The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (8,293 km² on 139 islands), are a group of islands situated in the
Bay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal IPA:ˈbɒŋɡopoʃɑːˈgoɽ), the largest bay of the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered by Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal to the north , India and Sri Lanka to the west and Myanmar and the Andaman and...
at about 780 miles from
Kolkata, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
, 740 miles from
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
and 120 miles from Cape Nargis in Burma. Until 1938 the British government used them as a penal colony for
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n and African political prisoners, who were mainly put in the notorious
Cellular JailThe Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was completed in 1906...
in
Port BlairPort Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
, the biggest town (port) on the islands. Today they form a
Union TerritoryA Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
.
The only military objective on the islands was the city of Port Blair.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (8,293 km² on 139 islands), are a group of islands situated in the
Bay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal IPA:ˈbɒŋɡopoʃɑːˈgoɽ), the largest bay of the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered by Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal to the north , India and Sri Lanka to the west and Myanmar and the Andaman and...
at about 780 miles from
Kolkata, formerly , is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as Calcutta, it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest metropolitan area and...
, 740 miles from
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
and 120 miles from Cape Nargis in Burma. Until 1938 the British government used them as a penal colony for
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n and African political prisoners, who were mainly put in the notorious
Cellular JailThe Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was completed in 1906...
in
Port BlairPort Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
, the biggest town (port) on the islands. Today they form a
Union TerritoryA Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
.
The only military objective on the islands was the city of Port Blair. The garrison consisted of a 300 man Sikh militia with 23 British officers, augmented in January 1942 by a
GurkhaGurkha, also spelled as Gorkha or Ghurka, are people from Nepal and northern India who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. His disciple Bappa Rawal, born Prince Kalbhoj/Prince Shailadhish, founded the house of Mewar, Rajasthan...
detachment of 4/12 Frontier Force Regiment of the 16th Brigade. Following the fall of Rangoon on March 8, however, the British recognized that Port Blair had become impossible to defend, and on March 10 the Gurkhas were withdrawn to the Arakan peninsula.
The Invasion Force
The Japanese, seeking to secure their seaward flank, dispatched a force to seize the islands on March 23. The force was composed of the following units and ships:
- Distant Cover:
-
- Cruiser (flagship) Chokai
- Carrier Division 4:
-
- Carrier Ryujo (although listed, she did not conduct air operations)
- Cruiser Division 7:
-
- Heavy cruisers- Kumano
Kumano was one of four Mogami-class cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was completed at the Kawasaki Shipyard in Kobe on 31 October 1937. She displaced 13,440 tons with a length of and a beam of , and had a top speed of...
, , Mikuma, Mogami
- Destroyer Division 11:
-
- Destroyers-Fubuki
Fubuki can refer to:* Japanese for blizzard* Fubuki class destroyer - A class of destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy* Japanese destroyer Fubuki - One of the Fubuki class destroyers* Fubuki - A candidate in the eSTREAM cryptography project...
, Hatsuyuki, Shirayuki, MurakamiMurakami is a Japanese surname. It can refer to:-People:*Emperor Murakami, 10th century emperor of Japan*Shingo Murakami , member of the popular Japanese boyband Kanjani8.*Daisuke Murakami, figure skater...
- Close Cover:
- Destroyer Squadron 3
-
- Light cruiser Sendai
was a Sendai-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after the Sendai River in southern Kyūshū.-Background:Sendai was the lead ship of the three vessels completed in her class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship...
- Destroyer Division 19
-
- Destroyers-Isonami
was the ninth of twenty-four destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into services, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world....
, Uranami, Ayanami
- Destroyer Division 20:
-
- Destroyers- Amagiri, Asagiri
Asagiri may refer to:* Asagiri Kogen, a neighbour of Mt. Fuji: Gotenba, Shizuoka* Asagiri, Kumamoto, a town in Japan* Japanese destroyer Asagiri, a World War II IJN ship* Asagiri , a Japanese limited express train* Asagiri Yoshimi, a Japanese writer...
, Yugiri, Shirakumo
- Invasion Force:
- Escort Unit #1
-
- Light cruiser Yura
Yura may refer to:Place*Yura, Wakayama, a town in Japan*Yura District, a district in Peru*Yura Station, a railway station in JapanPeople*Yura Hinata, a seiyū*Yura Kim, an alternate name of Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea...
- Japanese Invasion force
-
- 9 Transports
- 1 Battalion/18th Infantry Division
- Training cruiser Kashii
was the third and final vessel completed of the three light cruisers in Katori class, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It is named after a noted Shinto shrine in Fukuoka, Japan.-Background:...
- Escort ship Shumushu
- Minelayer Hatsutaka
- Converted gunboat Eiko Maru
- Minesweeper Division 1
-
- Special Minesweeper Division 91
-
- Minesweepers- Choko Maru, Shonan Maru #7, Shonan Maru #5
- Air Unit
-
- Seaplane tender Sagara Maru (operated east of the Nicobars)
Japanese Occupation
The Sikh militia offered no resistance to the landings, and were disarmed and interned; many of them later enlisted in the
Indian National ArmyThe Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II.The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
. The British militia officers were sent to Singapore as POWs, whilst Chief Commissioner Waterfall, Deputy Commissioner Major A.G. Bird and the other British administrative officers were imprisoned. Port Blair was occupied on the 23rd. Initially the Japanese released the prisoners held in the Cellular Jail (which had not been used for political prisoners since 1938), one of whom, Pushkar Bagchi, became their principal collaborator. The islands were put under the authority of Colonel Bucho, whilst a number of junior Indian officials in the administration were elevated to more responsible posts. The defence of the islands was assigned to the newly formed fighter squadron of the Kanoya Kokutai based at Tavoy in southern Burma. This fighter squadron was the former "Yamada Unit" under the control of the 22d Koku Sentai, then based at
PenangPenang is a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. Penang is the second smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis, and the eighth most populous...
. Six flying boats from the Toko Kokutai were dispatched on March 26, with twelve more arriving shortly thereafter. Within the islands a Japanese garrison of approximately 600 men, together with the police force, now under Japanese control, were responsible for maintaining order.
'Japanese Army Personnel in Andaman and Nicobar'
- Yoshisuke Inoue: Commanding Officer 35th Independent Mixed Brigade, Andaman Islands
- Toshio Itsuki: Commanding Officer 36th Independent Mixed Brigade, Nicobar Islands
- Hideo Iwakuro
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.-Early career:Iwakuro was born on Kurahashi-jima in the Inland Sea...
: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army
- Major-General Saburo Isoda: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army
Japanese atrocities
The events of the next three years are not easy to establish, as the Japanese destroyed all records when they left. The principal sources are an unpublished report by local resident Rama Krishna:
The Andaman Islands under Japanese Occupation 1942-5, another unpublished account by a British Officer, D. McCarthy:
The Andaman Interlude (he was sent on a secret mission to the islands in 1944), together with the memories of the older inhabitants interviewed by historians. All these, and the published works which draw upon them, are in agreement that the occupation saw numerous atrocities committed by the Japanese against the local population .
The first victim of the occupation came on the fourth day after the Japanese landings. Angered by soldiers who had pursued some chickens into his house, a young man called Zulfiqar Ali fired an airgun at them. No-one was hurt, but he was forced into hiding. After twenty-four hours he was captured and marched to the
maidan in front of the Browning Club. Here his arms were twisted until they broke, and he was then shot. A cement memorial now stands on the spot . In the early days of the occupation local intellectuals (mostly officials and doctors) were encouraged to join
Rash Behari BoseRashbehari Bose Rashbehari Bose ( Rashbihari Boshu) Rashbehari Bose ( Rashbihari Boshu) (May 25, 1886–January 21 1945 was a revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India and was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar conspiracy and later, the Indian National Army.-Early life:...
's
Indian Independence LeagueThe Indian Independence League was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organize those living outside of India into seeking the removal of British colonial rule over India...
, and a 'Peace Committee' was formed from its members, headed by Dr. Diwan Singh. Over the next few months they did what they could to mitigate the suffering of the population at the hands of the Japanese, but to little avail: indeed, many of them would later fall victim themselves. In any case, there was little any of them could have done to save Major A.G. Bird, who had not been sent to Rangoon or
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
like the other British captives, and of whom the Japanese were determined to make an example. Pushkar Bagchi persuaded a fellow convict, Sarup Ram, to bear witness at Bird's 'trial' that he had been spying (wireless parts had been planted in the house where he was imprisoned). It has been suggested that Bagchi had a grudge against Bird for having given him a six-month sentence for theft before the Japanese invasion. According to eyewitnesses Bird, a popular man known as "Chirrie" ('Bird' in
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
) had his arms and legs twisted and broken, and was then beheaded by Colonel Bucho with his sword .
Meanwhile, local women were being 'recruited' by Bagchi to act as "
comfort womenComfort women is a euphemism for women working in military brothels, especially those women who were forced into prostitution as a form of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II....
" for the Japanese garrison, although discontent meant that subsequently Korean and Malay women were brought in instead. Forced labour was used to build a new airport, and in October 1942 mass arrests of 'spies' took place, with 300 people being confined in the Cellular Jail, where some were tortured. Of these seven were shot, including Narayan Rao, who had been Superintendent of Police under Japanese auspices, Itter Singh, the Deputy Superintendent, Subedar Sube Singh of the Militay Police and Dr. Surinder Nag. Realising that the Japanese were targeting influential members of the population, the members of the Indian Independence League grew increasingly nervous, and ceased to engage in much nationalist activity . In 1943 a second reign of terror was unleashed by the new commander of the garrison, Colonel Jochi Renusakai, & Chief of Police Mitsubashi, both of whom had served at Nanking. 600 people were arrested and tortured, including Dr. Diwan Singh, who died as a result of his injuries. At this stage the Japanese decided that Bagchi was no longer useful, and he was imprisoned .
The Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind
On December 29, 1943, political control of the islands was theoretically passed to the Azad Hind government of Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose visited
Port BlairPort Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
to raise the tricolour flag of the Indian National Army. During this, his only visit to the Andamans, he was kept carefully screened from the local population by the Japanese authorities. Various attempts were made to inform him of the sufferings of the people of the Andamans, and the fact that many local Indian Nationalists were at that time being tortured in the
Cellular JailThe Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was completed in 1906...
. Bose does not seem to have been aware of this, and the judgment of some is that he "failed his people" . After Bose's departure the Japanese remained in effective control of the Andamans, and the sovereignty of the
Arzi Hukumat-e Hind was largely fictional . The islands themselves were renamed "Shaheed" and "Swaraj", meaning "martyr" and "self-rule" respectively. Bose appointed General Loganathan as the governor of the islands, and had limited involvement with the administration of the territory. During his interrogation after the war Loganathan admitted that he had only had full control over the islands' vestigial education department, as the Japanese had retained control over the police force, and in protest he had refused to accept responsibility for any other areas of Government. He was powerless to prevent the worst Japanese atrocity of the occupation, the Homfreyganj massacre of the 30th January 1944, where forty-four Indian civilians were shot by the Japanese on suspicion of spying. Many of them were members of the
Indian Independence LeagueThe Indian Independence League was a political organisation operated from the 1920s to the 1940s to organize those living outside of India into seeking the removal of British colonial rule over India...
. Notionally this government continued to administer the islands, which were almost the only territory it ever acquired, until the British retook them in 1945, but in practice little had changed.
The last year
As food became scarcer in 1945, the Japanese resorted to ever more desperate measures. Between 250 and 700 people (estimates vary) from the Aberdeen area of South Andaman were deported to an uninhabited island to grow food. According to a survivor, a released convict called Saudagar Ali, at least half drowned or were eaten by sharks as they were pushed out of boats in the dark, whilst the remainder either died of starvation or were killed by Burmese pirates. A rescue mission sent to the island after the end of the occupation found just twelve survivors, and over a hundred skeletons on the beach. In all, approximately 2,000 people in the Andamans are thought to have died as a result of the occupation, and at least 501 were tortured by the Japanese. The former figure represents 10% of the pre-war population of Port Blair. Casualties on the more sparsely-populated Nicobar islands were fewer, as the Japanese did not have a garrison there, although in 1943 they created a brief reign of terror on Car Nicobar as they rounded up forced labour amongst the Nicobarese. The occupation left a legacy of lasting bitterness towards the Japanese, and to some extent towards their collaborators in the
Arzi-Hukumat-e Azad Hind, amongst the generation which experienced it.