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The battle of Imphal was fought between the forces of the Imperial Japanese Army and the British and British Indian forces at Imphal, the capital of the state Manipur in Northeast India in 1944. It was an attempt by the Japanese to invade British-India but were beaten back with heavy losses, forever altering their fortunes in the Eastern theatre of World War II. The war was fought from March to July 1944. This battle and the Battle of Kohima were the turning point of one of the most gruelling campaigns of the Second World War (1939-45). The decisive Japanese defeat in north-east India became the springboard for the Fourteenth Army’s subsequent re-conquest of Burma.
War with China was going on from 1937 and the Japanese northward push made the British and Common wealth troops under Sir Harold Alexander to retreat to India. Burma was a province of India until 1937 when it was separated but it remained part of British Empire.
On 7 Dec, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and next day in Hongkong the British Colony was attacked. Japanese forces occupied Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (then known as French Indo China). Japan landed troops in Phillipines. In Burma the Japanese attacked in January 1942 after which fell of Malaya 31st Jan 1942 and Singapore in Feb 1942. Japan increased their air power and aim was to take Rangoon. US sent the Flying Tigers to be later the RAF and the British ground forces were drawn from UK, East Africa, West Africa and Neoal and
Common wealth. By March Rangoon was under attack of Japanese and fell. British troops began evacuating from Burma. Meanwhile during 1942-43 British Army launched the Chindits (77thIndian Infantry Brigade) and Arakan offensive.
They pushed north wards in Burma and after five months of fighting the Allied Army retreated 1000 miles to India. In Nov 1943 a SE Asia Command was formed under Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. In March 1944, Japanese 15thArmy advanced with objective of taking Imphal. A Japanese diversionary attacked on Arakan was beaten back at the battle of Admin Box. In the early April Japanese hemmed in Imphal and later Kohima.
The battle of Imphal started with deception plan by Japanese Imperial staff. It was launched not into Imphal, but into Arakan on 4thFebruary 1944. The Indian 5thand 7thDivision caused great loss to the Japanese in Admin Box and Naayedank pass. Operation Ha Go of Japanese was failed.
The Japanese 15thArmy was led by General Mutaguchi with the 31stDivision of Lit General Kotoku Sa To who will head to Kohima, through Jessami. The next Japanese 33rd Division would under Lt Gen Yamagida to cut off the Indian 17thDiv at milepost 120 km apart from Imphal. The 15thDiv led by Lt Gen Yamaguchi would take out the 20th Indian Div holding the Chindwin-Sittaung line at Tamu. 15thDiv would then descend on Imphal from the north.
The Imphal operation propen code named U Go was launched on 6thMarch 1944. The defence of Imphal was assigned to 4th Corps under Lt Gen Geofrey Scoones. The overall commander of the 14thArmy taking on the Japanese 15thArmy was Gen Slim in British general. The battle plan of General Slim was 33rdCorps under Montford Stafford to handle the Kohima war and then turn south to relieve Imphal by lifting the siege of Imphal. 4th Corps Rept 23rd Div as reserve and initially deployed 17th Div and 20th Div. The table top ops for the set
piece of Imphal began from south on 6th march and 31st Div under Sato crossed the Chindwin on 15th march, heading for Kohima. Counter Attack:
The 218 Regiment of 17th Div successfully counter attacked at Tiddins Saddle on 18th March. On 13th April 5th Indian Div freshly inducted from Arakan into the battle attacked at Nungshigun Hill. For the first time the British used M3 Lee Tanks in their battle just outside Imphal. After the 200 miles Chindwin front covered by 20th, 17th Div was breached, the next theatre of war was the battle from the 600 sq mile Imphal plain. Maj Gen Gracey of 20th Div and Maj Gen Cowan of the 17th Div with Maj Gen Ouvsy Roberts of 23rd Div could stave off the Japanese attack, as the 15th Army ran into logistical night mares with an extended live of communication. On 22nd June the 33rd Corps could reopen the Kohima Imphal road thus ending the siege of Imphal, forcing the 15thArmy to retreat.