Aircraft from the Japanese carrier Ryujo’s

Aircraft from the Japanese carrier Ryujo’s were employed to raid Vizagapatam (now Vishakhapatnam) and Cocanada (Kakinada), both towns of about 40,000 people, the first ever air raids on India. Information on these raids is scarce but it is known that Ryojo launched three strikes of five Type 97s each at the following times to attack these ports:

- 1143: five Type 97s armed with one 250 kg bomb and four 60 kg bombs. These aircraft attacked Vizagapatam between 1300 and 1345.

- 1330: two Type 97s armed with one 800 kg bomb each, three armed with one 250 kg bomb and four 60 kg bombs each. This strike attacked Cocanada, probably from 1405 to 1454.

- 1655: five Type 97s armed with one 250 kg bomb and four 60 kg bombs each. This strike hit Vizagapatam, probably between 1725 and 1745.
Information about the raid on Cocanada is very sparse. A report in The Hindu says that two ships were damaged, but this is not confirmed.It is certain that neither ship was sunk, however.

Below ---- Rare pic of Vizagapatam under attack by B5Ns from Ryujo on 6 April 1942