The Japanese hemmed in by lack of raw material and resources decided to launch an invasion of South East Asia. The initial Japanese Army offensive was a huge results and components of China, Indo-China and Singapore had been conveniently taken by the Japanese Imperial Army. The British unable to transfer sources to the Far east, besieged as they were by the Germans in Europe have been no match and capitulated quickly.
Facing the Imperial Army have been remnants of some British troops and elements of the Indian Army. With a paucity of gear and faced with a ruthless enemy, the British and Indian soldiers surrendered in fair numbers. At that time some Indian leaders who dreamed of Indian Independence from the British, suggested that Indian POWs captured by the Japanese army be Incorporated as a separate group to fight along with the Imperial army.
The captured POW had been thus presented an incentive to join what was recognized as the ‘Indian National Army’ or ‘Azad Hind Fauj’. It is a truth of history that the defection to the INA was minimal and the vast majority of Indian soldiers remained loyal to the crown. Basic Mohan Singh was the first commander of the INA, but he had variations with the Japanese who removed him him from command and also imprisoned him.
In such a situation the Charismatic Indian leader Subhas Bose landed from Germany in 1943 and assumed command of the INA. He formulated a war cry ‘Delhi Chalo’- Go to Delhi, in a bid to galvanize the Indians.
Indian Army Rally created up of captured Indian POWs soon got into action along with the Imperial army. They moved along with the Japanese army across Burma into the gates of India. There are romantic tips and notions of the efficiency of the INA in the course of this phase of the war i. e. conquest of Burma and the part of the INA.
Having said that it must be remembered that the INA was in no way totally equipped by the Japanese and it just followed the Imperial Army. Their performance and effect on any battle was minimal and romantic notions aside, 1 can safely say that the INA in no way lived up to its expectations. In addition the numbers of the INA were handful of as a vast majority of soldiers taken as POWs refused to join the Japanese.
The siege at Imphal exactly where the British Indian Army held out against the Imperial army is a case in point. The INA failed in its efforts to breach the British Indian Army lines and despite all sorts of propaganda failed to engineer defections amongst Indian soldiers as properly. In brief the overall performance of the INA was minimal and their impact on the war of not much significance.