The Japanese Army wanted to blow up the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata. Photo Credit: X@indianeagle
The Second World War between the world’s superpowers also affected India. The heat of war reached India. Britain was also playing an important role in the war between Japan and China. This reason became the reason for air strikes in India. On 20 December 1942, Japan attacked Kolkata, India. Japan had targeted to destroy Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, but the target was on a hotel and surrounding buildings.
That attack that took place at midnight gave sleepless nights to Indians. Many buildings in Kolkata were destroyed in that bombing. Now let us understand why this happened.
Bombs were fired at midnight
It is the year 1942. Many countries of the world were struggling with the Second World War. The Western alliance countries including America and Britain were fighting a war with Japan and Germany. Japan had directly targeted China. America and Britain were helping China. There was only one way to help China. That was to send help there through India. India was a colony of the British and Kolkata was the center of the British Empire. Therefore, Britain was using the land here to provide help to its friendly country. Japan wanted to somehow break the supply chain reaching China. GoPan knew very well that India’s air defense system is strong, so he made a strategy. Japan planned to attack at midnight.
Howrah Bridge and port was the target
The Japanese Imperial Army Air Force planned to blow up the Howrah Bridge and port of Kolkata to prevent aid from reaching China. Bombs rained at midnight. Due to excessive darkness, the Japanese Army could not succeed in its mission. The Army missed its target and instead of Howrah Bridge being destroyed, nearby hotels and other buildings were destroyed. This is about the time when Howrah Bridge was called the third largest bridge in the world.
Why was it dark?
During the period when the Japanese Army attacked, lights were switched off in Kolkata at night. However, Japan did not stop, it launched several attacks between 1942 and 1944. During that period many buildings were painted black. India also had to suffer the consequences of the help that Britain sent to China.
When the World War ended, through books, poems and articles in India, it was told how the lives of the people of Kolkata were ruined by the Japanese bombing. The city was in disarray. Only traces of destruction were left.
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Source: www.tv9hindi.com”