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

Elizabeth Ride has sent the Naval section of a British Army Aid Group (BAAG) Waichow Intelligence Summary (WIS No.21) dated 1st March 1943. This covers shipping movements in and out of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in World War Two during late February 1943.

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: Hong Kong Naval Yard, Kowloon Naval Yard

Ships mentioned: submarines, transports, supply ships, two destroyers,police guard boats, East Ocean Maru, Hip Shing Maru, Su La Si Ah Ng, Hea Fu Tu Ko – Ta, HMS Moth

HMS Moth HF: “One of the first tasks, [after the Japanese occupation], was to restore the R.N. gunboat, H.M.S. Moth, scuttled in Hong Kong dockyard?during the battle. She was refloated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (I.N.J.) 2nd Construction Department.

On July 1, 1942 she was commissioned in the Japanese navy, renamed I.J.N. Suma and used delivering weaponry along the River Yangtze to occupying Japanese forces. She was sunk by a mine in the river…on March 19,1945.” (1)

HMS Moth in service as the IJN Suma.

Miscellaneous:List of armaments and Guns having their repairs completed

Further information: