A substantial report of the Christmas raid on Calcutta by the Japs under Op U-Go, 1942. http://gypsyscholar.com/31618historiceventsjapbombst.html Oh! A very good moment to commemorate Fl Sgt A Maurice O Pring DFM, KIA '42, an account : http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/WW2/1093-In-the-Skies-of-Calcutta.html
It was a shame for the Japanese in the Burma/India region that just as they were suffering from a shortage of fighters, that numbers of modern up to date aircraft were arriving for the RAF. It was only in mid 1942 with the threat of Invasion lifted that the UK finally allowed Spitfires to serve oversea's. Malta and the middle east got them first then 3 Sqn's were sent to Darwin in Australia. They did finally arrive in India and combined with Bristol Beaufighters, & P47 Thunderbolts, they controlled the sky. The Hurricane fighter continued to serve in the theatre (in the ground attack role) until the end of the war.
No 681 Sq RAF, SEAC, Spitfire and Hurricane taxiing/take off on the Red Road, been used as an emergency air strip ~ Calcutta, a very rare film :
Very true. Probably you know the Chatfield Committee Report, where he strongly advises for refurbishing the RAF squadrons based in the East. Much later a scheme raised up for defending 5 principal ports under CDFs (Coastal Defence Flights) which mainly composed of regular personnels from the IAF and RAF. However 10 squadrons been formed out of which only No 8 still retained the Spitfires and rests all with Hurricanes. These Hurricanes (atleast 5 Sqs) played a very significant role during the Arakan offensive, by late '44. These raids ultimately disrupted the Japs line of advancement till the re-occupation of Rangoon by '45. I strongly believe that had the 'Allied War Heads' became a bit more 'active' by understanding the importance of the strategic positions, the Japs could have been stopped much earlier! OKW overlooked Rommel, they lost their controll over N Africa, Thank God. Hirohito and his war machines which were much much more ruthless with much higher fighting spirits than the Italians and Germans (Thank God?), shook the Far east and the Pacific (very far from Europe, Thank God) for more than f o u r long years. These bloody of the bloodiest battles could have been Stopped much earlier. There was a very possible chance for Rommel and Mutaguchi, shaking their hands in any of the hotels of Karachi and having their dinner after crushing the ... Oh my Lord!
