Chindits
| Chindits (Long Range Penetration Groups) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country |  British India United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | British Empire |
| Branch |  British Army British Indian Army |
| Type | Special forces |
| Role | Direct action Jungle warfare Long-range penetration Raiding Special operations Special reconnaissance |
| Size | Operation Longcloth (1943): 3,000 men Operation Thursday (1944): 20,000 men, of which 9,000 to 12,000 deployed to Burma |
| Garrison/HQ | Jhansi, India |
| Motto | 9 Gorkha ho ki hoina |
| Engagements | Burma campaign of World War II |
| Decorations | Four members awarded the Victoria Cross |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Orde Wingate, Walter Lentaigne |
| Insignia | |
| Formation sign of the Chindits (also known as the 3rd Indian Infantry Division) |  |
The Chindits, officially known as Long Range Penetration Groups, were special operations units of the British and Indian armies which saw action in 1943–1944 during the Burma Campaign of World War II. Brigadier (later Major-General) Orde Wingate formed them for long-range penetration operations against the Imperial Japanese Army, especially attacking lines of communication deep behind Japanese lines.
The name Chindits is a corrupted form of Chinthe (Burmese: ခြင်္သေ့), the Burmese word for "lion".
Their operations featured long marches through extremely difficult terrain, undertaken by underfed troops often weakened by diseases such as malaria and dysentery. Controversy persists over the extremely high casualty rate and, despite results – such as the reallocation of an entire Japanese division and part of a second to deal with the Chindits – debate about the military value of special forces operations continued post-war.