Hong Kong 1941-45: First Strike In The Pacific War

On December 8, 1941, as part of the simultaneous attack against Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) invaded the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia and the British colony of Hong Kong. After only 18 days of battle the defenders, a weak, undermanned brigade was overwhelmed by a superior force of two battle-harden IJA divisions. What makes the battle of Hong Kong was not the scale, but the intensity of this battle fought not only by the British Army, Navy, and Air Force, but also Canadians, Hong Kong`s own defense force, the Indian Army, as well as many civilians.