Battle of Hong Kong order of battle

The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941) was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II.

Allied

 * Garrison Commander & Fortress Command
 * General Officer Commanding, Hong Kong: Major General Christopher Maltby
 * Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General: Brig. Andrew Peffers
 * General Staff Officer, I: Col. Lancey Newnham

Ground forces
The British ground forces consisted of the following units:
 * 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots (Lt. Col. Simon E. H. E. White)
 * 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Lt. Col. Henry W. M. Stewart)
 * Royal Rifles of Canada (Lt. Col. William J. Home)
 * Winnipeg Grenadiers (Lt. Col. John L. R. Sutcliffe)
 * 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment (Lt. Col. John. Cadogan-Rawlinson)
 * 2nd Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (Lt. Col. Gerald R. Kidd)
 * Hong Kong Chinese Regiment (either Major H. W. A. Mayer or Major. Rodney W. Mayer)
 * Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (Col. Henry B. Rose)
 * Infantry companies No. 1–7
 * Artillery batteries 1st–5th
 * Field Company Engineers
 * Signals
 * Armoured Car Platoon
 * Army Service Corps Company
 * Dispatch Sections
 * Hughes Group
 * Field Ambulance unit (Lt. Col. Lindsay Ride)
 * St. John's Ambulance


 * Royal Artillery (Brigadier Tom McCleod)
 * 8th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. Shelby Shaw)
 * 12th Coast Battery (Maj. W. M. Stevenson)
 * 30th Coast Battery (Maj. C. R. Templer)
 * 36th Coast Battery (Capt. W. N. J. Pitt)
 * 12th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (Maj. Richard L. J. Penfold)
 * 24th Coast Battery (Capt. E. W. S. Anderson)
 * 26th Coast Battery (Lt. A. O. G. Mills)
 * 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (Lt. Col. Fred D. Field)
 * 7th Battery
 * 17th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 18th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
 * 5th HKVDC Battery
 * 965 Defence Battery, Hong Kong–Singapore Royal Artillery (Maj. Basil T. C. Forrester)
 * 1st Regiment, Hong Kong–Singapore Royal Artillery (Maj. John C. Yale)
 * 1st Mountain Battery
 * 2nd Mountain Battery
 * 3rd Medium Battery
 * 4th Medium Battery
 * 25th Medium Battery
 * 26th Coast Battery
 * 17th Anti-Aircraft Gun Battery


 * Royal Engineers China Command (Col. Esmond H. M. Clifford )
 * HQ Fortress Engineers
 * 22nd Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. C. E. Grose)
 * 40th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Maj. D. I. M. Murray)
 * Royal Engineers Services

Brigades
Infantry may be assigned to one of the two defensive brigades:
 * Kowloon Infantry Brigade
 * Brigadier Cedric Wallis


 * Hong Kong Infantry Brigade
 * Brigadier J. K. Lawson

Headquarters and support corps
British and local forces • Headquarters, China Command

• Head Quarters

• G

• Admin

• A

• Q

• Command Royal Artillery

• Command Engineers

• Command Signals

• Command RASC

• Command Ordnance

• Medical Service Branch

• Financial Advisor & Army Audit Staff

• Provost Marshall — Corps of Military Police

• 2nd Echelon

• Royal Army Service Corps (Lt. Col. Keble Theodore Andrews-Levinge)

• Royal Army Ordnance Corps (Lt. Col. Robert Macpherson)

• Royal Army Medical Corps

• Royal Corps of Signals (Lt. Col. Eustance Levett) Canadian • Canadian staff

• Corps of Military Staff Clerks

• Canadian Provost Corps

• Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

• Canadian Army Dental Corps

• Canadian Service

• Royal Canadian Corps of Signals

• Royal Canadian Army Service Corps

• Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps

• Canadian Postal Corps

• Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps

• Canadian Chaplains Service

• Canadian Auxiliary Services Indian • Indian Hospital Corps

• Indian Medical Service

• Royal Indian Army Service Corps

• Hong Kong Mule Corps RIASC

Civilian
Civilian forces were as follows:
 * MI6
 * Hong Kong Police Force (Commissioner of Police John Pennefather-Evans)
 * Indian Company, Police Reserve
 * Chinese Company, Police Reserve

Auxiliary Services • Auxiliary Services
 * Fire Brigade (Jack Fitz-Henry)
 * Air Raid Precautions
 * St. John's Ambulance
 * Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes

• Auxiliary Communications Service

• Auxiliary Conservancy Corps

• Auxiliary Civil Pay and Accounts Service

• Auxiliary Fire Service

• Auxiliary Labour Corps

• Auxiliary Medical Corps

• Auxiliary Nursing Service

• Auxiliary Ordnance Corps

• Auxiliary Quartering Corps

• Auxiliary Public Works Corps

• Auxiliary Rescue and Demolition Corps

• Auxiliary Supply Corps

• Auxiliary Transport Service

Royal Navy
Commander: Captain Alfred C. Collinson

The Royal Navy presence were as follows: Auxiliary patrol vessels • APV Minnie
 * Royal Marine detachment (Maj. Farrington)
 * HMS Tamar (shore station)
 * HMS Thracian (1920) (Lt. Cdr. Arthur Luard Pears )
 * HMS Scout (H51) (Lt. Cdr. Hedworth Lambton )
 * HMS Thanet (H29) (Lt. Cdr. Bernard Davies )
 * HMS Tern (1927) (Lt. John Douglas )
 * HMS Robin (T65) (Cdr. Hugh M. Montague )
 * HMS Redstart (M62) (Lt. Cdr. Henry C. S. Collingwood-Selby )
 * HMS Cicala (Lt. Cdr. John C. Boldero )
 * HMS Moth (1915) (Lt. Cdr. R. C. Creer)
 * Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Lt. Cdr. R. J. D. Vernall)
 * Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
 * Royal Naval Dockyard Police
 * Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps (Maj. D. Campbell)

• APV Margaret

• APV St. Aubin

• APV St. Sampson

• APV Indira

• APV Henriette

• APV Shun Wo

• APV Han Wo

• APV Frosty

• APV Poseidon

• APV Ho Hsing

• APV Teh Hsing

• APV Chun Hsing

• APV Perla Minor vessels • APV Stanley

• APV Britannia

• HMS Barlight

• HMS Aldgate

• HMS Watergate

• HMS Cornflower

• Naval Armament Tug Gatling

• Jeanette

• RFA Ebonol

• C410

• Minelayer Man Yeung

• HMT Alliance

• Poet Chaucer

• Waterboat Wave

• SS Matchlock

• Diesel Launch Ah Ming 2nd MTB Flotilla (Lt. Cdr. Gerrard H. Gandy)
 * MTB 07 (Lt. R. R. W. Ashby)
 * MTB 08 (Lt. L. D. Kilbee)
 * MTB 09 (Lt. A. Kennedy)
 * MTB 10 (Lt. Cdr. G. H. Gandy)
 * MTB 11 (Lt. C. J. Collingwood)
 * MTB 12 (Sub-Lt. J. B. Colls)
 * MTB 26 (Lt. D. W. Wagstaff)
 * MTB 27 (Lt. T. M. Parsons)

Merchant Navy
Ships of the Merchant Navy: • SS An Jou

• SS Apoey

• SS Ben Nevis

• SS Cheng Tu

• SS Fausang

• SS Fook On

• SS Glen Moor

• SS Henry Keswick

• SS Hsin Fuli

• SS Kanchow

• SS Kau Tung

• SS Mausang

• SS Nanning

• SS Patricia Moller

• SS Shun Chih

• SS Soochow

• SS St. Vincent De Paul

• SS Tai Ming

• SS Taishan

• MV Tantalus

• SS Tung On

• SS Whithorn

• SS Yat Shing

Air forces

 * Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy (Lt. P. J. Milner-Barry)
 * Supermarine Walrus L2259
 * Supermarine Walrus L2819


 * Hong Kong Station, Royal Air Force (Wng. Cdr. Humphrey G. Sullivan)
 * Vickers Vildebeest K2924
 * Vickers Vildebeest K2818
 * Vickers Vildebeest K6370


 * HKVDC Flight (Sq. Ldr. Donald "Sammy" Hill)
 * 1 x Avro 621 Tutor
 * 2 x Hornet Moth
 * 2 x Cadet biplanes

Ground forces
The Japanese ground forces consisted of the following units:


 * 23rd Army
 * Commander: Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai
 * Chief of Staff: Major General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
 * Deputy Chief of Staff: Major General Keishichiro Higuchi 


 * 38th Division
 * Commander: Lieutenant General Tadayoshi Sano


 * Infantry HQ, 38th Division (Maj. Gen. Takeo Itō)
 * 228th Infantry Regiment (Col. Sadashichi Doi )
 * 229th Infantry Regiment (Col. Ryosaburo Tanaka)
 * 230th Infantry Regiment (Col. Toshinari Shōji)
 * 38th Mountain Gun Regiment (Col. Takekichi Kamiyoshi )
 * 38th Engineers Regiment (Lt. Col. Tsuneō Iwabuchi )
 * 38th Logistic Regiment (Lt. Col. Shūichi Yabuta)
 * 19th Independent Engineer Regiment (Lt. Col. Shoshirō Inukai )
 * 20th Independent Engineer Regiment (Col. Kiyoshi Suzukawa)
 * 2nd Company, 14th Independent Engineering Regiment (Maj. Eiichi Kusagi)
 * 21st Independent Mortar Battalion (Maj. Shigeo Okamoto)
 * Signal Corps (Maj. Ryōichi Itō)


