Battle of Hong Kong order of battle
Appearance
The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941) was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II.
Allied
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/ChrisMaltby.jpg)
- General Officer Commanding, Hong Kong: Major General Christopher Maltby
- Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General: Brig. Andrew Peffers
- General Staff Officer, I: Col. Lancey Newnham
Ground forces
[edit]The British ground forces consisted of the following units:[3][4][5][6]
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (Lt. Col. Simon E. H. E. White)
- 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Lt. Col. Henry W. M. Stewart)
- Royal Rifles of Canada (Lt. Col. William J. Home)
- Winnipeg Grenadiers (Lt. Col. John L. R. Sutcliffe)
- 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment (Lt. Col. John. Cadogan-Rawlinson)
- 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (Lt. Col. Gerald R. Kidd)
- Hong Kong Chinese Regiment (either Major H. W. A. Mayer or Major. Rodney W. Mayer)
- Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps[6] (Col. Henry B. Rose)
- Infantry companies No. 1–7
- Artillery batteries 1st–5th
- Field Company Engineers
- Signals
- Armoured Car Platoon
- Army Service Corps Company
- Dispatch Sections
- Hughes Group
- Field Ambulance unit (Lt. Col. Lindsay Ride)
- St. John's Ambulance
- Royal Artillery (Brigadier Tom McCleod[7])
- 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. Shelby Shaw)
- 12th Coast Battery (Maj. W. M. Stevenson)
- 30th Coast Battery (Maj. C. R. Templer)
- 36th Coast Battery (Capt. W. N. J. Pitt[a])
- 12th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Maj. Richard L. J. Penfold[b])
- 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[6] (Lt. Col. Fred D. Field)
- 7th Battery
- 17th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 18th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 5th HKVDC Battery
- 965 Defence Battery, Hong Kong–Singapore Royal Artillery (Maj. Basil T. C. Forrester)
- 1st Regiment, Hong Kong–Singapore Royal Artillery[6] (Maj. John C. Yale[c])
- 1st Mountain Battery
- 2nd Mountain Battery
- 3rd Medium Battery
- 4th Medium Battery
- 25th Medium Battery
- 26th Coast Battery
- 17th Anti-Aircraft Gun Battery
- 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. Shelby Shaw)
- Royal Engineers China Command[6] (Col. Esmond H. M. Clifford[6])
- HQ Fortress Engineers
- 22nd Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. C. E. Grose)
- 40th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. I. M. Murray)
- Royal Engineers Services
Brigades
[edit]Infantry may be assigned to one of the two defensive brigades:[1]
- Kowloon Infantry Brigade
- Brigadier Cedric Wallis[9]
- Hong Kong Infantry Brigade
- Brigadier J. K. Lawson[9]
Headquarters and support corps
[edit]British and local forces[10]
- Headquarters, China Command
- Head Quarters
- G
- Admin
- A
- Q
- Command Royal Artillery
- Command Engineers
- Command Signals
- Command RASC
- Command Ordnance
- Medical Service Branch
- Financial Advisor & Army Audit Staff
- Provost Marshall — Corps of Military Police
- 2nd Echelon
- Royal Army Service Corps (Lt. Col. Keble Theodore Andrews-Levinge)[6]
- Royal Army Ordnance Corps (Lt. Col. Robert Macpherson)[6]
- Royal Army Medical Corps[6]
- Royal Corps of Signals (Lt. Col. Eustance Levett)[6]
Canadian[11]
- Canadian staff
- Corps of Military Staff Clerks
- Canadian Provost Corps
- Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
- Canadian Army Dental Corps
- Canadian Service
- Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
- Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
- Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps
- Canadian Postal Corps
- Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
- Canadian Chaplains Service
- Canadian Auxiliary Services
Indian[11]
- Indian Hospital Corps
- Indian Medical Service
- Royal Indian Army Service Corps
- Hong Kong Mule Corps RIASC
Civilian
[edit]Civilian forces were as follows:[12]
- MI6
- Hong Kong Police Force[d] (Commissioner of Police John Pennefather-Evans[14])
- Indian Company, Police Reserve
- Chinese Company, Police Reserve
- Fire Brigade (Jack Fitz-Henry[15])
- Air Raid Precautions
- St. John's Ambulance
- Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
Auxiliary Services[12]
- Auxiliary Services
- Auxiliary Communications Service
- Auxiliary Conservancy Corps
- Auxiliary Civil Pay and Accounts Service
- Auxiliary Fire Service
- Auxiliary Labour Corps
- Auxiliary Medical Corps
- Auxiliary Nursing Service
- Auxiliary Ordnance Corps
- Auxiliary Quartering Corps
- Auxiliary Public Works Corps
- Auxiliary Rescue and Demolition Corps
- Auxiliary Supply Corps
- Auxiliary Transport Service
Naval forces
[edit]Royal Navy
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/HMS_Thracian-_IJN_Patrol_Boat_No._101.jpg/220px-HMS_Thracian-_IJN_Patrol_Boat_No._101.jpg)
Commander: Captain Alfred C. Collinson[8][16]
The Royal Navy presence were as follows:[8][17][18]
- Royal Marine detachment (Maj. Farrington)[6]
- HMS Tamar (shore station)
- HMS Thracian (Lt. Cdr. Arthur Luard Pears[6])
- HMS Scout[e] (Lt. Cdr. Hedworth Lambton[6])
- HMS Thanet[e] (Lt. Cdr. Bernard Davies[6])
- HMS Tern (Lt. John Douglas[6])
- HMS Robin (Cdr. Hugh M. Montague[6])
- HMS Redstart (Lt. Cdr. Henry C. S. Collingwood-Selby[6])
- HMS Cicala (Lt. Cdr. John C. Boldero[6])
- HMS Moth (Lt. Cdr. R. C. Creer)
- Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Lt. Cdr. R. J. D. Vernall)
- Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
- Royal Naval Dockyard Police
- Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps (Maj. D. Campbell)
Auxiliary patrol vessels[20]
- APV Minnie
- APV Margaret
- APV St. Aubin
- APV St. Sampson
- APV Indira
- APV Henriette
- APV Shun Wo
- APV Han Wo
- APV Frosty
- APV Poseidon
- APV Ho Hsing
- APV Teh Hsing
- APV Chun Hsing
- APV Perla
Minor vessels[20]
- APV Stanley
- APV Britannia
- HMS Barlight
- HMS Aldgate
- HMS Watergate
- HMS Cornflower
- Naval Armament Tug Gatling
- Jeanette
- RFA Ebonol
- C410
- Minelayer Man Yeung
- HMT Alliance
- Poet Chaucer
- Waterboat Wave
- SS Matchlock
- Diesel Launch Ah Ming
2nd MTB Flotilla (Lt. Cdr. Gerrard H. Gandy)[8][18][21][6]
- MTB 07 (Lt. R. R. W. Ashby)
- MTB 08 (Lt. L. D. Kilbee)
- MTB 09 (Lt. A. Kennedy)
- MTB 10 (Lt. Cdr. G. H. Gandy)
- MTB 11 (Lt. C. J. Collingwood)
- MTB 12 (Sub-Lt. J. B. Colls)
- MTB 26 (Lt. D. W. Wagstaff)
- MTB 27 (Lt. T. M. Parsons)
Merchant Navy
[edit]Ships of the Merchant Navy:[22]
- SS An Jou
- SS Apoey
- SS Ben Nevis
- SS Cheng Tu
- SS Fausang
- SS Fook On
- SS Glen Moor
- SS Henry Keswick
- SS Hsin Fuli
- SS Kanchow
- SS Kau Tung
- SS Mausang
- SS Nanning
- SS Patricia Moller
- SS Shun Chih
- SS Soochow
- SS St. Vincent De Paul
- SS Tai Ming
- SS Taishan
- MV Tantalus
- SS Tung On
- SS Whithorn
- SS Yat Shing
Air forces
[edit]- Supermarine Walrus L2259
- Supermarine Walrus L2819
- Vickers Vildebeest K2924
- Vickers Vildebeest K2818
- Vickers Vildebeest K6370
- 1 x Avro 621 Tutor
- 2 x Hornet Moth
- 2 x Cadet biplanes
Japanese
[edit]Ground forces
[edit]The Japanese ground forces consisted of the following units:[25][26][27][28]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Sakai_Takashi.jpg/220px-Sakai_Takashi.jpg)
- Commander: Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai
- Chief of Staff: Major General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
- Deputy Chief of Staff: Major General Keishichiro Higuchi
- Commander: Lieutenant General Tadayoshi Sano
- Infantry HQ, 38th Division (Maj. Gen. Takeo Itō)
- 228th Infantry Regiment (Col. Sadashichi Doi[6])
- 229th Infantry Regiment (Col. Ryosaburo Tanaka)
- 230th Infantry Regiment (Col. Toshinari Shōji)
- 38th Mountain Gun Regiment[6] (Col. Takekichi Kamiyoshi[6])
- 38th Engineers Regiment (Lt. Col. Tsuneō Iwabuchi[6])
- 38th Logistic Regiment (Lt. Col. Shūichi Yabuta)
- 19th Independent Engineer Regiment (Lt. Col. Shoshirō Inukai[6])
- 20th Independent Engineer Regiment (Col. Kiyoshi Suzukawa)
- 2nd Company, 14th Independent Engineering Regiment (Maj. Eiichi Kusagi)
- 21st Independent Mortar Battalion (Maj. Shigeo Okamoto)[6]
- Signal Corps (Maj. Ryōichi Itō)
- Araki Detachment (Col. Masatoshi Araki[6])
- 66th Infantry Regiment – Less 1 Company
- Attached Force
- 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment (Col. Masayoshi Hayakawa[6])
- 14th Heavy Field Gun Regiment[6] (Col. Takeaki Satō)
- 2nd Independent Heavy Artillery Battalion (Maj. Kiyotoshi Kanamaru[6])
