Today
The geography that made up India
during WWII is today both India and Pakistan.
History
 Controlled
by the British, WWII touched India in many ways, including
direct attack by Japanese Army from Burma and
air raids. Also,
it was a staging area with many bases and airfields supporting
the campaigns in China, and Burma. Mohandas Gandhi's proinence
as a statesman began during the war, and infulences lead
to independence in postwar India.
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Town near Indian
border with Burma |
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Wartime airfields and history |
New
Delhi
Lat
28° 36' 0N Long 77° 12' 0E
Indian
Air Force (IAF) Museum
| Karachi Airfield |
US Army Air Force 9th BS helped established
an airbase for reinforcements to forward bases in early
1942 via an aircraft ferry route across Africa.
American Units based at Karachi
7th BG
436th BS (B-17Es) ? - June 1, 1943
Lend Lease Ferry Point
A hundred or so P-66 Vultee Vanguards that
were delivered to Karachi for deployment to China under
lend lease. Anyone with additional info on this history, email
me.
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| Nagaghuli Airfield |
 Located in the upper Assam.
American Units Based at Nagaghuli
80th FG, HQ from Karachi Oct 1, 43 - Aug 29, 44 to Tingkawk
80th FG, 88th
FS (P-40) from Karachi October 1, 1943 - ?
80th FG, 89th
FS (P-40, P-47) ? - Sept 15, 44 Myitkyina
33rd FG HQ Pungchacheng Sept 3, 44 - Dec 26, 44 Sahmaw
8th PRG, 20th TRS (F-6, P-40) Myitkyina April 20, 45 - July 9, 45 Dergaon
115th Liason Squad (L-1, L-5) Dinjan May 9, 45 - July 20, 45 Chengkung
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| Kurmitola Airfield |
459th FS that flew P-38's first operational
base.
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| Madras Airfield |
459th FS staged through this location.
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| Chittagong Airfield |
 Location
Chittagong is in the very northeastern corner of India very close to Burma and almost on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Located in present day Bangladesh.
Wartime History
On March 25, 1944 Japanese aircraft (5 medium
bombers and 30 fighters) attack Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar.
American Units Based at Chittagong
8th PRG, 9th PRS (det F-5) Barrackpore October 9 - December 21, 1944 Myitkyina
80th FG, 459th FS (P-38) Kurmitola March 4, 1944 - February 1, 1945 Rumkha
4th Combat Cargo Group HQ Agartala January 5, 1945 - June 10, 1945 Namponmao
4th CCG, 15th CCS (C-46) Argartala January 15, 1945 - June 10, 1945 Namponmao
4th CCG, 13th, 14th CCS (C-46) January 31 - June 10, 1945 Namponmao
4th CCG, 16th CCS (C-46) January 31 - June 11, 1945 Namponmao
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| Baigachi Airfield |
152nd Squadron Spitfires based at this
RAF airbase.
Japanese Missions Against Baigachi
December
26, 1943
Japanese Ki-61 Dinah recon plane shot down
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 Guskhara
Lat 23° 30' 0N Long 87° 45' 0E Located in eastern India.
| Guskhara Airfield |
Location
Located to the south east of Guskhara town.
 American Units Based at Guskhara
8th PRG, 24th CMS (P-40, F-7) from USA January 5, 1944 - 1945
20th TRS (P-40) March 1944 - March 26, 1944 to Kisselbari
35th PRS (F-5) from USA June 13, 1944 - September 1, 1944 to Kunming
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Kharagpur
Lat 22° 19' 60N Long 87° 19' 60E
Kharagpur Airfield
Wartime Airfield
Ledo
Mile Zero of the Ledo
Road to Kunming, China. 287
miles away was Myitkima in
Burma, the 1,100 mile road to Kunming, China built by the Americans
with Indian labor, led by General Louis Pick. On
January 12, 1945 the first American convoy "Pick's First Convoy"
of 113 vehicles began the trip. However, the
total tonnage brought over the road by truck until the end of the
war did
not equal that flown over the Hump in a single month.
Nampong
A few miles from Ledo, site of the
last bridge in India, "Hells Gate" before the border with Burma at
Pangsau Pass.
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