Ukhrul, the hotbed of Naga insurgency in Manipur, may have witnessed many a skirmish between the security forces and the Naga insurgents. But in March 1944, it saw a ferocious battle between the invading Japanese 15th Army and the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade—a heroic battle that did not get its rightful place in the annals of India’s military history.
The battle found focus in a special session called 'The War that India Forgot' during the first day of the third edition of Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) being held on Friday and Saturday in New Delhi. The IMHE is hosted by the United Service Institution of India, a leading think tank.
The battle was fought in Sangshak, a small village in south Ukhrul. What was intriguing was that the adversaries did not know that they lay in each other’s path and were hence not quite prepared for combat.
The battle has come to be known for the very brave six-day (March 20 to 26, 1944) stand-off by Indian soldiers in the British Army.
Facing a much larger and well-equipped Japanese force, the Indians, plagued by the lack of supplies, managed to delay the Japanese advance.
Commanded by Brigadier Hope Thomson, the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade comprised three infantry battalions entirely of Indian natives, besides two companies of Nepalese. In a battle that demanded top fighting ability, the Indians fought off a far superior force of the Japanese in terms of sheer numbers and weapons, winning a lot of praise from even the adversary.
The consequences of the battle were later felt in the battles of Imphal and Kohima, considered to be among the most fearsome and critical gunfights of the Second World War.
