Why Calcutta was a famous military base for World War 2

 

ChatGPT said:

Calcutta (now Kolkata) was a major strategic military base in World War II because of its location, infrastructure, and proximity to the Burma–China front. Here are the key reasons:

1. Gateway to the Eastern Front (Burma & China)

Calcutta was the closest major port city to the Burma theatre of war.

  • When Japan advanced into Burma (1942), Calcutta became the forward supply hub for Allied operations.

  • Supplies for the China–Burma–India (CBI) theatre — including weapons, rations, aircraft parts — moved through Calcutta.

2. Major Port for the Allied Forces

The Port of Calcutta was one of the busiest in Asia at the time.

  • It handled massive volumes of American and British military cargo.

  • The US Army’s “India-Burma Theater” used Calcutta as its primary logistics base for Lend-Lease supplies to China.

3. Base for the “Hump” Air Operations

The dangerous air route over the Himalayas — called The Hump — started from airfields near Calcutta (Barrackpore, Dum Dum).

  • These flights carried fuel and supplies to China when the Burma Road was cut by the Japanese.

4. Industrial and Repair Hub

Calcutta had:

  • Rail workshops

  • Engineering factories

  • Jute mills

  • Oil refineries

These were converted into military repair, storage, and production units.

5. Rail and River Connectivity

The city had unmatched connectivity:

  • Howrah station linked the east with the whole of India.

  • The Hooghly river allowed movement of soldiers, ammunition, fuel, and vehicles inland.

This made Calcutta the logistical backbone for the Allied operations in Southeast Asia.

6. Home of the Eastern Army Headquarters

Calcutta housed:

  • The Eastern Command of the British Indian Army

  • Multiple training camps

  • Supply depots

  • Ammunition dumps

This made it a central command hub for Allied defense against Japanese expansion.

7. Japanese Air Raids Targeted It

Because of its military importance, Calcutta was bombed several times by the Japanese Air Force (1942–43).
This shows the strategic value the Axis powers saw in the city.

8. Shield Against Japanese Advance into India

After Burma fell, Calcutta became the frontline staging point to defend eastern India.
All support for the Battle of Imphal–Kohima (1944) — the turning point of the Burma campaign — originated from Calcutta depots.

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