 REI) - a unit of the famous Foreign Legion, consisting of men with impeccable disciplinary records and at least ten years' service. The posting to 5 REI was regarded as a reward for long-service, and many of the men married local girls. This then created a useful system in certain areas, where the legionnaires were given warnings of rebel activity in return for not rampaging through their in-laws' villages.
The Outbreak of War
With the 'Phoney War' in Europe under way, neither Britain nor France wished trouble in Asia. Hence a Non-Aggression Pact was signed between these two powers and Songgram's Thailand on 12th June 1940. This gave a clear message of Allied weakness to the Thai dictator, which was further reinforced by the Fall of France on 24th June.
But bigger predators than Songgram had scented French defeat - in August 1940, to aid their continuing campaign in China, the Japanese demanded to be allowed the use of three airfields in northern Indochina, the right to put 5,000 troops north of the Red River Valley, to traverse Tonkin to attack China and to evacuate a division from China via Tonkin. The French colonial administration agreed in principle with acceding to these demands, but would haggle over details. During September 1940, the Japanese placed their troops in Tonkin, and the "Franco-Japanese Defence of Indochina" was brought into effect. The only military action was a brief firefight between Japanese troops and part of the 5 REI at Lang Son on the Chinese border, which was started by French questioning of small print in the agreement. In effect, the Japanese now controlled the output of Indochina, while the French ran the colony.
Several groups took this as a further sign of French military impotence, and general revolt broke out in the Mekong delta. At this point, on 20th October 1940, "Field Marshal" Songgram mobilised 50,000 troops. Realising that his airforce was largely obsolete, he dealt with Japan for 93 more modern aircraft.
In early November the Thais began sending troops across the Mekong in probing actions on the Cambodian border, and began skirmishing with the French.
War in Cambodia
The French now had four military tasks in Indochina - staring down the Japanese, suppressing the Mekong revolt, fending off the Thai incursions and garrisoning the country. With limited numbers of troops available, only 14 battalions were in the province of Battambang which was the main Thai target.
By late December 1940, fighting was general along the Thai-Cambodian border, and the French were hard-pressed. The Thai airforce bombed Cambodian and Laotian towns by day, and the French bombed Thailand by night. In addition, the Thais moved their navy out into the Gulf of Siam to support the land actions.
To relieve pressure on the army, the French Navy's Saigon Squadron was sent into the Gulf to seek out their Thai counterparts.
On the 16th January 1941, the main Thai advance (including some 37mm-armed Vickers 6-ton tanks) met the major French force at Yang Dam Koum. The fighting was fierce, especially as the French had no anti-tank equipment or tanks of their own, but at the end of the day both sides withdrew.
The next (and last) major encounter was on the following day, when a French Loire 130 seaplane found and bombed the Thai Navy off Koh-Chang Island. Captain Berenger of the Lamotte Picquet (a Duguay Trouin light cruiser, the flagship of the Saigon Squadron) then led his force into battle with the alerted Thai Navy. The Saigon Squadron comprised the Lamotte Picquet, 2 colonial sloops (Dumont d'Urville and Amiral Charner) and 2 older sloops (Tahure and Marne), while the Thais counted ten torpedo-boats, two gunboats, two minesweepers, nine minelayers, two coast defence ships and four submarines (not all present at Koh-Chang). The two fleets opened fire at 6:15 a.m., and thirty minutes later the French withdrew unscathed leaving three sunk Thai torpedo-boats, with the defence ship Thonburi sunk, and the other defence ship (Sri Ayuthia) forced aground (to sink later).
For an excellent description of the naval actions, together with ideas for naval wargaming, see David Manley's article in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth-Century Wargamers No. 28, or on-line at the Koh Chang page
With their fleet dispersed, and their army halted in Battambang, the Thais were amenable when the Japanese "offered" to arbitrate. A Tokyo Agreement between Thailand and Vichy France actually gave the disputed provinces to Thailand, as the Japanese wished to humiliate the French! However, the Thais were themselves invaded by the Japanese soon after, and became a puppet-state.
mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/wwars/thai.htm (http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/wwars/thai.htm)