Port Blair was occupied on 23rd March 1942. Japanese had occupied Andaman and Nicobar Islands merely as a strategic territory on the important Indian Ocean battle theater. They had no intention to rule over this stretch. Infact Tojo had promised Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that he would hand over the territorial administration to the Azad Hind provincial Government and Japanese kept their promise. Subhas Chandra Bose set foot on Port Blair in Dec 29, 1943. He named the islands as Shahid and Swaraj Dweeps. He engaged Maj General A.D Loganadhan as the administrator of the occupied territory. Japanese Imperial HQ however retained their strategic control, knowing the significance of this island in the Asian theater. However there were many British spies in the islands who had infiltrated the administration and also tried their best to jeopardize the plans. When the Japanese got to know about their designs they dealt with these spies ruthlessly that would have been construed as harsh measures. Many of them were put to death. Local Indian community were unaware of the espionage activities and they were naturally disturbed and complained to the Azad Hind administration. Loganadhan tried his best to control the Japanese atrocities and to bring peace but his efforts failed. Apart from being a territory under the provincial Government, Andamans had no special significance for Subhas Chandra Bose as he did not have a Navy or Airforce of his own to control the island. He only had a territorial army that could cross over to India from Burma. So he left it for the Japanese to manage atleast until the war while he would focus on the areas more strategic from his perspective. There are evidences as well as testimonies of a reign of terror of the Japanese militia in these parts in which many innocent civilians had suffered.
On 7th October 1945 the islands were surrendered to the British Government by the Japanese.
