Japanese offensive in India, 1944 Pacific War

chinese forces on m3a3 stuart tanks on ledo road



british indian troops during battle of imphal

after allied setbacks in 1943, south east asia command prepared launch offensives burma on several fronts. in first months of 1944, chinese , american troops of northern combat area command (ncac), commanded american joseph stilwell, began extending ledo road india northern burma, while xv corps began advance along coast in arakan province. in february 1944 japanese mounted local counter-attack in arakan. after japanese success, counter-attack defeated when indian divisions of xv corps stood firm, relying on aircraft drop supplies isolated forward units until reserve divisions relieve them.

the japanese responded allied attacks launching offensive of own india in middle of march, across mountainous , densely forested frontier. attack, codenamed operation u-go, advocated lieutenant general renya mutaguchi, promoted commander of japanese fifteenth army; imperial general headquarters permitted proceed, despite misgivings @ several intervening headquarters. although several units of british fourteenth army had fight way out of encirclement, april had concentrated around imphal in manipur state. japanese division had advanced kohima in nagaland cut main road imphal, failed capture whole of defences @ kohima. during april, japanese attacks against imphal failed, while fresh allied formations drove japanese positions had captured @ kohima.

as many japanese had feared, japan s supply arrangements not maintain forces. once mutaguchi s hopes victory thwarted, troops, particularly @ kohima, starved. during may, while mutaguchi continued order attacks, allies advanced southwards kohima , northwards imphal. 2 allied attacks met on 22 june, breaking japanese siege of imphal. japanese broke off operation on 3 july. had lost on 50,000 troops, starvation , disease. represented worst defeat suffered imperial japanese army date.

although advance in arakan had been halted release troops , aircraft battle of imphal, americans , chinese had continued advance in northern burma, aided chindits operating against japanese lines of communication. in middle of 1944 chinese expeditionary force invaded northern burma yunnan. captured fortified position @ mount song. time campaigning ceased during monsoon rains, ncac had secured vital airfield @ myitkyina (august 1944), eased problems of air resupply india china on hump .