BAAG Report KWIZ #73 Naval Reports – information about Holt’s Wharf, Taikoo Docks, Aberdeen Dock, Kowloon Wharves and Kowloon Docks
Elizabeth Ride has sent BAAG Report KWIZ #73 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 4th April 2020.
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
- BAAG Report KWIZ #70 Naval Reports – information about Kowloon, Taikoo, Naval and Cosmopolitan dockyards
- BAAG Report KWIZ #71 Naval Reports – information about Aberdeen,Kowloon, Taikoo and Naval dockyards
- BAAG Report KWIZ #72 Naval Reports – information about Cosmopolitan, Kowloon, Taikoo and Naval dockyards and Kowloon wharves
Our Index contains numerous examples of BAAG reports, extracts from them and other articles related to Hong Kong during World War Two.
Another interesting report. The key findings of a large convoy arriving in Hong Kong from Formosa (Takao, now Kaohsiung) on 8 October (NB opening para says 12 Oct) are completely correct. This was convoy MOTA-27 Taihi convoy. MOTA stood for Moji (MO), the place of departure and Takao (TA) the destination. Most of the ships were intended to sail on to manila with troop reinforcements and supplies. The threat of US carrier air raids meant these ships were diverted to Hong Kong.
The reference to ships hiding in bays outside Hong Kong likely confirms that carrier raids on Hong Kong were expected soon. Large air-raids by 14th Airforce bombers based in China were increasing and there was a particularly large and successful raid on shipping on 16 October by B-24 bombers.
Of the ships listed Tozan Maru 斗山丸 built 1920 2604 gross tons is correctly identified. The ship was ex China Navigations Soochow and, somewhat unusually, survived the war only to be mined and sunk a week after war’s end (Soviet Union excepted) on 22 Aug 1945 near Moji. The agent is also correct in the vessel’s arrival date 26 September though the ship came from Yulin, not Formosa.
S/138 is probably Kishu Maru 貴州丸 built 1920, 2548 gross tons. While there were larger steel hulled ships called Kinshu Maru these had been sunk by this time. Kishu Maru was known to be a member of MOTA-27 Taihi convoy.
S/139 is definitely Kine Maru 甲子丸. The ship was built in 1924 and was 2193 gross tons. Whether the ship arrived in MOTA-27 Taihi is unconfirmed…
S/149 is Bunzan Maru 文山丸. This ship was built 1941 and was 1990 gross tons and was bombed and sunk in Kowloon Dock 16 October as referenced above. The ship arrived Hong Kong as part of a remnant of convoy MATA-28 (Manila-Takao) on 11th October.
The other ships are all unidentified. The spreadsheet that was posted under Shipping 10 Aug 2020 lists some of the ships that could have been identified by the agents, Given the danger of the work and the obvious penalty if detected they did a very good job.