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Start of the War
The attack started at 7:30 am December 8th 1941, and the Japanese Air Force destroyed what aircraft the British had at Kai Tak airport. -
Advancing 15 miles into Hong Kong
By December 10th, the Japanese had advanced fifteen miles into Hong Kong. The strongest part of ‘Gindrinkers Line’ was captured, called Shing Mun Redoubt, and this part gave the Japanese a good view over the east line of Hong Kong. There was no counter-attack to re-capture back Shing Mun Redoubt, as the people that was saved from Shing Mun Redoubt suffered from a bad fever caused by mosquitoes. -
Advancing 15 miles into Hong Kong part2
It was reported back to Major General Maltby that the reason they are not counter attacking, was the battalion commander of the Royal Scots saying that he had no confidence that the attack would succeed, and it seemed useless to force a battalion commander to release a plan that he wasn't confident in. -
Loss of Shing Mun
With the loss of Shing Mun, Maltby had to put his plan into action to withdraw all forces from the mainland onto Hong Kong Island. -
Royal Scots withdrawn to Kowloon
The Royal Scots were withdrawn to Kowloon to add defences to Hong Kong Island while stores and equipment were moved to the island. They had to fight against a huge Japanese attack but they still kept their line. -
Oil Tanks and dockyards destroyed
The oil tanks and dockyards in Kowloon was destroyed, and the merchant ships were all scuttled around. They were trying to do a withdrawal around Hong Kong but they left out one big mistake, there was a large amount of junk around that was not destroyed on the mainland, and the Japanese used those to cross Hong Kong. -
Hong Kong Island Surrounded
With Hong Kong island surrounded, the Japanese commander, Lieutenant-General Taikaishi Sakai, called for the island to surrender, or it will be bombarded and destroyed by artillery and air-bombardments. Sir Mark Young, the island's governor, refused to surrender and the bombardments commensed on Hong Kong Island. -
During the bombardments.
While Maltby prepared his defences they were under constant bombardment. Defensive positions were destroyed along with all the searchlights on the northern shore, and the bombardment continued. -
Attack started
The Japanese crossed the Lei U Mun Strait, the part where seperated Hong Kong from Devil's peak,using the junk that had not been destroyed on the mainland, and the Japanese captured 3 miles of shore, and Sai Wan. -
Counter-Attack
Maltby launched a counter-attack against the Japanese attackers that they know about, but little was gained from that attack. If they tried to drive the Japanese away from Hong Kong, it was a fail. What they did succeed was stopping the Japanese advancing any more further west, but the Japanese pushed more south and threatened to cut Maltby's force in two. -
Defending the island.
Hong Kong island's defenders fought as best as they can, but the Japanese's force was a force they could not resist. Maltby's men ran short of fresh water and food. -
Major inroads into Hong Kong
On Christmas day at 9:00 am, Maltby tried to persuade the Govenor and the Defence Council that any other further resistance and defence on the island, will just lead to more deaths. But the Defence Council refused to talk any way of surrendering, but during Midday, the Japanese made major inroads into Hong Kong into the positisns that Maltby's men was holding. -
Surrender!
Finally, Maltby persuaded the Govenor to surrender Hong Kong island, because Maltby's major concern was the civil population decreasing in Hong Kong if they didnt give up. The invasion lasted 18 days.
