World War 2 era bunker surfaces on Visakhapatnam’s shore

Visakhapatnam has been an important city for trade and transport on the Indian coastline for centuries. Several wrecked ships and historic bunkers have made their way to Vizag’s shores in the past after being lost at sea for decades. In the latest, a new World War 2 era bunker washed up onto the Visakhapatnam shore near the Panduranga Swamy temple. The city’s historians have revealed that these bunkers are situated in large numbers between Yaarada and Bheemili.

Many individuals rushed to the beach to witness the bunker from World War 2, the piece of the history of Visakhapatnam. Several centuries-old bunkers have been lost on Vizag’s coastline, which are now surfacing due to changes in the weather. During World War 2, these bunkers were used to fortify the shore by the British to resist invasion by Japan. As anticipated, Japanese Aircraft from Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo’s force attacked Vizag in 1942. The main target of the raids appeared to be the new harbour, the new Scindia Shipyard, the powerhouse, and steamers in port.

In February this year, city-based scuba diving school, LiveIn Adventures, had a brush with long-lost history when they discovered a 100-year-old ship at the Baruva coast in Srikakulam. The British-era shipwreck named ‘Chilka’ had reportedly sunk in 1917 and was lost at sea since. It was revealed that Chilka had apparently belonged to the British India Navigation Company and was en route to, the then, Rangoon. However, it, unfortunately, capsized in a fire accident. The ship was carrying nearly 1600 passengers on board when it sank, killing 81.

The shipwreck when discovered in February was covered in sand, dense fungus, and other live corals. The divers opined that the wreck site, just 400 meters away from the shore, would be an excellent diving point for tourists to discover. Previously, two other shipwrecks at Chintapalli and Mangamaripeta were discovered by the same group of divers.