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Japan's Last Bid for Victory: The Invasion of India, 1944
“This is an excellent account of a series of very hard fought battles that helped prepare the way for the British re-conquest of Burma.” —History of WarRobert Lyman’s deep knowledge and understanding of the war in Burma, and the great battles at Kohima and Imphal in 1944, are well known. In this book he uses original documents, published works and personal accounts to weave together an enthralling narrative of some of the bitterest fighting of WWII. Not only does he use British sources for his research but he has also included material from the Naga tribes of north-east India, on whose land these battles were fought, and from Japanese accounts, including interviews with Japanese veterans of the fighting. Thus he has been able to produce what is arguably the most balanced history of the battles that were pivotal in ending the Japanese empire. Fergal Keane, journalist and author of Road to The Siege of Kohima 1944 wrote to the author saying “What a triumph! I finished it last night. You have done a wonderful job. I only wish I’d read it before writing my own book!” He goes on to say “Robert Lyman is one of the great writers about men and war and in this book he has succeeded in conveying the courage, genius and folly of an epic struggle. I cannot think of a writer engaged in the subject of the Second World War who can match Lyman for his integrity or the soundness of his judgments.”
477 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Robert Lyman
46 books53 followersBy birth a New Zealander, I was educated in Australia and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After a 20-year career in the British Army I turned my hand to writing, my PhD being published in 2004 as 'Slim, Master of War, a military biography of arguably Britain's greatest field commander of WW2.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
I am a trustee of the Kohima Educational Trust, which seeks to provide educational opportunities for young learners in Nagaland.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
I am a trustee of the Kohima Educational Trust, which seeks to provide educational opportunities for young learners in Nagaland.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 28, 2024
I’ve mentioned before on this site that my dad was a participant in the Battle of Kohima, which makes me a bit of pushover for books on the subject. This one was excellent.
The first question to answer about Japan’s invasion of India in early 1944 was why it happened. Japan’s war was being decided in its struggle against the US in the Pacific, and nothing that happened in India was going to alter that. Equally, for the British the overwhelming priority was the war in Europe, and almost all the country’s resources were dedicated to that front. As the author highlights, “In this global context India and Burma were strategically peripheral, even inconsequential.” He suggests that the Bengali nationalist, Subhas Chandra Bose, influenced the Japanese decision by arguing that a successful Japanese attack into Eastern India would spark a nationwide revolt and bring down the Raj. The commander of Japan’s 15th Army, Lt. General Mutaguchi, added after the war that he had believed the offensive would boost Japanese morale after the defeats suffered in the Pacific.
The clash that arose is often described as the twin battle of Imphal-Kohima. It took place over a huge area, much of it being steep, jungle covered mountains. The area was too large and the terrain too broken for massed troop movements and the result was “a confused and disparate section and platoon – sometimes company level – struggle fought at many different points of the compass.”
I thought this book was strong in the way it covered the experience of the indigenous people of the region, the Nagas. It quotes quite extensively from Naga eyewitnesses. Despite initially making claims of racial solidarity with the Nagas, the Japanese forced Naga men and boys to act as bearers, there were cases of abuse of women, and they also looted the Nagas’ food stores. Food was actually a crucial aspect of the battle. In 1942 the British had been surprised by how quickly Japanese armies moved, which was partly due to the fact they were given very limited food supplies. During an offensive, Japanese troops were expected to live off captured enemy supplies and/or food stolen from civilians. The disadvantage of this was that they would start to starve if they failed to take their initial objectives. This was exactly what happened at Imphal-Kohima. One Japanese soldier was quoted:
“Basically, in order for you to live, you want rice, and if you notice that some guy has rice, you kill him to get the rice, and you eat it and stay alive. That was how it was. If you looked like you had rice, you’d get killed. So you couldn’t appear to be carrying any rice. Many people were killed that way.”
The fortitude and endurance of the British, Indian and Gurkha troops was remarkable. That of the Japanese was almost beyond comprehension. One British soldier commented that many armies talk about “fighting to the last man” but the Japanese were the only ones who literally did so on a regular basis.
Imphal-Kohima ended as a catastrophic defeat for the Japanese, causing them about 90,000 casualties. In terms of numbers it was the largest defeat ever suffered by a Japanese army, and led directly to the British reconquest of Burma. For all the sacrifice, the battle had little effect on the outcome of the war.
I thought this was a very fair re-telling of what is now a little-known event, although one in which I will always have an interest.
The first question to answer about Japan’s invasion of India in early 1944 was why it happened. Japan’s war was being decided in its struggle against the US in the Pacific, and nothing that happened in India was going to alter that. Equally, for the British the overwhelming priority was the war in Europe, and almost all the country’s resources were dedicated to that front. As the author highlights, “In this global context India and Burma were strategically peripheral, even inconsequential.” He suggests that the Bengali nationalist, Subhas Chandra Bose, influenced the Japanese decision by arguing that a successful Japanese attack into Eastern India would spark a nationwide revolt and bring down the Raj. The commander of Japan’s 15th Army, Lt. General Mutaguchi, added after the war that he had believed the offensive would boost Japanese morale after the defeats suffered in the Pacific.
The clash that arose is often described as the twin battle of Imphal-Kohima. It took place over a huge area, much of it being steep, jungle covered mountains. The area was too large and the terrain too broken for massed troop movements and the result was “a confused and disparate section and platoon – sometimes company level – struggle fought at many different points of the compass.”
