The Battle at Red Hill:
One of the bloodiest during the Battle of Imphal. On 20th May 1944, some Japanese troops, who were entrusted to storm Bishnupur, joined a regiment at the Red Hill, after streaking through the villages located on the fringes of Loktak lake to put up a blockade to British supplies at Lotpaching (Red Hill) just adjacent to MS 10 in Imphal Tiddim highway. The allied forces initially underestimated the strength of the Japanese troops and lost their positions. However, they quickly brought in men and artillery reinforcements, and on 25th May 1944, put in a full battalion attack to recapture the Red Hill feature. With the support of the Gurkha Regiment, eventually, in a final attack on the 29th there was no opposition and they captured three prisoners and a lot of abandoned equipment. This included two 75 mm mountain artillery guns and one 70 mm battalion gun thrown into a pond. One of these artillery guns stands today as a mute witness to one of the bloodiest battles with both sides incurring heavy losses.
Had the Japanese forces succeeded in capturing the British camp at Bishnupur its onward march to Imphal would have proved possible and the course of Indian history might have been different hitherto. Thus the Blitzkrieg of the 33rd Japanese Division was checkmated at the foot of the Red Hill.
