Battle of Hong Kong order of battle

The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941) was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II.

Allied

Maj. Gen. Christopher Maltby, Garrison Commander

• Garrison Commander & Fortress Command[1][2]

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

The British ground forces consisted of the following units:[3][4][5]

• 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Regiment (Lt. Col. S. E. H. E. White)
• 1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment (Lt. Col. H. W. M. Stewart)
• Royal Rifles of Canada (Lt. Col. W. J. Home)
• Winnipeg Grenadiers (Lt. Col. J. L. R. Sutcliffe)
• 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment (Lt. Col. J. Cadogan-Rawlinson)
• 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (Lt. Col. G. R. Kidd)
• Hong Kong Chinese Regiment (Maj. H. W. A. Mayer)
• Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (Col. Henry B. Rose)
• Royal Artillery (Brigadier Tom McCleod[6])

8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. S. Shaw)

12th Coast Battery (Maj. W. M. Stevenson)

30th Coast Battery (Maj. C. R. Templer)

36th Coast Battery (Capt. W. N. J. Pitt[lower-alpha 1])

12th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Maj. R. L. J. Penfold[lower-alpha 2])

24th Coast Battery (Capt. E. W. S. Anderson[lower-alpha 1])

26th Coast Battery (Lt. A. O. G. Mills[lower-alpha 1])

5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. F. D. Field)

965th Defence Battery, Royal Artillery (Maj. B. T. C. Forrester)

1st Regiment, Hong Kong & Singapore Royal Artillery (Maj. J. C. Yale[lower-alpha 3])

• Royal Engineers (Lt. Col. R. G. Lamb)

HQ Fortress Engineers

22th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. C. E. Grose)

40th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. I. M. Murray)

Royal Engineers Services

Brigades

Infantry may be assigned to one of the two defensive brigades:[1]

• Kowloon Infantry Brigade

Brigadier Cedric Wallis[8]

• Hong Kong Infantry Brigade

Brigadier J. K. Lawson[8]

Headquarters and support corps

British and local forces[9]

• 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

Canadian[10]

• 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[10]

• Indian Hospital Corps
• Indian Medical Service
• Royal Indian Army Service Corps
• Hong Kong Mule Corps RIASC

Civilian

Civilian forces were as follows:[11]

• MI6
• Hong Kong Police Force[lower-alpha 4] (Commissioner of Police John Pennefather-Evans[13])

Indian Company, Police Reserve

Chinese Company, Police Reserve

• Fire Brigade (Jack Fitz-Henry[14])
• Air Raid Precautions
• St. John's Ambulance
• Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes

Auxiliary Services[11]

• 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

Royal Navy

HMS Thracian

Commander: Captain Alfred C. Collinson[7][15]

The Royal Navy presence were as follows:[7][16][17]

• HMS Tamar (shore station)

Royal Marine (Col. R. G. Giles)

• HMS Thracian (Lt. Cdr. A. L. Pears)
• HMS Scout[lower-alpha 5]
• HMS Thanet[lower-alpha 5]
• HMS Tern (Lt. J. Douglas)
• HMS Robin (Cdr. H. M. Montague)
• HMS Redstart
• HMS Cicala (Lt. Cdr. J. C. Boldero)
• 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[19]

• 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[19]

• 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. G. H. Gandy)[7][17][20]

• 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

Ships of the Merchant Navy:[21]

• 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

• Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy (Lt. P. J. Milner-Barry)[7][20]

Supermarine Walrus L2259

Supermarine Walrus L2819

• Hong Kong Station, Royal Air Force (Wng. Cdr. Hubert G. Sullivan)[7][22][23]

Vickers Vildebeest K2924

Vickers Vildebeest K2818

Vickers Vildebeest K6370

• HKVDC Flight (Sq. Ldr. Donald "Sammy" Hill)[7][23]

1 x Avro 621 Tutor

2 x Hornet Moth

2 x Cadet biplanes

Japanese

Ground forces

The Japanese ground forces consisted of the following units:[24][25][26][27]

