Kohima: The Overlooked Battle that Changed the Course of World War II

In May 1944, Captain Robin Rowland, only 22 years old, was sent to the town of Kohima in northeastern India, where a small group of British-Indian soldiers faced an entire division of Japanese forces. The situation was desperate, and the pressure on the defenders was immense.

Arrival at the Conflict

As Rowland and his men approached Kohima, they encountered a devastating scene. “We saw abandoned trenches and ruined villages, and as we advanced, the smell of death hung in the air,” he recalled, now 99 years old. The captain was part of the Punjab Regiment, and his mission was to relieve 1,500 soldiers who had been holding out for weeks against an enemy that outnumbered them tenfold.

The Allied forces were completely isolated, relying solely on air supplies, and few believed they could withstand the relentless attack of the Japanese troops. The Japanese soldiers had marched to Kohima through Burma, aiming to invade India. They had already defeated the British in several battles in Burma, but crossing the dense, mosquito-infested jungle and the rushing rivers to Kohima seemed an almost impossible task.

The Siege and the Fight

Upon arrival, the British-Indian troops found themselves surrounded by more than 15,000 Japanese soldiers. The battle for the defense of Kohima and the strategic town of Dimapur dragged on for weeks, with the defenders fiercely fighting to prevent the Japanese from advancing. “The Japanese soldiers attacked in waves, night after night,” Rowland recalled, his memory still vivid of the horrors of the battle.

The fighting was brutal, and the British-Indian forces were confined to Garrison Hill, a high position overlooking the town. At a critical moment, the combat turned into hand-to-hand combat, with only a tennis court separating the two entrenched sides on the hill. The resistance of the soldiers, consisting of only 1,500 men, was remarkable. After three months of intense fighting and more than 7,000 casualties, the Japanese troops, lacking supplies and under pressure, finally retreated back to Burma.

The Battle’s Impact

Military historian Robert Lyman describes the battle of Kohima as a turning point in World War II in Asia. “The Japanese invasion of India, of which the battle of Kohima was a significant part, represented Japan’s first major defeat in the Far East,” Lyman stated. Despite its importance, the battle of Kohima did not capture the public imagination in the same way as D-Day or Waterloo. It is often referred to as “the forgotten war.”

The geographical distance and political situation of the time contributed to this lack of recognition. In Britain, the immediate threat of a German invasion dominated public concerns. Bob Cook, director of the Kohima Museum in York, notes that “the Germans were only 22 miles away from Britain,” making the fight in Southeast Asia less relevant to public opinion.

Belated Recognition

In recent years, there have been attempts to remember the battle of Kohima and Imphal. In 2013, the battle was voted Britain’s greatest battle after a debate at the National Army Museum in London, surpassing more well-known events. Lyman argued that “great issues were at stake in a war against the toughest enemy the British army had ever faced.”

However, the importance of the battle remains little recognized in the Indian subcontinent. Historically, the fight was seen as a colonial war, while post-war focus shifted to the struggle for India’s independence, led by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi.

In addition to the British-Indian troops, thousands of members of the Naga ethnic community fought alongside the British, providing valuable information about the mountainous terrain. Today, few Nagas who lived through the battle are still alive. Sosangtemba Ao, one of the survivors, recalls the horrors of war, including the constant bombings that devastated the region.

Memories and Reunions

The battle of Kohima, though marked by brutality, also forged unexpected bonds between the former combatants. A recent documentary, “Memories of a Forgotten War,” was released to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Japan’s surrender. During the filming, British and Japanese veterans who fought at Kohima met, and many expressed their emotions in a gesture of reconciliation.

For the Japanese, the defeat at Kohima was a humiliating blow, and many veterans are reluctant to discuss their experiences. One of them, Wajima Koichiro, recalled, “It was a lost game, and then we retreated.” For the Nagas, who also suffered significant losses, the hope of being recognized as a separate nation during the power transition was frustrated, leading to disillusionment and subsequent conflicts.

The Legacy of the Battle

The families of the soldiers who died at Kohima and Imphal, both from Britain and Japan, often visit the war cemeteries in the two towns to pay homage to their loved ones. Captain Rowland, who returned to Kohima in 2002, remembered the bravery of his comrades and the resilience they showed against the Japanese division. “It was a great military achievement,” he stated as he laid a wreath at a war memorial.

Although the battle of Kohima has not become part of the collective imagination in the same way as other famous battles, those who were there will never forget it. The story of Kohima is a powerful reminder of human resilience in the face of adversity and sacrifice in times of war.