#DidYouKnow missions like ‘Over The Hump’ by American soldiers & supply of oil from Budge Budge to #China through a pipeline made #Kolkata an important city during #WWII !!!

City of Joy was not a warfront but it served as a hub to feed the war

**Interesting long thread**
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Mission ‘Over The Hump’ included efforts where bombers with weapons & oil as supplies used to take off from Asansol & Panagarh & fly over the Himalayas all the way to Kunming in #China !!
It was during this mission that Red Road was used as runway
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@Abhinandan1234

The #Japanese wanted to cut off the supply lines the city provided & the targets were well planned-out
The first strikes, between December 20 and 24, 1942, saw bombs falling in Dalhousie & adjoining areas.
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The entrance of Mangoe Lane, the intersection near St Andrew’s Church and the ground at St John’s Church complex as one of the places that were bombed by the Japanese!
Huge balloons guarded important buildings and structures, such as Howrah bridge.
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A main worry for the British was the Tallah tank. Being the biggest water supply tank, any damage to it would mean a huge loss. Thus in order to save it, it is said that grass was planted atop the tank to make it look like an open field from above thus saving it from being bombed

During World War II, St. Vincent’s High and Technical School, Asansol was shut down for almost 4 years and it was taken by the Royal Air Force serving as a head office for them!
Rs.21,117 was received from the military as rental & compensation for damage to buildings & grounds!