Courtesy of our friends at The Arnhem Fellowship @Arnhem44Fellow

The Japanese pressed their attacks around Imphal and the British withdrew to defensive positions. There was no rout of the British, the British were resupplied by air. Whilst the fighting was ferocious the Japanese never gained Imphal….and the rest, as they say, is history.

The 50th Brigade had delayed the Japanese attack from the North east long enough to allow the reserves to get into place.

In almost the same period, from 18th to 27th March, the 5th Indian Division was flown into Imphal from the Arakan to shore up the vulnerable northern defences of the Imphal plain. Units were rushed into the line as soon as they got off the aircraft.

From 19th to 26th March the battle in the Sangshak area raged. All the time Japanese units were heading north to Kohima and flowing around Sangshak to cut the Imphal-Kohima road and attack Imphal.

But it also meant that part of the force heading to Imphal was also held up, the 15th Division waiting for the 31st to finish its job before moving onto Imphal.

and headed south to sangshak to deal with the 50th Brigade, probably because of the fierce fight it had had at Hill 7378.

The 31st Japanese Division ran into 50th Parachute Brigade at Hill 7378 on it’s way to Ukruhl and Kohima. It decided it could not bypass and leave this deadly force in its rear. Instead of heading north to Kohima it waited

cut the Imphal-Kohima road and to attack Kohima (and onto Dimapur and into India).

Whilst the Japanese never got further than the saddle, by 26thMarch they had occupied one its hills. Meanwhile, The Japanese now launched their attacks in the North on 15th March – not a regiment, but nearly two whole divisions – their objectives to attack Imphal from the North,

In the SE the British started their withdrawal on the 16th to defensive boxes. However, the reserves had been committed to the southern sector and there were none available for the south east, so they withdrew further and faster to their last defensive box in the shenam saddle.

From 15th March heavy fighting took place is this southern area. The route was not reopened until 28th March and the 17th division did not arrive back in Imphal until 4th April.

This, of course, was the Japanese plan: that reserves would be drawn southwards. The movement of the 49th Brigade south resulted in the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade occupying the Ukruhl and Sangshak region.

The British rushed reinforcements south, which included the 49th Brigade from the area of Ukruhl and Sangshak. The movement of these units left Imphal depleted of units and with much less protection in the north.

Simultaneously the Japanese had also launched an attack from the South east towards Imphal.

The Japanese in began their invasion on the 8th March, a week earlier than expected. By 12th March the Japanese had got behind the British 17th Division and cut the road to Imphal. The 17th began its withdrawal on 14th March and for the next two weeks had to fight its way out.

Due to the terrain, it was thought that this would be an action by a Japanese Regiment at most (at this point you should be thinking ‘Ardennes’!).

Intelligence also suggested that there would be an attack in the North and an attempt to cut the Imphal-Kohima road.

Intelligence expected that the Japanese invasion would start on 15th March directed at Imphal in the south. The British plan was to withdraw from their southern outposts to the Imphal plain to make their stand in accordance with Slim’s plan.

The Allies had been building up their forces in North East India for their own invasion of Burma when it became clear that the Japanese were planning an offensive of their own into India.