Kohima
In 1944, Kohima in the Naga Hills of Assam, north-east India, was an important hill station on the only road between the major British supply base at Dimapur and Imphal. When the Japanese launched their U-Go offensive in March 1944, the Kohima garrison was made up from a few units of the Assam Rifles, the 1st Battalion Assam Regiment and line of communication troops. As the full strength and threat of the Japanese offensive became apparent to the British, reinforcements were hastily moved to the Imphal-Dimapur area, many by air from the Arakan.
Of these, the 161st Brigade, of the 5th Indian Division, was flown to Dimapur in late March 1944. The brigade soon advanced down the road to Kohima and began to establish defensive positions around the village. The key terrain was Garrison Hill and the wooded slopes of Kohima Ridge with key features such as Jail Hill, Field Supply Depot (FSD) Hill and Detail Issue (DIS) Hill. There was space to deploy only a single battalion – the 4th Royal West Kents, supported by the Assam Rifles and the Assam Regiment. The brigade’s remaining infantry – the 1st/1st Punjab Regiment and the 4th/7th Rajputs were deployed two miles west of Kohima at Jotsoma, with the brigade’s artillery.
No sooner had the positions been established by April 5th than the advance guard of the Japanese 31st Division attacked. After the initial attack, the West Kents withdrew from exposed positions and the Japanese were able to establish themselves elsewhere on the ridge. By April 7th, however, the now hard pressed West Kents were reinforced by a company of Rajputs from Jotsoma. Further Japanese attacks began on April 8th and by the next day the defenders had been forced back to the tennis court at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) Bungalow. At the same time, the defenders were cut off as the Japanese now also blocked the tracks to Jotsoma and the road between Jotsoma and Dimapur. Further Japanese gains at Kohima were made on April 10th and 11th.
Ferocious, hand-hand fighting erupted on April 13th as the Japanese attempted to seize the DC’s bungalow and tennis court positions. The attacks were finally beaten by artillery fire from Jotsoma and the Japanese now focussed on eliminating these positions but without success. On April 14th, the newly arrived British 2nd Division and the 161st Brigade had opened the Dimapur-Kohima road. Desperate Japanese attacks were launched against FSD hill on the evening of April 16th and the positions changed hands several times before the British withdrew to Garrison Hill. A dangerous situation for the defenders, now hemmed in on three sides at Garrison Hill was relieved when on April 18th, troops of the 2nd British Division, the 161st Brigade and tanks of the 149th RAC forced the Japanese away from the road and Garrison Hill. The siege of Kohima was lifted.
Now began the bloody task of clearing the Japanese from the Kohima area. By May 13th, many of the Japanese positions had been taken in fierce fighting. A few positions still held out including the DC’s bungalow. Continued fighting eventually forced a Japanese withdrawal that began by mid-May. Further reinforcements now came in to relieve the 2nd Division and the 33rd and 161st Brigades whose infantry had born the brunt of the fighting.
[Attention now turned to lifting the siege of Imphal and clearing the Japanese from the road between Kohima and Imphal. Continued heavy and close quarter fighting resulted in the eventual opening of the road and British and Indian troops of the 2nd Division from Kohima and the 5th Division from Imphal met on 22nd June at Milestone 110. The siege of Imphal was now over
The Kohima fighting resulted in British and Indian losses of around 4,000 men dead, wounded and missing. The Japanese lost more then 7,000 in the fighting around Kohima.
Kohima
Kohima
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman
kohima, was a vitally important battle along with imphal, it broke the japenese in the burma campaign im sure the people on the forum with a intrest in the island hopping battles and the new guinea fighting among others can understand the fighting the 14th army faced and maybe take and intrest, as i do in aussies independant companies in timor or us marines on peleliu to name but a few.
