Battle of Kohima

Overview

The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U-Go offensive into British India in 1944 during the Second World War. It took place in three stages from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima, now the capital city of the state of Nagaland in Northeast India. From 3 to 16 April, the Japanese attempted to capture Kohima ridge, a feature which dominated the road by which the besieged British and Indian troops of IV Corps at Imphal were supplied. By mid-April, the small British and British Indian force at Kohima was relieved.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U-Go offensive into British India in 1944. Fought in three stages from April to June 1944 around the town of Kohima in Northeast India, the battle centered on Kohima ridge, a terrain feature dominating the supply road to IV Corps at Imphal, where British and Indian troops were besieged. Japanese forces of 15,000–20,000 attempted to seize the ridge and sever that line of supply, but were ultimately repelled by a British and British Indian force numbering around 1,500 at the outset. By mid-April the garrison at Kohima was relieved, and the broader Japanese offensive stalled. The combined casualties — over 4,000 on the British side and up to 7,000 Japanese — reflected the intensity of the fighting. The failure to take Kohima effectively broke the momentum of Japan's push into India, marking the limit of Japanese westward expansion on the Burma front.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)