- 3rd Independent Heavy Artillery Battalion (Lt. Col. Hitomi Kanmei[6])
- 2nd Heavy Mortar Battalion (Maj. Deiichi Namimatsu[6])
Other divisional support
[edit]- Armour Squadron (Capt. Jūrō Atami)
- 3rd Transport Regiment (Lt. Col. Otokazu Kobayashi) – Only 3 companies
- 19th Independent Transport Company
- 20th Independent Transport Company
- 21st Independent Transport Company
- 1st River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division (Lt. Hiroshi Furumori[6])
- 2nd River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division (Lt. Eda Asao[6])
- Ordnance team (Capt. Sadaharu Koide)
- 5th Field Gas Company[6] (Capt. Magosaburō Suzuki)
- 18th Field Gas Company[6] (Lt. Isamu Morimoto[6]
- Veterinary (Vet. Maj. Jiro Hayashi)
- 1st Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Toshimi Suzuki)
- 2nd Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Takuzō Itō)
- Field Pigeon Carrier Company
- South China MP Platoon (Maj. Kennosuke Noma)
- Medical unit
- Medical unit, 51st Division (Col. Otokazu Hattori) – Only 1/3 of the unit
- 17th Field Water Purification and Supply Unit
- Army signal corps
- Two radio signal platoons
- One wire signal platoon
Naval forces
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Kamikawa-maru_1939.jpg/220px-Kamikawa-maru_1939.jpg)
- Commander: Vice Admiral Masaichi Niimi
- Chief of Staff: Brigadier Yasuo Yasuba
- 2 x Kawanishi E7K
- 3 x Kugisho B3Y
Air forces
[edit]- 23rd Army Air Unit, 1st Air Group[29][32]
- 45th Flying Sentai[6] (Col. Shuji Habu) – 29 x Kawasaki Ki-32
- 10th Independent Chutai[6] (Maj. Akira Takatsuki) – 13 x Nakajima Ki-27
- 18th Independent Chutai (Capt. Minoru Kobayashi) – 3 x Mitsubishi Ki-15
- 44th Independent Squadron (Capt. Yoshio Naito) – 6 x Tachikawa Ki-36
- 47th Air-Field Battalion (Maj. Sadayu Uemura)
- 67th Air-Field Company, 67th Air Field Battalion (Capt. Nobunaga Kodama)
- 57th Air-Field Company (2nd Lt. Mitsuhiro Makita) – Elements
- 14th Flying Sentai[6]
- Kanoya Air Group[6]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Lai 2014, p. 22.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 116–127.
- ^ Banham 2003, pp. 298–301.
- ^ Lai 2014, pp. 22–23.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 117–126.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax Kwong, C.M. (2021). "The Battle of Hong Kong 1941: A Spatial History Project". Hong Kong Baptist University Library, History in Data. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 124.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lai 2014, p. 23.
- ^ a b Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 376.
- ^ Banham 2003, p. 298.
- ^ a b Banham 2003, p. 301.
- ^ a b Banham 2003, pp. 304–305.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 321.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 323.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 326.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 127.
- ^ Banham 2003, pp. 301–302.
- ^ a b Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 130–131.
- ^ Banham 2003, p. 31.
- ^ a b Banham 2003, p. 302.
- ^ a b Banham 2003, p. 303.
- ^ Banham 2003, pp. 303–304.
- ^ Banham 2003, p. 304.
- ^ a b Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 132.
- ^ Lai 2014, pp. 23–24.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 132–136.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 364–365.
- ^ Ref.C13031769200、第38師団香港攻略戦 戦闘詳報 昭和16年11月30日~16年12月29日. Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (in Japanese). National Institute for Defense Studies, Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ a b c d Lai 2014, p. 24.
- ^ a b c Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 137.
- ^ Lai 2014, p. 25.
- ^ Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 138–139.
Bibliography
[edit]- Banham, Tony (2003). Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941. UBC Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-1045-6.
- Kwong, Chi Man; Tsoi, Yiu Lun (2013). 孤獨前哨: 太平洋戰爭中的香港戰役 [Exposed Outpost: the Battle of Hong Kong in the Pacific War] (in Chinese). Hong Kong: Cosmos Books Ltd. ISBN 9789888254347.
- Lai, Benjamin (2014-06-20). Hong Kong 1941–45: First strike in the Pacific War. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-269-7.