Lt. Gen. Takashi Sakai, Commander of the 23rd Army

• 23rd Army

Commander: Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai

Chief of Staff: Major General Tadamichi Kuribayashi

Deputy Chief of Staff: Major General Higuchi Keishichiro

• 38th Division

Commander: Lieutenant General Tadayoshi Sano

• Infantry HQ, 38th Division (Maj. Gen. Takeo Itō)
  • 228th Infantry Regiment (Col. Doi Sadashichi)
  • 229th Infantry Regiment (Col. Tanaka Ryosaburo)
  • 230th Infantry Regiment (Col. Toshinari Shōji)
  • 38th Mountain Artillery Regiment (Col. Kanki Takeyoshi)
  • 38th Engineers Regiment (Lt. Col. Iwafuchi Tsuneo)
  • 38th Logistic Regiment (Lt. Col. Yabuta Shūichi)
  • 19th Independent Engineer Regiment (Lt. Col. Inukai Shojiro)
  • 20th Independent Engineer Regiment (Col. Suzukawa Kiyoshi)
  • 2nd Company, 14th Independent Engineering Regiment (Maj. Kusagi Eiichi)
  • 21st Mortar Battalion
  • Signal Corps (Maj. Itō Ryōichi)
• Araki Detachment (Col. Araki Katsutoshi)
  • 66th Infantry Regiment – Less 1 Company
• Attached Force
  • 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (Col. Sawamoto Rikichiro)
  • 20th Independent Mountain Artillery Battalion (Lt. Col. Kajimatsu Jiro)
  • 2nd Independent Rapid Fire Artillery Battalion (Lt. Col. Ohno Takeo)
  • 5th Independent Rapid Fire Artillery Battalion (Maj. Aoki Jiro)
• 1st (Artillery) Battalion (Lt. Gen. Kitajima Kineo)
  • 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment (Col. Hayakawa Yoshimasa)
  • 14th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment (Col. Sato Takeaki)
  • 2nd Battalion Independent Heavy Artillery (Maj. Kanemaru Kiyotoshi)
  • 3rd Battalion Independent Heavy Artillery (Lt. Col. Nukina Hitomi)
  • 2nd Independent Mortar Battalion (Maj. Namimatsu Teiichi)

Other divisional support

• Armour Squadron (Capt. Atami Juro)
• 3rd Transport Regiment (Lt. Col. Kobayashi Otokazu) – Only 3 companies
• 19th Independent Transport Company
• 20th Independent Transport Company
• 21st Independent Transport Company
• 1st River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division
• 2nd River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division
• Ordnance team (Capt. Koide Sadaharu)
• 5th Field Chemical Company (apt. Suzuki Magosaburo)
• 18th Field Chemical Company (Lt. Morimoto Isao)
• Veterinary (Vet. Maj. Hayashi Jiro)
• 1st Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Suzuki Toshimi)
• 2nd Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Itō Takuzō)
• Field Pigeon Carrier Company
• South China MP Platoon (Maj. Noma Kennosuke)
• Medical unit
• Medical unit, 51st Division (Col. Hattori Otokazu) – 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

Seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru

• 2nd China Fleet[28]

Commander: Vice Admiral Masaichi Niimi

Chief of Staff: Brigadier Yasuba Yasuo

• Kamikawa Maru[28][29]

2 x Kawanishi E7K

3 x Kugisho B3Y

Bombardment Group:[28][29]

• Isuzu
• Tsuga
• Ikazuchi
• Inazuma
• Kasasagi
• Hiyodori
• Kari
• Kiji
• Tosho Maru

Attack Group:[29][30]

• Uji
• Hashidate
• Saga
• Arashiyama Maru
• Tsukushi Maru
• Asashi Maru
• Momo Maru
• Ryujin Maru
• Choun Maru No. 7
• Shinsei Maru
• Sozan Maru
• Azuchi Maru
• San Luis Maru
• Shinko Maru
• Toen Maru

Air forces

• 23rd Army Air Unit, 1st Air Group[28][31]
  • 45th Air Regiment (Col. Habu Shuji) – 29 x Kawasaki Ki-32
  • 10th Independent Air Squadron (Maj. Takatsuki Akira) – 13 x Nakajima Ki-27
  • 18th Independent Air Squadron (Capt. Kobayashi Minoru) – 3 x Mitsubishi Ki-15
  • 44th Independent Squadron (Capt. Naito Yoshio) – 6 x Tachikawa Ki-36
  • 47th Air-Field Battalion (Maj. Uemura Sadayu)
  • 67th Air-Field Company, 67th Air Field Battalion (Capt. Kodama Nobunaga)
  • 57th Air-Field Company (2nd Lt. Makita Mitsuhiro) – Elements

See also

• List of orders of battle
• British Forces Overseas Hong Kong
• C Force

Notes

1. Made temporary Major[1]
2. Made temporary Colonel[1]
3. Made temporary Lieutenant-Colonel[7]
4. Designated as "combatants" through the Police (Militia Status) Ordinance, Sept 1941[12]
5. Left for Singapore on the evening of 8 December[7][18]

Citations

1. Lai 2014, p. 22.
2. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 116–127.
3. Banham 2003, pp. 298–301.
4. Lai 2014, pp. 22–23.
5. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 117–126.
6. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 124.
7. Lai 2014, p. 23.
8. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 376.
9. Banham 2003, p. 298.
10. Banham 2003, p. 301.
11. Banham 2003, pp. 304–305.
12. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 321.
13. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 323.
14. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 326.
15. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 127.
16. Banham 2003, pp. 301–302.
17. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 130–131.
18. Banham 2003, p. 31.
19. Banham 2003, p. 302.
20. Banham 2003, p. 303.
21. Banham 2003, pp. 303–304.
22. Banham 2003, p. 304.
23. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 132.
24. Lai 2014, pp. 23–24.
25. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 132–136.
26. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 364–365.
27. JACAR Ref.C13031769200.
28. Lai 2014, p. 24.
29. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, p. 137.
30. Lai 2014, p. 25.
31. Kwong & Tsoi 2013, pp. 138–139.

References

• 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.
• 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.