BAAG Naval Section Intelligence Summary, late February to mid March 1943, ship repair, maintenance and movements

Elizabeth Ride has sent the Naval section of a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) Waichow Intelligence Summary (WIS 25) dated 27th March 1943. This covers shipping movements in and out of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in World War Two during late February to mid-March 1943. There are a number of Naval Section Intelligence Summaries covering these months which tend to overlap one another.

These reports also describes time spent by vessels undergoing repairs and maintenance in a number of Hong Kong shipyards.

They also offer a wide range of other information including that concerning the Japanese Army and Air Force and other aspects of life in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in which you may be interested. This is not usually included here. To see the full reports please refer to Further Information below.

HF: To aid research I have attempted to summarize and list the most salient points covered in the report under three sections:-

Firstly, Locations mentioned – both shipyards in HK and ports vessels have come from or are going to in South and East Asia.

Secondly, the names of Ships mentioned. This has not always been easy. My inability to read Chinese or Japanese is a clear hindrance. Plus even when in English whether typed or handwritten they are sometimes semi-legible. Any corrections or clarification would be helpful.

Thirdly, under Miscellaneous I have noted any items that I think might be of interest.

Further information regarding subjects mentioned in this report including images of the ships would be very welcome.

Locations: Kowloon Docks, Yokohama, Hainan Island,Canton, Tsingtao, Formosa, Kowloon Wharves, Singapore, Taikoo Godown, Kwangchowwan

Ships mentioned: Armed merchantman Ryoyo Maru, Luzon Maru, Hong Kong Maru, Shing Tin Maru, Khoon Ting Maru, Ke Kut Maru, Kwei Ching Maru, Pak Yeung Maru, Merchant Transport Ship, gunboat No.40, Deatroyers Iko, Tokusei [?], Transport On Lee Maru, Man-O-War, Customs Cruiser Wo Sing, foremer Chinese Maritime Cruiser, , Custom Cruiser Hoi Ping, small gunboat, small transport No.25, Hew Tin Maru, Dairen Maru, Nam Lee Maru

Miscellaneous: Numbers of Japanese employed at the Naval Yard, Naval Police guards, foodstuff, scrap iron, rice, oil, iron plates, Japanese explosives, military supplies,
Construction of aerodrome on Hainan Island

This report contains a section on the Recruitment of Additional Dock Labour at:

the Naval Yard, Kowloon Dock, Fook Tsing Shipyard, Tai Kok Tsui Dock and the Kowloon Government Department Direct Controlled Shipyard

and one on Naval Firing Practice

Further information: