<prompt> Bhala okuqhubekayo kwalesi sigaba - Waqinisekiswa esikhundleni sakhe sokuba ngu-lieutenant general ngo-April 1945, ngasekupheleni kuka-May i-HQ ka-Stopfords XXXIII Indian Corps yaqanjwa kabusha njenge-HQ entsha yeBrithani Twelfth Army. Manje i-Twelfth Army yathatha umthwalo wokuqedela izigaba zokugcina zomkhankaso eBurma, okuvumela i-HQ Fourteenth Army ukuthi ibuyele eNdiya, ukuhlela imisebenzi yesikhathi esizayo, ikakhulukazi ukuthathwa kabusha kweMalaya. Impi eyayingaphansi komyalo kaStopford yayizokwaziwa ngokuthi yi-Battle of the Sittang Bend. AmaJapane ayesele e-Irrawaddy Valley, ayesengaba amasosha angu-30 000, azama ukuwela i-Pegu Yoma Hills noMfula iSittang, aye endaweni okuthiwa iphephile yaseKaren Hills, emngceleni weThailand. Njengoba i-IV Corps kaLieutenant General Messervy, eyayinezigaba ezintathu ngaphansi komyalo, i-Twelfth Army yabangela ukulahleka okukhulu emabuthweni aseJapane, inani elikhulu lawo elalibulawa yindlala noma ligula. Njengoba kwabonakala, lokhu kwakuzoba isenzo sokugcina esikhulu sasemhlabeni esenziwa ama-Allies aseNtshonalanga phakathi neMpi Yezwe II njengoba, maphakathi no-August, amaJapane azinikela eTokyo  <response>: . futhi. U-Stopford wanikeza umyalo wokuthi yonke imisebenzi ehlaselayo iyeke, futhi ngokushesha waqala izingxoxo namaJapane, okwaholela ekuzinikeleni kwawo eRangoon maphakathi no-September. Ngenyanga elandelayo, komunye umcimbi, uJenene Heitarō Kimura, umlawuli we-Japanese Burma Area Army, wanikeza uStopford inkemba yakhe. 