Battle of Imphal

Battle of Imphal (Meitei: Japan Laan[1][2])
Part of the Operation U-Go during the Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II
Gurkhas advancing with Grant tanks to clear the Japanese from Imphal-Kohima road in North Eastern British India
Date 8 March – 3 July 1944 Location Imphal, Manipur Kingdom, India 24°49′00″N 93°57′00″E / 24.8167°N 93.9500°E / 24.8167; 93.9500 Result British victory
Belligerents
British Empire India	Japan  Azad Hind
Commanders and leaders
William Slim Geoffry Scoones	Masakasu Kawabe Renya Mutaguchi Subhas C. Bose
Strength
4 infantry divisions 1 armoured brigade 1 parachute brigade	3 infantry divisions 1 tank regiment 2 Indian regiments
Casualties and losses
12,603 killed and wounded[3]	54,879 killed and wounded

The Battle of Imphal (Meitei: Japan Laan^[1][2], lit. 'Japanese invasion') took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. Together with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima on the road by which the encircled Allied forces at Imphal were relieved, the battle was the turning point of the Burma campaign, part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II.^[4] The Japanese defeat at Kohima and Imphal was the largest up until that time,^[5] with many of the Japanese deaths resulting from starvation, disease and exhaustion suffered during their retreat.^[3][4] According to voting in a contest run by the British National Army Museum, the Battle of Imphal was bestowed as Britain's Greatest Battle in 2013.^[6][7]