'Dan' was a Japanese undertaking by General Masakasu Kawabe’s Burma Area Army for Lieutenant General Masaki Honda’s 33^rd Army to keep the Burma Road closed and to regain the strategic initiative on the Salween river front after the defeat of 'U' (3/15 September 1944).

Based on the use of Lieutenant General Eitaro Naka’s 18^th Division, Lieutenant General Yuzo Matsuyama’s 56^th Division, parts of Lieutenant General Seisaburo Okazaki’s 2^nd Division and Lieutenant General Saburo Takehara’s 49^th Division, the offensive was designed to drive to the east from Lungling astride the Burma Road to push back the Chinese armies and to relieve the Japanese garrisons at Pingka, Lameng and Tengchung. The 33^rd Army's offensive was spoiled by increased Chinese pressure from the middle of August.