 * Araki Detachment (Col. Masatoshi Araki )
 * 66th Infantry Regiment – Less 1 Company


 * Attached Force
 * 10th Independent Mountain Gun Regiment (Col. Rikichirō Sawamoto )
 * 20th Independent Mountain Gun Battalion (Lt. Col. Jirō Kajimatsu )
 * 2nd Quick-Firing Gun Battalion (Lt. Col. Takeo Ōno)
 * 5th Quick-Firing Gun Battalion (Maj. Jirō Aoki )


 * 1st Artillery Group (Lt. Gen. Kaneo Kitajima )
 * 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment (Col. Masayoshi Hayakawa )
 * 14th Heavy Field Gun Regiment (Col. Takeaki Satō)
 * 2nd Independent Heavy Artillery Battalion (Maj. Kiyotoshi Kanamaru )
 * 3rd Independent Heavy Artillery Battalion (Lt. Col. Hitomi Kanmei )
 * 2nd Heavy Mortar Battalion (Maj. Deiichi Namimatsu )

Other divisional support

 * Armour Squadron (Capt. Jūrō Atami)
 * 3rd Transport Regiment (Lt. Col. Otokazu Kobayashi) – Only 3 companies
 * 19th Independent Transport Company
 * 20th Independent Transport Company
 * 21st Independent Transport Company
 * 1st River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division (Lt. Hiroshi Furumori )
 * 2nd River Crossing Material Company, 9th Division (Lt. Eda Asao )
 * Ordnance team (Capt. Sadaharu Koide)
 * 5th Field Gas Company (Capt. Magosaburō Suzuki)
 * 18th Field Gas Company (Lt. Isamu Morimoto
 * Veterinary (Vet. Maj. Jiro Hayashi)
 * 1st Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Toshimi Suzuki)
 * 2nd Field Hospital (Dr. Maj. Takuzō Itō)
 * Field Pigeon Carrier Company
 * South China MP Platoon (Maj. Kennosuke Noma)
 * Medical unit
 * Medical unit, 51st Division (Col. Otokazu Hattori) – Only 1/3 of the unit
 * 17th Field Water Purification and Supply Unit
 * Army signal corps
 * Two radio signal platoons
 * One wire signal platoon

Naval forces

 * 2nd China Fleet
 * Commander: Vice Admiral Masaichi Niimi
 * Chief of Staff: Brigadier Yasuo Yasuba 


 * JAPANESE SEAPLANE TENDER Kamikawa Maru
 * 2 x Kawanishi E7K
 * 3 x Kugisho B3Y

Bombardment Group: • JAPANESE CRUISER Isuzu

• JAPANESE DESTROYER Tsuga

• JAPANESE DESTROYER Ikazuchi

• JAPANESE DESTROYER Inazuma

• JAPANESE TORPEDO BOAT Kasasagi

• JAPANESE TORPEDO BOAT Hiyodori

• JAPANESE TORPEDO BOAT Kari

• JAPANESE TORPEDO BOAT Kiji

• Tosho Maru

Attack Group: • JAPANESE GUNBOAT Uji

• JAPANESE GUNBOAT Hashidate

• JAPANESE GUNBOAT Saga

• Arashiyama Maru

• Tsukushi Maru

• Asashi Maru

• Momo Maru

• Ryujin Maru

• Choun Maru No. 7

• Shinsei Maru

• Sozan Maru

• Azuchi Maru

• San Luis Maru

• Shinko Maru

• Toen Maru

Air forces

 * 23rd Army Air Unit, 1st Air Group
 * 45th Flying Sentai (Col. Shuji Habu) – 29 x Kawasaki Ki-32
 * 10th Independent Chutai (Maj. Akira Takatsuki) – 13 x Nakajima Ki-27
 * 18th Independent Chutai (Capt. Minoru Kobayashi) – 3 x Mitsubishi Ki-15
 * 44th Independent Squadron (Capt. Yoshio Naito) – 6 x Tachikawa Ki-36
 * 47th Air-Field Battalion (Maj. Sadayu Uemura)
 * 67th Air-Field Company, 67th Air Field Battalion (Capt. Nobunaga Kodama)
 * 57th Air-Field Company (2nd Lt. Mitsuhiro Makita) – Elements
 * 14th Flying Sentai
 * Kanoya Air Group