I thought this book was strong in the way it covered the experience of the indigenous people of the region, the Nagas. It quotes quite extensively from Naga eyewitnesses. Despite initially making claims of racial solidarity with the Nagas, the Japanese forced Naga men and boys to act as bearers, there were cases of abuse of women, and they also looted the Nagas’ food stores. Food was actually a crucial aspect of the battle. In 1942 the British had been surprised by how quickly Japanese armies moved, which was partly due to the fact they were given very limited food supplies. During an offensive, Japanese troops were expected to live off captured enemy supplies and/or food stolen from civilians. The disadvantage of this was that they would start to starve if they failed to take their initial objectives. This was exactly what happened at Imphal-Kohima. One Japanese soldier was quoted:
“Basically, in order for you to live, you want rice, and if you notice that some guy has rice, you kill him to get the rice, and you eat it and stay alive. That was how it was. If you looked like you had rice, you’d get killed. So you couldn’t appear to be carrying any rice. Many people were killed that way.”
The fortitude and endurance of the British, Indian and Gurkha troops was remarkable. That of the Japanese was almost beyond comprehension. One British soldier commented that many armies talk about “fighting to the last man” but the Japanese were the only ones who literally did so on a regular basis.
Imphal-Kohima ended as a catastrophic defeat for the Japanese, causing them about 90,000 casualties. In terms of numbers it was the largest defeat ever suffered by a Japanese army, and led directly to the British reconquest of Burma. For all the sacrifice, the battle had little effect on the outcome of the war.
I thought this was a very fair re-telling of what is now a little-known event, although one in which I will always have an interest.
June 26, 2025
This was a good book on Japan's attempted invasion of India in 1944 and its subsequent defeat by General Slim and his 14th Army.
The book concentrates mostly on the fighting around Imphal and Kohima, but doesn't go into the heavy detail these battles have received in other publications. Still, there is plenty here to give the reader an idea of the arduous terrain and terrible conditions the soldiers of both sides endured as they slugged it out for months. The fighting around Kohima was especially brutal and ranks up there as one of the greatest stands against overwhelming odds in military history.
One of the things I really liked about the book was it jumped right into the story instead of providing dozens of pages of background information leading up to the main event. Leadership on both sides comes under a critical examination as mistakes were made and either perpetuated (the disdain of the Japanese for the fighting quality of the British Army is a common one here) or remedied. Lots of personal recollections from Japanese soldiers is also another really nice part of the book, although some of the recollections come in the form of diaries and letters taken from the bodies of fallen soldiers. On the other side, there are accounts from soldiers of various nations (Britain, India, Nepal, Western Africa, Eastern Africa) as well as civilians and Naga tribesmen who were caught up in the conflict.
While this book might not be as comprehensive as other works on the subject, it's a really good overview of Japan's failed campaign to invade India. There are some good maps at the beginning of the book which would have been better placed throughout the book so one doesn't have to flip back and forth, but that's my personal preference and won't apply to everyone. I do wish there were more photos in the center section, but again, just a personal preference.
A great addition to any CBI collection!
The book concentrates mostly on the fighting around Imphal and Kohima, but doesn't go into the heavy detail these battles have received in other publications. Still, there is plenty here to give the reader an idea of the arduous terrain and terrible conditions the soldiers of both sides endured as they slugged it out for months. The fighting around Kohima was especially brutal and ranks up there as one of the greatest stands against overwhelming odds in military history.
One of the things I really liked about the book was it jumped right into the story instead of providing dozens of pages of background information leading up to the main event. Leadership on both sides comes under a critical examination as mistakes were made and either perpetuated (the disdain of the Japanese for the fighting quality of the British Army is a common one here) or remedied. Lots of personal recollections from Japanese soldiers is also another really nice part of the book, although some of the recollections come in the form of diaries and letters taken from the bodies of fallen soldiers. On the other side, there are accounts from soldiers of various nations (Britain, India, Nepal, Western Africa, Eastern Africa) as well as civilians and Naga tribesmen who were caught up in the conflict.
While this book might not be as comprehensive as other works on the subject, it's a really good overview of Japan's failed campaign to invade India. There are some good maps at the beginning of the book which would have been better placed throughout the book so one doesn't have to flip back and forth, but that's my personal preference and won't apply to everyone. I do wish there were more photos in the center section, but again, just a personal preference.
A great addition to any CBI collection!
May 6, 2018
I hate when books about battles/campaigns, especially those in little-known locales come without any maps at pertinent points in the text. Don't make me have my phone open next to me to research the geography. I pick up a book to disconnect from my phone.
July 20, 2024
Absolutely superb recounting of a little known chapter of WW II history: the attempted Japanese invasion of India in March of 1942. Centered on the two critical battles of Imphal and Kohima , this very detailed but exciting story captures the brutality and heroism of the British and their allies against a determined Japanese army of 115,000. The maps are detailed, and the account of the different aspects of the battle are well documented. From the air campaign , the defense of Kohima Ridge, to the actions of the special operators behind Japanese lines , my eyes were opened. What a story. Definitely for the WW II history buff. Highly recommend !
January 6, 2021
An excellent summary of the " March on Delhi "in 1944.
The British campaign in Burma has always been of interest to me and Lyman account of the fight for Impulse and Kohima provides an excellent story.
The British campaign in Burma has always been of interest to me and Lyman account of the fight for Impulse and Kohima provides an excellent story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews