Battle of Imphal

Battle of Imphal
(Meitei: Japan Laan[1][2])
Part of the Operation U-Go during the Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II

Gurkhas advancing with Grant tanks to clear the Japanese from Imphal-Kohima road in North Eastern British India
Date8 March – 3 July 1944
Location
Imphal, Manipur Kingdom, India
24°49′00″N 93°57′00″E / 24.8167°N 93.9500°E / 24.8167; 93.9500
Result British victory
Belligerents

United Kingdom British Empire

Empire of Japan Japan

Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom William Slim
United Kingdom Geoffry Scoones		 Empire of Japan Masakasu Kawabe
Empire of Japan Renya Mutaguchi
India Subhas C. Bose
Strength
4 infantry divisions
1 armoured brigade
1 parachute brigade		 3 infantry divisions
1 tank regiment
2 Indian regiments
Casualties and losses
12,603 killed and wounded[3] 54,879 killed and wounded

The Battle of Imphal (Meitei: Japan Laan[1][2], lit. 'Japanese invasion') took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. Together with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima on the road by which the encircled Allied forces at Imphal were relieved, the battle was the turning point of the Burma campaign, part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II.[4] The Japanese defeat at Kohima and Imphal was the largest up until that time,[5] with many of the Japanese deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat.[3][4] According to voting in a contest run by the British National Army Museum, the Battle of Imphal was bestowed as Britain's Greatest Battle in 2013.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Kangjam, Yaiphaba Meetei (2019). Forgotten Voices of the Japan Laan: The Battle of Imphal and the Second World War in Manipur. INTACH. ISBN 978-81-7305-618-5.
  2. ^ a b "Books | Battle of Imphal". www.battleofimphal.com. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b Louis Allen, Burma: The Longest War, p. 638
  4. ^ a b Valour Enshrined. 1960.
  5. ^ Bond, Tachikawa p. 122
  6. ^ "Britain's Greatest Battles | Online Exhibitions | National Army Museum, London". 25 December 2013. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Battle to repel Azad Hind Fauj selected "Britain's Greatest"". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 21 April 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2022.