The Japanese regard the battle of Imphal to be their greatest defeat ever, and it gave Indian soldiers a belief in their own martial ability and showed that they could fight as well or better than anyone else. – Robert Lyman, author of ‘Japan’s Last Bid for Victory: The Invasion of India 1944’ IV Corps of 14th Army with 17, 20 and 23 Indian Divisions, 50th Indian Para Brigade and 254 Indian Tank Brigade was fully committed to operations in Imphal. Two brigades from 5th and one from 7th Indian Divisions were flown in later into Imphal. The Japanese plan was over ambitious and lacked reasonable logistic support. Mataguchi assumed that he would achieve his terminal objective within three weeks. In his scheme of things they would survive on meager supplies and live off the land, later capturing enemy’s supply dumps. Operationally too he was boisterous and assumed that the Allies would not be able to use tanks in the forested mountains and left behind most of his field artillery, their principal anti-tank weapon. Emboldened by his success at Malaya at the start of the campaign, Mataguchi considered the British and Indian Troops inferior.

He was ambitious, impatient, thrusting: he terrorised his staff with the result that they held back bad news from him allowing misfortunes to drift and escalate. The Japanese operation began on 7 March 1944 with 15th, 31st and 33rd Divisions supported by 14th Tank rgiment. Mutaguchi’s order of the day was: Sweep aside the paltry opposition we encounter and add lustre to army traditions by achieving a victory of annihilation. By 12 March all Indian units based near the Indian/Burma border were in contact with the Japanese. Between Mar 22-26, a severe battle took place at Sangshak located close to Ukhrul about 60 Kms northeast of Imphal and saw 50th Indian Parachute Brigade holding out for several days against wave upon wave of Japanese attacks. The battle delayed the advance of the Japanese 31st Division towards Kohima and of 15th Division towards Imphal by a critical few days. This threw Mutaguchi’s timetable into disarray and also resulted in casualties beyond his expectations. On 29 March the road from Kohima to Imphal, its lifeline was cut by the Japanese 15th Division. Later it saw some very intense ding-dong and bloody skirmishes especially at Kanglatongbi. Imphal was now accessible only by air; the Royal Airforce played a decisive role by maintaining the forces in Imphal. A few miles to the north-east of Imphal town lay the detached massif of Nunshigum, towering 1,000 feet over the Plain and dominated Imphal airstrip; holding Nunshingum was vital. The battle of Nunshingum was fought from 7-15 April before it was recaptured using a combination of Armour, Artillery and Infantry (1/17th DOGRAS) in the battle, together with air support to evict the very determined Japanese. Radio was used effectively to avoid fratricide. Meanwhile, the 20th Indian Division from Tamu withdrew in face of the Yamamoto Force to the Shenam Saddle, a complex of hills through which the Imphal-Tamu Road passed. Further south, Tiddim based 17th Indian Division was cut off by Japanese 33rd Division. Both the divisions suffered heavy casualties. 23rd Indian Division was deployed to reinforce 17th Division. The two divisions, supplied by air, made their way back to the Imphal plain by 4 April. The Japanese followed triumphantly, failing to appreciate that their lines of communication were now extending all the way back over the mountains to Chindwin River in Burma. The planned withdrawal however would not be easy and in words of General William J. Slim, Commander of the 14th Army: “Like unevenly spaced spokes of a wheel, six routes converged on to the Imphal plain to meet at the hub: Imphal itself. It was by these that the Japanese strove to break into the plains. The fighting all round its circumference was continuous, fierce, and often confused as each side manoeuvred to outwit and kill.” By 1 May, the Japanese attacks had halted. The 14th Army planned a counter-offensive against the weak Japanese 15th Division. Their progress was however slow due to outbreak of monsoons and while rations and reinforcements were delivered to Imphal by air, artillery ammunition had to be conserved. By now, the Japanese were at the end of their endurance. Neither 31st Division which was fighting at Kohima nor 15th Division had any supplies and their troops were starving. 31st Division retreated in end May. 33 Indian Corps the Japanese from Kohima, and advanced south. Fighting along the Tamu Road involved repeated attempts by Yamamoto Force to get past the defences at Shenam Saddle and later by 20th Indian Division to evict the Japanese who held their ground tenaciously. The fighting was bitter and continued till July. All hills dominating the road lay barren and scorched by gunpowder.

