BAAG Report KWIZ #70 Naval Reports – information about Kowloon, Taikoo, Naval and Cosmopolitan dockyards
Elizabeth Ride has sent BAAG Report KWIZ #70, dated 13th October 1944, and noted earlier: After KWIZ #4, the Naval section is not included in the AWM papers, and does not appear again until KWIZ #66, and then in a slightly different format.
HF: I am afraid because of time constraints I am no longer able to summarize and list the most salient points in KWIZ reports as I did with the BAAG Naval Intelligence Reports, many of which are listed in our Index.
HF: If you are able to provide images of vessels or locations mentioned in this report or information about subjects referred to which you think is relevant to our website I would be delighted to hear from you.
The British Army Aid Group (BAAG) was a military intelligence unit which operated in China between March 1942 and December 1945, originally as a branch of MI9. The officers were mainly European men with a Hongkong connection, and the operative agents were mostly local Hongkong men and women who offered their services, often at great risk, in occupied Hongkong and outside, in the fight for the restoration of their home and freedom. Throughout the the war the BAAG provided unique intelligence – military, political and economic – about conditions in both Hongkong and China; they also gave medical and humanitarian assistance to civilians and military alike, and eventually were able to play a part in the restoration of legal rule in Hongkong.
Further information:
- For general information about the Elizabeth Ride collection, her father Sir Lindsay Ride, and the British Army Aid group during WW2 a very useful introduction is through http://gwulo.com/node/13968
- The BAAG papers are kept at the Hong Kong Heritage Project https://www.hongkongheritage.org/Pages/FindingAids/LibraryCollection/Elizabeth_M_Ride_Collection.aspx
Our Index contains several examples of BAAG Naval Section Intelligence Summaries, other BAAG material plus many articles about Hong Kong during the Second World War.
This article was first posted on 24th August 2019.
Related Indhhk articles:
- BAAG Report KWIZ#1, Naval Reports
- BAAG Report KWIZ#2, Naval Reports
- BAAG Report KWIZ#3, Naval Reports
- BAAG Report KWIZ#4, Naval Reports
- BAAG Report KWIZ #66 Naval Reports – information about Taikoo, Aberdeen, Kowloon & Cosmopolitan dockyards
- BAAG Report KWIZ #67 Naval Reports
- BAAG Report KWIZ #68 Naval Reports – sketch plan of Naval Dockyard 1944
- BAAG Report KWIZ #69 Naval Reports
Our Index contains numerous examples of BAAG reports, extracts from them and other articles related to Hong Kong during World War Two.
Several of these sections have been published separately already and I have commented. Additional comments as follows:
KWIZ 70/2 Heikai Maru was completed in Jan 1945 by Taikoo Dockyard and was 2807 gross tons. The ship was bombed and sunk 3/4/45 22.10N 114.10E 8 nautical miles SE of Ngan Chau Island, Hong Kong.
5/87 refers to Shinto Maru 1919 built 1215 tons that was a regular visitor to HK during the war. .The ship was sunk by air attack 6/2/44 at 15.52N 120.57E.
KWIZ 70/6
1 Nichiko Maru is probably Nikko Maru1903 built 5057 tons. See separate comment.
3 Yushuuto Maru is probably a misidentification of Yulin Maru. There were two Yulin Marus with either ship possible.
5 Waraoka is Haruoka Maru ex Kinta 1902 built 1219 gross tons.
8 Neither of the ships identified as possible: Keian Maru or Fukkai (Fukukai) Maru fit. They had either been sunk already or were known to be elsewhere. Numbers were placed on funnels to denote convoy position and were as such temporary.
9 Shoneito Maru is almost certainly Shokai Maru with the second character misidentified. The full name is .. 昭慶丸. The ship was built in 1938 and was 2557 tons. The ship was sunk by USS Spadefish 8/9/44 in 24.45N 123.20E.
12.Hintoto and Katoto Maru were probably the same ship. Identity unknown.
13 Kaiko Maru is correctly identified. There were several ships called Kaiko Maru. This one is likely the 1902 built, 2698 ton ship ex Mary Moller that was known to be in the area at the time.. The suffix is different being 海口丸. The ship was bombed and sunk off Hainan Is 26/10/44 in 20.38N 111.50E.
