Indian XXXIII Corps
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The Indian XXXIII Corps was part of Fourteenth Army during World War II.
It was added to the order of battle of Fourteenth Army during the crisis of spring 1944. Reinforcements to protect the lines of communication vital to the airlift into China over the Hump were desperately needed during the Japanese assaults on Kohima and Imphal. A headquarters was also needed to command those reinforcements. XXXIII Corps provided that headquarters.
Its units were concentrated around Dimapur in the spring of 1944, and pressed attacks against the Japanese to help relieve the garrisons of Imphal and Kohima. After the Corps had won through to Imphal and the Japanese thrust had been parried, planning began for a massive general counteroffensive to liberate Burma.
The offensive opened late in 1944 with XXXIII Corps on the left of Fourteenth Army. The Corps swept through Upper Burma with IV Corps on its right flank. Rangoon was captured in early 1945 and after that only mopping up was left in Burma. XXXIII Corp was not destined to take part in those mopping up operations. It was withdrawn back to India to prepare for Operation Zipper, a great amphibious assault to take Malaya.
The dropping of the atomic bombs preempted Zipper, and XXXIII Corps, after occupation duties, was disbanded. It was not until 1962 that the Corps was reestablished, in order to reduce IV Corps area of responsibilities. XXXIII Corps covered Sikkim.
As of 2004 the Corps is based Siliguri.