Hong Kong The Pacific and Dieppe Battle of
Hong Kong, The Pacific and Dieppe
Battle of Hong Kong o Britain wanted to reinforce its colony, Hong Kong – fear of a Japanese attack o Canada loaned 2 battalions: 1, 975 personal). They were under trained o Canada believed there would be plenty of time to get its troops in Hong Kong battle ready. Canadians arriving in Hong Kong November 1941
Dec 7, 1941 Mass Japanese offensive o Japanese attacked U. S. A. – Pearl Harbor, Malaya, the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island Hong Kong o USA joins the war o Canadians see combat for the first time in WW 2
Hong Kong o December 8 -25, 1941 o A quick and decisive victory for the Japanese. The Canadian rookies were no match for the battle ready and hardened Japanese o Canadians surrendered on Christmas day, 1941 – “Black Christmas”
Battle of Hong Kong aftermath o 3 years, 8 months of Japanese Imperial rule in Hong Kong o Japanese army terrorized local populations (murder, rape, looting) o 1, 689 Canadians became POWs. It's thought that 1, 405 survived the camps in Hong Kong and Japan. They would be liberated in August 1945 when the Japanese surrender
Dieppe – Summer 1942
1942 o Churchill created the Combined o Operations- Army, Navy and Air forces working together o 1942 leaked very bleak for the allies- Pearl Harbour, Nazis in Africa, U-Boats in the Atlantic, Japan conquering Asia, USSR on the verge of collapse (Operation Barbarossa)
Why Dieppe? o 65 miles from Kent, UK- easy air cover o Believed to be lightly defended from 1940 reconnaissance o Good testing ground for amphibious raid o 1940 - Operation Rudder- 1942 Operation Jubilee
The Invasion
- Slides: 10