Tiddim Road

The Tiddim Road (Tedim Road) is a historical road from Imphal, Manipur, India, to Tedim (Tiddim) in Chin Hills of Myanmar. It remains as a road connecting to highways today.[1]

Historical significance

Tiddim Road is around 265 kilometres (165 miles) long, starting from Imphal, running through Bishnupur and Churachandpur before terminating at Tedim, in Myanmar.[2] The road runs inside strategic valleys and forested hills, and was an essential military supply and retreat route during the Burma Campaign in World War II.[3] The other key invasion route was the Kohima Road.[1][2]

Significance during World War II

Hawker Hurricane Attack bridge in a Burmese settlement near Tiddim Road.

Japanese invasion

The Tiddim Road was the only southern invasion route for the Japanese 33rd Division during the Battle of Imphal (March–July 1944) under Operation U-Go.[4] The Japanese troops had advanced from the Chin Hills region of Burma and moved north along Tiddim Road toward Imphal.[5]

The capture of Milestone 109, perhaps the most significant strategic point along the route, occurred in early 1944 and cut off the rear supply line of Allied 17th Indian Division.[5] The Japanese then established a large supply dump at Milestone 109, which was bombed heavily by the Royal Air Force.[3][1]

Allied defense and withdrawal

Tiddim Road saw bitter fighting as British and Indian forces tried to slow the Japanese invasion. The 17th Indian Infantry Division was able to make a fighting withdrawal, pulling back along Tiddim Road toward Imphal, while trying to slow the enemy's advance. Fighting at Bishnupur, Potsangbam and Nambol all occurred in this sector.[6]

Film and photographic documentation

Several films and photographic records from the war - held at the Imperial War Museums - document operations along the Tiddim road including:

  • Vehicle recovery, bridging, and resupply efforts by Allied engineers.[7]
  • Engineering workshops and field repairs made by the Indian troops[8]
  • Indian Mountain Artillery using mules and gun carriages to navigate hilly terrain.[9]

Cultural memory and tourism

Tiddim Road, a stretch close to Imphal, is now part of history battlefield tours. On this stretch of road there is Maibam Lokpa Ching (Red Hill), a site about 16 km south of Imphal, which is also currently a war memorial maintained by the government of Japan and the state of Manipur.[10]

Many organized battle field tours now line the mile of the road in order to visit the significant wartime sites and view those significant sites within the Imphal Campaign.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "TIDDIM ROAD". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  2. ^ a b Pau, Pum Khan (2012-09-01). "Tedim Road—The Strategic Road on a Frontier: A Historical Analysis". Strategic Analysis. 36 (5): 776–786. doi:10.1080/09700161.2012.712387. ISSN 0970-0161.
  3. ^ a b "The Tiddim Road | Battle of Imphal". www.battleofimphal.com. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  4. ^ Allen (1984), pp. 152–153
  5. ^ a b "Battle of Imphal-Kohima". WW2DB. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
  6. ^ Slim, William Joseph Slim (2009). Defeat into victory. Pan military classics. London: Pan Books. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-330-50997-8.
  7. ^ "Operations on the Tiddim Road". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Indian Engineer Workshop and scenes along the Tiddim Road". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Indian Mountain Artillery in action". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Red Hill - Maibam Lokpa Ching". Manipur Tourism. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Tiddim Road Tour". Battle of Imphal Tours. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
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