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| 2012/04/27 00:28:12瀏覽1049｜回應0｜推薦6 | |
My adventure at Gin Drinker's Line - The Defence of Hong Kong in 1941
Before my adventure, I collected and read some historical records and papers associated with the defence of Hong Kong in 1941.
It’s a sunny day. With beautiful sunshine, no clouds in the sky, the wind is whispering in the trees. Everything looks so peaceful and harmonious. I followed the historical track and took a walk on the path at Gin Drinker Line, in Shing Mun Reservoir, and look for an old story, which happened 70 years ago.
Everything needs to go back to the night of Dec. 9th, 1941. Let me describe the event of that day in sequence :
1941, Dec. 9th, 3:00 PM :
Japanese 3rd Battalion, 228th Regiment, has been hiding in the trees on Maclehose Trail Stage 7th , north of Shing Mun Reservoir, and observe the status of UK Royal Scots.
9:00 PM :
The attack starts at 9:00 PM. In the darkness, the Japanese 3rd Battalion of Colonel Doi's 228th Regiment leaves its position. 150 people of the 9th and 10th Companies are assigned to make a attack on the Shing Mun Redoubt.
Japanese quietly and quickly move along on the path of Maclehose Trail Stage 7th, down the old stone steps, and rush to the dam of Shing Mun Reservoir. In front of the big bridge of the Shing Mun Reservoir, it’s very clear to see the Pill-box 402 on the right of the mountain, and Pill-box 401 on the left. The army rush across the bridge of the dam, toward the Shing Mun redoubt.
 (Maclehose Trail Stage 7th)
 ( The 70-year-old stone stages in front of Shing Mun Reservoir)
10:00 PM :
Japanese troop crosses the river south of the dam at the end of Shing Mun Reservoir.
 11:00 PM :
Japanese rush at the Shing Mun Redoubt.
Shing Mun Redoubt is held by A Company, UK Royal Scots 2nd , which is composed of several major tunnels and Pill-box, with trenches linking among each other. Each tunnel has a unique name, most of which correspond to famous streets in London, such as Piccadilly Ave., Oxford St., Regent St., Shaftesbury Ave., Haymarket, and Charing Cross.
( '' Regent St.'' and '' Shaftesbury Ave. '' )
 ( '' Oxford Stteet '' )
It's very dark inside the tunnels. Some sections are full of mud right now after 70 years, so I need to lower down my head and my body to pass through. Furthermore, the tunnel '' Charing Cross '' is fully occupied with water and cannot enter any more.
OP (Observation Post) is the headquarter and communication center of A Company. It has a nickname as well, '' Strand Palace Hotel '', correspond to the famous hotel in London, which still exists today.
( Observation Post, headquarters of A Company ) I checked '' Horror in the East '', a BBC documentary film, and got the words below of Robert Brooke-Popham, the ex-Commander-in-Chief of the British Far East Command before Singapore fell. From his words , we can easily understand the belittling attitude of British toward Japan before 1941. British basically looked down on Japanese's capability to fight a regional war in Asia.
" I had a good view across the barbed wire of various sub-human specimens which I was informed were Japanese soldiers. If these represent the average of the Japanese army I cannot believe they would form an intelligent fighting force. '' (Robert Brooke-Popham, 1941 Jan.)
Japanese attacked the PB401 and PB400 in the beginning of this battle. Due to UK’s disregard of Japanese, it’s easy for Japanese to take these post. Afterwards, they quickly move along with the tunnel '' Piccadilly Avenue ''. A serious fight is proceeding inside the tunnel. There’re lots of gunfire and explosions of grenades between each other. When Japanese enter the tunnel, UK soldier Casey is killed. The other 12 men are captured.
Dec. 10, 1:00 AM :
Japanese 3rd Battalion of 228th Regiment head to the end of the tunnel '' Shaftesbury Avenue''. First Lieutenant Wakabayashi Toichi (若林東一) lead the dagger squard for this attack. Japanese consider they have fully controlled the redoubt and leave a inscription on the wall of the tunnel - '' Captured by Wakabayashi Unit '' (若林隊占領).
 2:00 AM:
Japanese rush at OP (Observation Post).
When Japanese is attacking the tunnel '' Regent Street '' during 11:00 PM, Royal Scots Lieutenant W. Willcocks uses Radio Transmitter to communicate with the artillery position in Stonecutters Island (昂船洲砲兵陣地), and requested artillery fire to attack Japanese in Tunnel '' Regent Palace Hotel ''.
Japanese attack OP at 2:45 AM. They throw grenades into the OP redoubt. The explosion of grenades and gun-fire break the ceiling and walls of the room, and leave lots of rough surface wounds and marks there.
The Japanese blow in the main steel shutter of OP. Two Indian soldiers are killed. A grenade suddenly is thrown from outside. Lieutenant J. Thomson reacts quickly and cover it with his steel helmet. This explosion lead to a mark on the ground. J. Thomson is badly wounded by this explosion.
Dec. 10th 4:00 AM :
Japanese move to attack PB 402. Royal Scots 2nd Sergeant Robb leads 13 people and hold in this position. Robb fight and suppress the fires from Japanese. They replied gun-fire with Vicker’s sub-machine gun and grenades as soon as Japanese rush to here. At 4:30 AM, PB 402, the last position lost. Sergeant Robb and the survivors of 8 Platoon were heading to Rajputs Camp, the middle section of Gin Drinker Line. The whole Shing Mun Deboubt fall to Japanese.
(Pill-box 402) |
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