She is right, Chennai was attacked on April 6, 1942 by planes from the Japanes aircraft carrier Ryujo. Some how every one remembers Emden's attack on 1914, but not much is talked about Ryujo (or may be only I am unware). I found this info here. This sentence is a real gem
They also bomb Coconada and Vizagapatnam, which annoys copy editors who have to spell the place in communiques
7 comments:
Missed answering the previous question. Post more of Chennai trivia. Awesome questions.
If you have great-grandparents who lived in Chennai around then (like I did) you will know that there was a communique sent out to evacuate the city except for essential services.The women and children were mostly send to the 'country' for safety.
The British abandoned Singapore/malaya (wasn't singapore then of course) to its fate as the Japanese invaded. This was followed by the air raid on our 'next door' neighbor Colombo so the attack on Madras was not entirely unexpected.
It was the next big place on the sea route.The Japenese were already inching forth by land around the Burma,Bengal area.
Let me find out more about where the air raid happend. You are right it never became a part of the local lore. It was after all another Asian country which attacked .........
Shocked the hell out of the racist ruling countries and the ruled it seems....
I knew of the evacuation notice , Tilo, but didn't know that the city was actually bombed. I am not able to find out where in Chennai the bombs fell.
But found these links about attack on Vizag.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/07/22/stories/2002072201240400.htm . One of the bombs fell on an explosive laden ship, but failed to explode.
Also found that 19 merchant ships were destroyed between Vizag and Kakinada on that day.
Remmeber that Shivaji Ganeshan Movie, Andha Naal, by Jaavar Seetharaman. The movie was based on Japanese Bombing Madras.
Besides, that movie made tamil film history - it had no songs, and the heroine, the wife's of the hero killed the hero.
And I used to think that it was just a plot. Any idea CCG, of where the bombs fell? Might have been inland as the attack was from sea planes.
one of th fallouts of the attack was that the entire parrys corner was up for sale, well most of it. the north indians who were living there were scared and sold their land at throw away prices. the attack concentrated primarily on parrys corner cause it was the trading hub of madras then and the port was there.
the buckingham canal and coovam river had boats in then during the attack
CCG, glad you jumped into this. How could I have forgotten Aadha Naal?
Also it was an air raid and wait I really need to pull out that book this evening to quote facts......
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