Air Raids in Hong Kong during the Pacific War

May 17, 2022 Tymon Shipyards + Shipping

Tymon Mellor: With the threat of a war, it was recognised that Hong Kong would be susceptible to air raids. The British Colony was a key logistics hub for Asia and the deep-water port made it ideal for marine traffic. The territory was initially subject to Japanese raids in 1941 then American lead bombing from 1942 until the conclusion of the war in 1945.

As early as 1936, combined military exercises were being undertaken to prepare for an air attack[i] by dropping small bags of flour from planes. The first real test came at 8am on the 8 December, 1941 when 12 bombers and 36 fighters from the Japanese Air Force attacked Kai Tak aerodrome. The raid destroyed all five RAF planes parked on the airfield along with most of the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) planes. The remaining three CNAC planes were flown out that night evacuating the 275 CNAC personnel[ii].

Further Japanese raids occurred on the south side of the island and on shipping within the harbour[iii]. The civilian population took to the recently constructed Air Raid Precaution tunnels for shelter.

With the fall of Hong Kong on the 25 Dec, 1941, Victoria Harbour became a major logistics base for the Japanese military and an obvious target for the Allied forces. Thus, the US Army Air Force carried out air-raids from October 1942 to June 1945, primarily targeting Japanese cargo ships Kai Tak aerodromeand supporting infrastructure [iv].

Following the liberation of Hong Kong on the 30 August 1945, a survey was undertaken to assess the extent of bomb damage to the Colony’s infrastructure. A simple report along with marked up aerial images was prepared by the 12 September 1945[v]. A copy of the report and images are shown below.

Many of the targets were ships at anchor in the harbour, where the bombs failed to explode, and they became buried in the soft marine mud of the sea bed. With the extensive reclamation of the 1980s and 90s these bombs are now being found in the deep excavations associated with new buildings and the Shatin to Central Link stations. More will be found as we live with the legacy of war.