KWIZ 70/5
1 Umeshima Maru is most likely fisheries protection vessel Umitaka Maru 海鷹丸 built 1943, 754 tons. that survived the war.
2 Kofuku Maru ex Kwong Fook Choong is correctly identified including the characters. Built 1923, 881 tons. The ship survived the war.
3 Koto Maru ex Fatshan is correctly identified. 1933 built 2569 tons. The ship survived the war and had a well known trading history.
Sheet 4
(e) Shinshu Maru. Although engines amidships this ship was a tanker converted from a cargo ship in early 1943. The ship was built in 1933 and was 4182 gross tons. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by USS Bergall 13/10/44 in 11.53N 109.17E.
3b: Shirogane Maru was a passenger ship built 1938, 929 tons on charter to Kanton Naiga Unei Kumiai. The ship later returned to Japan and was bombed and sunk 14/3/45 during the Osaka fireraid.
Sheet 5
c Type F refers to SS-19 a Army landing ship that was built to the hull form of small F type cargo ships. SS-15 was completed in 1945 and was nominally 731 displacement tons. The ship was lost in the war but the exact date and cause is unknown.
d Kaishu Maru is correctly identified. The ship was ex Hang Cheong built 1923 1078 gross tons. The characters shown are correct. The ship survived the war.
e Kainan Maru is correctly identified. Kainan Maru was built in 1939 and was 524 gross tons. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by USS Baya 20/3/45 in 11.18N 108.57E.
.f is a duplication of Kainan Maru above.
Sheet 6
(ii) refers to SS-15 see above
(iii) Akatsuki No.3 (yard number) refers to ex Empire Pagoda. This ship was never completed and was scrapped on the stocks postwar.
(Iv) Gyoko Maru was ex Empire Wall. Same fate as Akatsuki No.3 above.
Cosmopolitan Dock
(a) Anri Maru No.2 was ex the British On Lee and was built 1909, 1026 gross tons. The ship was sunk by bombing during the Carrier raids on Hong Kong 16/1/45. It would be interesting to know when the wreck was salvaged.
4/ Takizawa Maru could be Banei Maru No.6 that arrived from Takao 14/8/44 and departed for Takao 21/8/44. The ship was a steamer built 1917, 1191 gross tons sunk by bombing 25/11/44 off North San Fernando.
Sheet 7
(b) Gyoun Maru is correctly identified. The ship was ex Ethel Moller built 1890 and was 910 gross tons and was sunk by bombing during the US carrier raids at Takao 12/10/44.
(c) Hitsu Maru refers to Nisshin (Nittsu) Maru built 1916, 1171 gross tons. Like Gyoun Maru this ship was a regular visitor to Hong Kong during the war. The ship was sunk by USS Sea Devil in fog 2/4/45 oiff the south Korean coast with no survivors and with a substantial but unknown number of troops onboard.
(d) Eishun Maru was built 1940, 144 gross tons, and was Formosan owned by Nishimori Shunzo with the ON Kan 825. The fate of the vessel is unknown.
(g) Gyokaku Maru was a tug built in 1944. No further details.
Sheet 9
(I) Toko Maru probably refers to Toko Maru No.1 built 1938, 721 gross tons sunk by bombing by US carrier aircraft 9/9/44 off Malipano, Mindanao (claims that the ship was lost later at Manila appear incorrect)
(ii) Hakko Maru was ex Norwegian ship Randi built 1916, 1132 gross tons. The ship was sunk by US carrier aircraft at Mako 12/10/44.
(iii) This ship is unidentified but could be Kamikaze Maru I Go built 1937, 189 gross tons.
(iv) Koichi Maru is probably Tora Maru No.1 第一虎丸 that was known to be in the general area at the time. The ship was finally sunk by bombing 16/5/44 near Moppo (Mokpo), Chosen (Korea).
As you can see if you study the BAAG list closely about 50% are identifiable but the number of those completely accurate is very small. Most of the vessels identified correctly (name and characters) were well known locally owned and based ships that had been taken over by the Japanese.