The two additional battalions enabled General Maltby to assign three battalions to the mainland. The original strategy had called for the main defence to be on the island with only one infantry battalion deployed on the mainland for demolition duties and for delaying purposes. The arrival of the Canadians changed the plans for the defence of the colony. All major naval vessels had been withdrawn, and only one destroyer, HMS Thracian, several gunboats and a flotilla of motor torpedo boats remained. Hong Kong also lacked adequate naval defence. An earlier request for a fighter squadron had been rejected, and the nearest fully-operational RAF base was in Kota Bharu, Malaya, nearly 2,250 kilometres away. The Kai Tak Royal Air Force (RAF) base on Hong Kong had only five airplanes: two Walrus amphibians and three Vickers Vildebeeste torpedo bombers, flown and serviced by seven officers andġ08 airmen. The colony had no significant air or naval defence. Indian and Chinese soldiers accounted for 35% of the entire force. There was one battalion of British infantry (the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots), one British machine gun battalion (the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment), and two Indian infantry battalions (5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment). Most of these units were military personnel from either India or China. Along with the Canadians, the military force included the 8th and 12th Coast Regiments, the 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery (RA), the 1st Hong Kong Regiment, the Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery, the 965th Defence Battery, RA, and the 22nd and 40th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers. Maltby had only a total force of some 14,000 soldiers and a token number of naval and air force personnel. The ship had only just reached Manila when the war with Japan began, and the United States forces were given approval to use the Canadian equipment in the defence of the Philippines. However, the 212 vehicles assigned to the force being transported on board the freighter Don Jose never did reach Hong Kong. The Canadians arrived in Hong Kong on November 16. The Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers sailed from Vancouver on October 27, 1941, aboard the Awatea, escorted by HMCS Prince Robert. Canada was asked to provide one or two battalions for that purpose. In September 1941, however, they reversed their decision and argued that additional reinforcements would provide a military deterrent against the Japanese, and reassure Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek that Britain was genuinely interested in defending the colony. Churchill and his army chiefs designated Hong Kong an outpost, and initially decided against sending more troops to the colony. The region is very mountainous, with a total area of about 1,060 square kilometres.īritish Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his chiefs of staff recognized that, in the event of a war with Japan, it would be impossible to hold Hong Kong. The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong consisted of Hong Kong Island and the adjacent mainland areas of Kowloon and the New Territories. There was also one military stowaway who was sent back to Canada. The Canadian contingent was comprised of 1,975 soldiers, which also included two medical officers, two Nursing Sisters, two officers of the Canadian Dental Corps with their assistants, three chaplains, two Auxiliary Service Officers, and a detachment of the Canadian Postal Corps. This was also a good choice because of Lawson's training and experience he was a "Permanent Force" officer and had been serving as Director of Military Training in Ottawa. Command of the Canadian force was assigned to Brigadier J.K. The Royal Rifles were a bilingual unit from the Quebec City area and, together with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, both battalions represented eastern and western regions of Canada. From a national perspective, the choice of battalions was ideal. In October 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were ordered to prepare for service in Those who survived the battle became prisoners of war (POWs) and many endured torture and starvation by their Japanese captors. They had virtually no chance of victory, but refused to surrender until they were overrun by the enemy. The Canadians at Hong Kong fought against overwhelming odds and displayed the courage of seasoned veterans, though most had limited military training. In the Second World War, Canadian soldiers first engaged in battle while defending the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong against a Japanese attack in December 1941.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |