Rani of Jhansi Regiment

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Rani Jhansi Regiment
A female paratrooper of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment in training in the 1940s.
Active	12 October 1943 – May 1945
Country	Azad Hind
Allegiance	Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj)
Branch	Infantry
Role	Anti-tank warfare Artillery observer Bomb disposal Close-quarters battle Direct fire Indirect fire Jungle warfare HUMINT Irregular warfare Long-range penetration Mountain warfare Paratrooper Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance Tracking
Size	1,000 (approx)
Commanders
Ceremonial chief	Subhas Chandra Bose
Notable commanders	Lakshmi Swaminathan Janaki Devar

The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was the women's regiment of the Indian National Army, the armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia with the aim of overthrowing the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance. It was one of the all-female combat regiments of the Second World War on all sides. Led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (better known as Lakshmi Sahgal),^[1] the unit was raised in July 1943 with volunteers from the expatriate Indian population in Southeast Asia.^[2] The unit was named the "Rani Jhansi Regiment" after Rani Lakshmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi,^[3] a renowned Indian queen and freedom fighter.