The determined Japanese had to be repeatedly grenaded and finally bayoneted in their bunkers. Yamamoto Force suffered heavy casualties, but before withdrawing, they launched two successful raids on Palel Airfield a few KMs North of the Shenam Saddle in the first week of July, destroying several aircraft. drove Some of the fiercest fights of the battle would take place astride the Tiddim Road and on the track Silcher-Bisenpur. Four of the five Victoria Crosses were won in this sector. During the first half of May, there were several Japanese air attacks on Bishenpur, and heavy fighting. The frontlines shifted frequently and there was infiltration and cross infiltration by opposing battalions: this caused enormous confusion and casualties on both sides. The Japanese launched repeated attacks which reduced many of their battalions to a mere handful. By end of June 33rd Division was no longer a viable fighting force. “The struggle has developed into a fight between the material strength of the enemy and our spiritual strength. Continue in the task till all your ammunition is expended. If your hands are broken fight with your feet. If your hands and feet are broken use your teeth. If there is no breath left in your body, fight with your spirit. Lack of weapons is no excuse for defeat.” Lieutenant General Renya Mutaguchi Mutaguchi would not easily accept defeat and ordered 31st Division, which had retreated from Kohima, to join 15th Division in a renewed attack on Imphal from the north. Neither division obeyed the order, being in no condition to comply. When he realised that none of his formations were obeying his orders to attack, Mutaguchi finally ordered the offensive to be broken off on 3 July. The Japanese, fell back to the Chindwin, abandoning their artillery, transport, and many injured soldiers. Tamu was recaptured at the end of July. Japanese suffered 54,879 casualties, including 13,376 dead. Most losses were result of starvation, disease and exhaustion. T

he Allies suffered 12,603 casualties. Four Victoria Crosses were won by the Indian soldiers during this bloody battle: • Jemadar Abdul Hafiz (Posthumously) of 3rd Battalion of the 9th JAT Regiment on 6 April 1944, at Runaway Hill near the Iril River Valley Northeast of Imphal. He killed many Japanese and those who did not die simply ran away, hence the name of the hill. • Rifleman Ganju Lama of 1st Battalion, the 7th Gorkha Rifles (Transferred to British Army in 1947) on 12 June 1944, at Ningthoukhong on Tiddim Road for destroying three enemy tanks with PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) and killing many. • Naik Agansing Rai of 2nd Battalion, the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) on 26 June 1944, made the enemy abandon Water Piquet on Silchar-Bishenpur Track and killed six Japanese soldiers. • Subedar Netrabahadur Thapa of 2nd Battalion, the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) on 26 June 1944, at Mortar Bluff on Silchar-Bishenpur Track. 2nd Battalion, the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) won the Battle Honour Sakawng, Shenam Pass, Bishenpur. The gallant action of Indian Divisions not only comprehensively defeated the Japanese but also ensured that Imphal remained unscathed by the desperate Japanese invaders. Battle Honours to Indian Army Regiments (Dogra, Gorkha, Madras, Jat, Punjab and Maratha Light Infantry) were awarded in the Battle of Imphal at Sangshak, Ukhrul, Kanglatongbi, Nunshigum, Tamu Road, Shenam Saddle, Tiddim Road and Bisenpur wherever they were deployed. “Whatever we may think of the Military Wisdom of pursuing a hopeless object, there can be no question about the supreme courage and hardihood of the Japanese Soldier who made the attempts. I know of no Army who could have equalled them”. General William J. Slim, Commander of the British 14th Army.