The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Kuala Lumpur (101.690E 3.166N) was the second largest city in Malaya, capital of the Federated Malay States (from 1895), and a major transportation center. The city was founded in 1857 on the site of a tin mine, and tin (30,000 tons a year), tungsten (700 tons a year), and rubber remain central to the local economy. The local airbase was quite modern, with an air search radar.
The city was headquarters of III Corps and the airbase was headquarters of Norgroup.
The city fell to the Japanese on 11 January 1942 and remained in their hands until the final capitulation. The city became a priority target for strategic bombing in February 1945. A raid on 19 February by 49 B-29s of 444 and 468 Groups of 58 Wing damaged 67 per cent of the buildings in the rail yard. Antiaircraft was light and fighter opposition nonexistent. A second raid on 10 March by 468 Group inflicted further damage.
Climate Information:
Elevation 127'
Temperatures: Jan 90/72, Apr 91/74, Jul 90/73, Oct 89/73, record 98/64
Rainfall: Jan 14/6.2, Apr 20/11.5, Jul 12/3.9, Oct 20/9.8 == 96.1" per annum
References
Craven and Cate (1952; accessed 2012-4-20)
Headrick (1994; accessed 2012-4-20)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index
