Hong Kong falls to Japanese invaders
The Japanese invasion began at dawn on December 8, 1941. Aircraft dive-bombed Kai Tak airport, catching the Royal Air Force on the ground. They also attacked shipping in the harbour and strategic targets. Hours before, advance units had crossed the border preparing to sweep towards Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. British units demolished road and rail bridges. 'Early Raids Achieve Poor Results' the Post noted reassuringly next day.
As the Japanese stormed through the New Territories, the paper did its bit for the propaganda effort with headlines such as: 'Futile Raids Give Colony Timely Practice'; 'Vain Bomber Attacks on Warships'.
Rice shops were ordered to stay open and sell stock at fixed prices; hotels were crammed because the government had requisitioned homes. Most Japanese civilians had quietly left Hong Kong in the days before the invasion and the 50 or so who remained were interned. Chinese soldiers who had retreated across the Shenzhen River were recruited as stretcher-bearers by the British Army.
There was hand-to-hand fighting at Shing Mun Reservoir and the boom of guns in artillery duels echoed over the city. Five days after the Japanese invaded, all troops had been withdrawn from Kowloon and were in 'fortress Hong Kong'. British civilians tried to maintain a stiff upper lip with parties in hotel lobbies, but the enemy advance continued.
Troops and the Hong Kong Volunteers braced themselves for landings on Hong Kong Island. On Christmas Day governor Young surrendered. For 1.6 million people, it was the start of a grim occupation.
Japanese capture Guangzhou and Shenzhen