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{{featured article}}
{{Infoboks militær konflikt
{{operational plan
|konflikt = Slaget om Hongkong
|name = Operation Downfall
|delaf = [[Stillehavskrigen]] under [[2. verdenskrig]]
|image = [[Image:Operation Downfall - Map.jpg|300px|A map outlining the Japanese and U.S. (but not other Allied) ground forces scheduled to take part in the battle for Japan. Two landings were planned:<br/>(1) ''Olympic''—the invasion of the southern island, [[Kyūshū]],<br/>(2) ''Coronet''—the invasion of the main island, [[Honshū]].]]
|billede = Battle of HK 06.jpg
|caption = A map outlining the Japanese and US (but not other Allied) ground forces scheduled to take part in the battle for Japan. Two landings were planned:<br/>(1) ''Olympic'', the invasion of the southern island, [[Kyūshū]],<br/>(2) ''Coronet'', the invasion of the main island, [[Honshū]].
|titel = Japanske tropper går ind i Hongkong og marcherer på [[Queen's Road]], under ledelse af [[generalløjtnant]] [[Takashi Sakai]] og [[viceadmiral]] [[Masaichi Niimi]] i december 1941, efter den britiske overgivelse.
|scope =
|dato = [[8. december|8.]]–[[25. december]] [[1941]]
|planned =
|sted = [[Hongkong]] og omkring
|planned_by =
|resultat = Japansk sejr<br />[[Japanske besættelse af Hongkong]]
|objective = Invasion of Japan
|part1 = {{flagland|Storbritannien}}
|executed =
*{{flagland|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}
|executed_by =
*{{flagland|Britisk Indien}}
|outcome = Canceled after Japan surrendered in August 1945
{{flagland|Canada|1921}}
|casualties =
|part2 = {{flagland|Kejserriget Japan}}
|fører1 = {{flagikon|Storbritannien}} [[Mark Aitchison Young]]<br/>{{flagikon|Britisk Indien}} [[Christopher Maltby]]
|fører2 = {{flagikon|Kejserriget Japan|hær}} [[Takashi Sakai]]
|styrke1 = 14.000 tropper
|styrke2 = 52.000 tropper
|tab1 = 2.113 dræbt eller savnet<br>300 såret{{ref|tab1|[nb 1]}}
|tab2 = 1.996 dræbt og 6.000 såret{{ref|tab2|[nb 2]}}
|tab3 = '''Civile tab:'''{{ref|tab3|[nb 3]}}<br />4.000 dræbt<br />3.000 hårdt såret
|kampagneboks = {{Stillehavskrigen}}
}}
{{Campaignbox Japan}}
'''Slaget om Hongkong''' fandt sted under [[Stillehavskrigen]] i [[2. verdenskrig]]. Det begyndte den [[8. december]] [[1941]] og sluttede den [[25. december]] [[1941]], da [[Hongkong]], der dengang var en [[kronkoloni]], overgav sig til [[Kejserriget Japan]].
 
'''Operation ''Downfall''''' was the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] plan for the invasion of [[Japan]] near the end of [[World War II]]. The operation was cancelled when [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] after the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombing]] of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] and the [[Soviet Union]]'s declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet. Set to begin in October 1945, Operation Olympic was intended to capture the southern third of the southernmost main Japanese island, [[Kyūshū]], with the [[Battle of Okinawa|recently captured]] island of [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] to be used as a staging area. Later, in spring 1946, Operation Coronet was the planned invasion of the [[Kantō Plain]], near [[Tokyo]], on the Japanese island of [[Honshū]]. Airbases on Kyūshū captured in Operation Olympic would allow land-based air support for Operation Coronet.
== Baggrund ==
[[Fil:Canadian Contingent in Hong Kong - 1941.jpg|thumb|Seks uger før slaget, ankommer dette canadiske kontingent for at styrke den britiske tilstedeværelse.]]
[[Fil:Hong Kong, pillar box near Jardine's lookout.JPG|thumb|200px|Britisks [[Bunker|maskingeværrede]] i nærheden af [[Jardine's Lookout]].]]
[[Storbritannien]] begyndte at se Japan, som en trussel med afslutningen af den [[engelsk-japanske alliance]] i starten af [[1920'erne]], en trussel, der blev større med udbygningen af [[2. kinesisk-japanske krig|den kinesisk-japanske krig]]. Den [[21. oktober]] [[1938]] besatte japanerne [[Guangzhou|Canton]] (Guangzhou) og Hongkong blev reelt omringet.<ref>{{kilde www |forfatter=Chi Ming Fung |titel=Reluctant heroes: rickshaw pullers in Hong Kong and Canton, 1874-1954 |edition=illustrated |udgiver=Hong Kong University Press |år=2005 |id=ISBN 9789622097346 |sider=[http://books.google.com/books?id=ZTk5HbdCiQ8C&pg=PA129 129] |url=http://books.google.com/?id=ZTk5HbdCiQ8C |sprog=engelsk}}</ref>
 
[[Geography of Japan|Japan's geography]] made this invasion plan obvious to the Japanese as well; they were able to predict the Allied invasion plans accurately and thus adjust their defensive plan, Operation Ketsugō, accordingly. The Japanese planned an all-out defense of Kyūshū, with little left in reserve for any subsequent defense operations. Casualty predictions varied widely but were extremely high for both sides: depending on the degree to which Japanese civilians resisted the invasion, estimates ran into the millions for Allied casualties<ref name="shockley"/> and several times that number for Japanese casualties.
Forskellige British Defence-undersøgelser havde allerede konkluderet, at Hongkong vil være meget svært at forsvare i tilfælde af et japansk angreb, men i midten af [[1930'erne]] var arbejdet begyndt på nyt forsvar, herunder [[Gin Drinkers' Line]].
 
==Planning==
I 1940 havde briterne besluttet at reducere [[Hong Kong Garrison]] til kun en symbolsk størrelse. [[Air Chief Marshal]] Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, den [[øverstkommanderende]] for den [[British Far East Command|britiske fjernøstlige kommando]] ({{lang-en|British Far East Command}}) hævdede, at begrænsede forstærkninger kunne gøre det muligt for garnisonen at forsinke et japansk angreb, og vinde tid andetsteds.<ref name="Harris2005">{{kilde bog |efternavn=Harris |fornavn=John R. |titel=The Battle for Hong Kong 1941-1945 (HB) |udgiver=Hong Kong University Press |id=ISBN 9789622097797 |sider=[http://books.google.com/books?id=8suV69gMia8C&pg=PA55 55] |url=http://books.google.com/?id=8suV69gMia8C |år=2005 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref>
Responsibility for planning Operation ''Downfall'' fell to the U.S. commanders: [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester Nimitz]], [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[Douglas MacArthur]] and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]]—Fleet Admirals [[Ernest King]] and [[William D. Leahy]], and Generals of the Army [[George Marshall]] and [[Hap Arnold]] (the latter was commander of the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]]).<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 18.</ref> Douglas MacArthur at the time was also being considered for promotion to a special "super rank" of [[General of the Armies]], so as to be granted operational authority over other five star officers.<ref>"Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan", D.M. Giangreco, Naval Institute Press (October 2009)</ref> However, the proposal to promote MacArthur was only at the level of informal discussion when World War II ended.
 
At the time, the development of the [[atomic bomb]] was a very closely guarded secret known only to a few top officials outside the [[Manhattan Project]], and the initial planning for the invasion of Japan did not take its existence into consideration. As the atomic bomb became available, General Marshall envisioned using it, if sufficient numbers could be produced in time, to support the invasion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Perret|first=Geoffrey|title=There's A War to be Won|location=New York|publisher=Random House|year=1991}}, as cited in: {{cite journal|last=Silkett|first=Wayne A.| title=Downfall: The Invasion that Never Was|year=1994|issue=Autumn|page=119|url= http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/1994/1994%20silkett.pdf|accessdate=December 26, 2009}}</ref>
[[Winston Churchill]] og hans hærchefer betegnede Hong Kong som en forpost, og i første omgang besluttede de ikke at sende flere tropper til kolonien. I september 1941, fortrød de dog deres beslutning, og fremførte, at yderligere forstærkninger ville give en militær afskrækkelse over for japanerne, og forsikre den kinesiske leder [[Chiang Kai-shek]], at Storbritannien virkelig var interesseret i at forsvare kolonien.<ref name="Harris2005" />
 
Throughout the [[Pacific War]], unlike the [[European Theatre of World War II|European theatre]], the Allies were unable to agree on a single [[Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C). Allied command was divided into regions: by 1945, for example, Chester Nimitz was ''Allied C-in-C [[Pacific Ocean Areas]]'', while Douglas MacArthur was ''Supreme Allied Commander, [[South West Pacific Area]]''. A unified command was deemed necessary for an invasion of Japan. [[Interservice rivalry|Inter-service squabbling]] over who it should be (the US Navy wanted Nimitz, but the US Army wanted MacArthur) was so serious that it threatened to derail planning. Ultimately, the Navy partially conceded, and MacArthur was to have total command of all forces, if circumstances made it necessary.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 55–57.</ref>
I efteråret 1941 accepterede den britiske regering et tilbud fra den canadiske regering om at sende to infanteribataljoner og et brigadehovedkvarter (1.975 personel), for at styrke Hongkonggarnisonen. [[C Force]], som den var kendt, ankom den [[16. november]] om bord på troppeskibet ''Awatea'' og den væbnede handelskrydser ''Prince Robert''.<ref>{{kilde www |url=http://www.hkvca.ca/historical/accounts/christie.htm |titel=Kay Christie's Story |udgiver=Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association |sprog=engelsk}}</ref> Styrken havde ikke alt dets udstyr med, da et skib, der transporterede deres køretøjer blev omdirigeret til [[Manila]] ved krigens udbrud.
 
===Considerations===
De canadiske bataljoner var [[Royal Rifles of Canada]] fra [[Quebec]] og [[Winnipeg Grenadiers]] fra [[Manitoba]]. Royal Rifles havde kun tjent i [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]] og [[Saint John]], [[New Brunswick]] forud for deres pligt i Hongkong, og Winnipeg Grenadiers havde været udstationeret på [[Jamaica]]. Som et resultat, havde mange af de canadiske soldater ikke meget felterfaringer, før de ankom i Hongkong.
The primary considerations that the planners had to deal with were time and casualties—how they could force Japan's surrender as quickly as possible, with as few Allied casualties as possible. Prior to the [[Quebec Conference, 1943|1943 Quebec Conference]], a joint British-American planning team produced a plan ("Appreciation and Plan for the Defeat of Japan") which did not call for an invasion of the Japanese home islands until 1947–1948.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 37.</ref><ref>Spector, 276–277.</ref> The American [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] believed that prolonging the war to such an extent was dangerous for national morale. Instead, at the Quebec conference, the [[Combined Chiefs of Staff]] agreed that Japan should be forced to surrender not more than one year after [[VE day|Germany's surrender]].
 
The [[US Navy]] urged the use of [[blockade]] and airpower to bring about Japan's capitulation. They proposed operations to capture airbases in nearby [[Shanghai, China]], and [[Korea]], which would give the [[US Army Air Forces]] a series of forward airbases from which to bombard Japan into submission.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 44–50.</ref> The [[US Army]], on the other hand, argued that such a strategy could "prolong the war indefinitely" and expend lives needlessly, and therefore that an invasion was necessary. They supported mounting a large-scale thrust directly against the Japanese homeland, with none of the side operations that the Navy had suggested. Ultimately, the Army's viewpoint won.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 53–54.</ref>
=== Slagorden ===
==== British Commonwealth ====
{{se også|British Forces Overseas Hong Kong}}
 
Physically, Japan made an imposing target, with few beaches suitable for invasion. Only Kyūshū (the southernmost island of Japan) and the beaches of the [[Kantō region|Kantō plain]] (both southwest and southeast of [[Tokyo]]) made suitable invasion zones. The Allies decided to launch a two-stage invasion. Operation ''Olympic'' would attack southern Kyūshū. Airbases would be established, which would give cover for Operation ''Coronet'', the attack on [[Tokyo Bay]].
* {{flagikon|Storbritannien|hær}} '''Infanteri'''
** 2nd Battalion, [[The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)]] {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 1st Battalion, [[The Middlesex Regiment]] (maskingeværsbataljon) {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 5th Battalion, [[7th Rajput Regiment]] {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** 2nd Battalion, [[14th Punjab Regiment]] {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** [[The Winnipeg Grenadiers]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Rifles of Canada|The Royal Rifles of Canada]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Hong Kong Chinese Regiment]] {{flagikon|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}
** Infantry Companies, [[Royal Hong Kong Regiment|Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps]] (HKVDC) {{flagikon|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}
 
===Assumptions===
* {{flagikon|Storbritannien|hær}} '''Artilleri'''
While the geography of Japan was known, the US military planners had to estimate the defending forces that they would face. Based on intelligence available early in 1945, their assumptions included the following:<ref name="sutherland">[[Richard K. Sutherland|Sutherland, Richard K.]] ''et al.'', [http://carlisle-www.army.mil/cgi-bin/usamhi/DL/showdoc.pl?docnum=20 ''"DOWNFALL": Strategic Plan for Operations in the Japanese Archipelago'']{{dead link|date=August 2011}}; 28 May 1945. ([http://www.blackvault.com/documents/wwii/marine1/1239.pdf PDF available here.] Retrieved December 4, 2006.)</ref>
** 8th Coast Regiment, [[Royal Artillery]] {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 12th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 5th Anti-Air Regiment, Royal Artillery {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 956th Defence Battery, Royal Artillery {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** 1st Hong Kong Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery {{flagikon|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}/{{flagikon|Straits Settlements}}
** Artillery Batteries, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC) {{flagikon|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}
 
*"That operations in this area will be opposed not only by the available organized military forces of the Empire, but also by a fanatically hostile population."<ref name="sutherland"/>
* {{flagikon|Storbritannien|hær}} '''Støttende enheder'''
*"That approximately three (3) hostile divisions will be disposed in Southern KYUSHU and an additional three (3) in Northern KYUSHU at initiation of the OLYMPIC operation."<ref name="sutherland"/>
** [[Royal Engineers]], RE {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
*"That total hostile forces committed against KYUSHU operations will not exceed eight (8) to ten (10) divisions and that this level will be speedily attained."<ref name="sutherland"/>
** [[Royal Army Service Corps]], RASC {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
*"That approximately twenty-one (21) hostile divisions, including depot divisions, will be on HONSHU at initiation of [''Coronet''] and that fourteen (14) of these divisions may be employed in the KANTO PLAIN area."<ref name="sutherland"/>
** [[Royal Army Medical Corps]], RAMC {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
*"That the enemy may withdraw his land-based air forces to the Asiatic Mainland for protection from our neutralizing attacks. That under such circumstances he can possibly amass from 2,000 to 2,500 planes in that area by exercise of rigid economy, and that this force can operate against KYUSHU landings by staging through homeland fields."<ref name="sutherland"/>
** [[Royal Signals]], RS {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** [[Royal Army Ordnance Corps]], RAOC {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** [[Royal Army Dental Corps]], RADC {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** [[Royal Army Pay Corps]], RAPC {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** [[Military Provost Staff Corps]] {{flagikon|Storbritannien}}
** [[Indian Army Medical Corps#Indian Hospital Corps|Indian Hospital Corps]], IHC {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** [[Indian Medical Service]], IMS {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** [[25th Infantry Division (India)#Support Units|Royal Indian Army Service Corps]], RIASC {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** [[Hong Kong Mule Corps]] {{flagikon|Britisk Indien}}
** [[Corps of Military Staff Clerks]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Canadian Provost Corps]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps]], RCAMC {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Dental Corps|Canadian Army Dental Corps]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Canadian Service]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Corps of Signals]], RCCS {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Army Service Corps]], RCASC {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps]], RCAPC {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Postal Corps|Canadian Postal Corps]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps]], RCOC {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Canadian Chaplains Service]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** [[Canadian Auxiliary Services]] {{flagikon|Canada|1921}}
** Supporting Units, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC) {{flagikon|Britisk Hongkong|1910}}
 
==== Kejserriget Japan =''Olympic''===
[[Image:Operation Olympic.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Operation ''Olympic'' was to attack southern Japan.]]
* '''{{hær|Kejserriget Japan}}'''
[[Image:Operation Coronet.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Operation ''Coronet'' was planned to take Tokyo.]]
** [[23. armé (Japan)]]
*** [[38. division (Kejserlige japanske hær)|38. division]]: 228., 229. og 230. infanteriregimenter
*** 2. uafhængige antitankbataljon
*** 5. uafhængige antitankbataljon
*** 10. uafhængige bjergartilleriregiment
*** 20. uafhængige bjergartilleribataljon
*** 21. mortérbataljon
*** 20. uafhængige ingeniørregiment
*** En radiosignalsdeling
*** En tredjedel af medicinske enhed, 51. division
*** 1. og 2. flodkrydsningsmaterielkompagni, 9. division
*** Tre kompagnier fra 3. uafhængige transportregiment
*** 19. uafhængige transportkompagni
*** 20. uafhængige transportkompagni
*** 21. uafhængige transportkompagni
*** 17. feltvandrensnings- og forsyningsenhed
** 23. hærsluftenhed
*** 45. luftregiment
*** Element fra 44. uafhængige luftenhed
*** To formationer fra den 10. uafhængige luftenhed
*** 47. luftsfeltsbataljon
*** Elementer fra 67. luftfeltsbataljon
*** 67. luftsfeltskompagni
* '''{{flåde|Kejserriget Japan}}'''
** [[2. kina ekspeditionsflåde]]
 
Operation ''Olympic'', the invasion of Kyūshū, was to begin on "X-Day", which was scheduled for November 1, 1945. The combined Allied naval armada would have been the largest ever assembled, including 42 [[aircraft carrier]]s, 24 [[battleship]]s, and 400 [[destroyer]]s and destroyer escorts. Fourteen US divisions were scheduled to take part in the initial landings. Using Okinawa as a staging base, the objective would have been to seize the southern portion of Kyūshū. This area would then be used as a further staging point to attack Honshū in Operation ''Coronet''.
=== Forsvarsstillinger ===
Centrale steder i forsvaret af Hongkong omfattede:
* [[Wong Nai Chung Gap]]
* [[Lei Yue Mun|Lye Moon-passagen]]
* [[Shing Mun Redoubt]]
* [[Gin Drinkers' Line]]
* [[Devil's Peak]]
* [[Stanley Fort]]
 
''Olympic'' was also to include a [[deception]] plan, known as [[Operation Pastel|Operation ''Pastel'']]. ''Pastel'' was designed to convince the Japanese that the Joint Chiefs had rejected the notion of a direct invasion and instead were going to attempt to encircle and bombard Japan. This would require capturing bases in [[Taiwan|Formosa]], along the Chinese coast, and in the [[Yellow Sea]] area.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 160.</ref>
== Slaget ==
[[Fil:HKbattle.png|300px|thumb|Kort over de japanske angrebslinjer.]]
[[Fil:Cdn Forces in Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|Canadiske infanterisoldater i Hongkong.]]
Det japanske angreb begyndte kort efter 08:00 den [[8. december]] [[1941]] ([[Hong Kong Time|lokal tid i Hongkong]]), mindre end otte timer efter [[angrebet på Pearl Harbor]] (på grund af døgnskiftet, der sker på den [[Datolinjen|internationale datolinje]] mellem [[Hawaii]] og [[Asien]], så er Pearl Harbor registreret til at have fundet sted den [[7. december]]). [[British Army|Britiske]], [[Canadian Army|canadiske]] og [[British Indian Army|indiske]] styrker, under kommando af generalmajor [[Christopher Maltby]], støttet af [[Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps]] modsatte sig den japanske invasion udført af den japanske 21., 23. og 38. regiment, under kommando af generalløjtnant [[Takashi Sakai]], men var i undertal med næsten fire til en (japanerne, 52.000, allierede, 14.000), og havde ikke deres modstanderes nylige kamperfaring.
 
The [[Twentieth Air Force]] was to have continued its role as the main Allied [[strategic bombing|strategic bomber]] force used against the Japanese home islands. Tactical air support was to be the responsibility of the [[United States Far East Air Force|U.S. Far East Air Forces]] (FEAF)—a formation which comprised the [[Fifth Air Force|Fifth]], [[Seventh Air Force|Seventh]] and [[Thirteenth Air Force]]s—during the preparation for the invasion. FEAF was responsible for attacking Japanese airfields and transportation arteries on Kyūshū and Southern Honshū (''e.g.'' the [[Kanmon Tunnel]]) and for attaining and maintaining air superiority over the beaches.
Kolonien havde intet væsentlige luftforsvar. RAF Station i Hongkongs [[Kai Tak-lufthavn]] havde kun fem fly: to [[Supermarine Walrus]]-[[amfibiefly]] og tre [[Vickers Vildebeest]] torpedo-rekognosceringsbombefly, fløjet og vedligeholdt af syv officerer og 108 piloter. En tidligere anmodning om en jagereskadrille var blevet afvist, og den nærmeste fuldt funktionsdygtige RAF-base var i [[Kota Bharu]] i [[Britisk Malaya|Malaya]], næsten 2.250 kilometer væk.
 
Before the main invasion, the offshore islands of [[Tanegashima]], [[Yakushima]], and the [[Koshikijima Islands]] were to be taken, starting on X-5.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 184.</ref> The invasion of Okinawa had demonstrated the value of establishing secure anchorages close at hand, for ships not needed off the landing beaches and for ships damaged by air attack.
Hong Kong manglede også tilstrækkelig flådeforsvar. Tre [[destroyer]]e skulle trækkes tilbage til [[Singapore]].<ref>{{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/december1.html |titel=Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 1 December 1941 - 6 December 1941 |dato=1999-2000 |arbejde=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref>
 
Kyūshū was to be invaded by [[U.S. Sixth Army]] at three points: [[Miyazaki, Miyazaki|Miyazaki]], [[Ariake, Kagoshima|Ariake]], and [[Kushikino, Kagoshima|Kushikino]]. If a clock were drawn on a map of Kyūshū, these points would roughly correspond to 4, 5, and 7 o'clock, respectively. The 35 landing beaches were all named for automobiles: [[Austin Motor Company|Austin]], [[Buick]], [[Cadillac (automobile)|Cadillac]] through [[Stutz Bearcat|Stutz]], [[Winton automobile|Winton]], and [[Lincoln-Zephyr|Zephyr]].<ref>'Beach Organization for Operation against Kyushu; from COMPHIBSPAC OP PLAN A11-45, August 10, 1945. Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', pictorial insert</ref> With one [[corps]] assigned to each landing, the invasion planners assumed that the Americans would outnumber the Japanese by roughly three to one. In early 1945, Miyazaki was virtually undefended, while Ariake with its nearby good harbor was heavily defended. Although Kushikino was weakly defended, its imposing terrain meant that the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] who landed there would probably have had the toughest time.
Japanerne bombede Kai Tak-lufthavn den 8. december.<ref name=Klemen2>{{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/december2.html |titel=Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 7 December 1941 - 11 December 1941 |dato=1999-2000 |arbejde=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref> To af de tre Vildebeest og de to Walrus blev ødelagt af 12 japanske bombefly. Angrebet ødelagde også adskillige civile luftfartøjer, herunder alle undtagen to af de fly, der blev brugt af Air Unit of the Hong Kong Volunteer Forsvar Corp. Personel fra RAF og Air Unit kæmpede derefter videre som landstyrker. To af [[Royal Navy]]s tre tilbageværende destroyere blev beordret til at forlade Hongkong til [[Singapore]]. Kun én destroyer, [[HMS Thracian|HMS ''Thracian'']], adskillige kanonbåde og en flåde af motortorpedobåde blev tilbage.
 
The invasion was not supposed to conquer the entire island, just the southernmost third of it, as indicated by the dashed line on the map, ''"general limit of northern advance"''. Southern Kyūshū would offer a staging ground and a valuable airbase for Operation ''Coronet''.
Den [[8. december|8.]], [[9. december|9.]] og [[10. december]], udførte otte amerikanske piloter fra de kinesiske nationale luftfartsmyndigheder, CNAC,<ref>[[China National Aviation Corporation]] (CNAC)</ref> og deres besætninger i alt 16 ture mellem Kai Tak-lufthavn og lufthavnene i Namyung og Chongqing (Chungking) i Kina, krigstidshovedstaden for [[Republikken Kina]]. Ifølge artikler i New York Times og Chicago Daily<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/scott01.htme http://www.cnac.org]</ref> fra den [[15. december]] [[1941]] var piloternes navne Charles L. Sharp<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/charlessharp01.htm Charles L. Sharp]</ref>, Hugh L. Woods<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/hughwoods01.htm Hugh L. Woods]</ref>, Harold A. Sweet<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/sweet01.htm Harold A. Sweet]</ref>, William McDonald<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/williamcmcdonald01.htm William McDonald]</ref>, Frank L. Higgs<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/higgs01.htm Frank L. Higgs]</ref>, Robert S. Angle<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/angle01.htm Robert S. Angle]</ref>, P.W. Kessler<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/kessler01.htm P.W. Kessler]</ref> og S.E. Scott<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/kessler01.htm S.E. Scott]</ref>. Sammen udførte de 16 togter og evakuerede 275 personer, herunder [[Sun Yat-sen|fru Sun Yat-sen]], enke efter "[[nationens fader]]", og den kinesiske finansminister [[H.H. Kung]].
 
===''Coronet''===
Commonwealth-styrkerne besluttede ikke at holde [[Sham Chun-floden]] og i stedet etablerede tre bataljoner [[Gin Drinkers' Line]] på den aden side af bakkerne. Det japanske 38. infanteri under kommando af generalmajor Takaishi Sakai vadede hurtigt i Sham Chun-floden ved hjælp af midlertidige broer.<ref name=Klemen2/> Tidligt den [[10. december]] [[1941]] angreb det 228. infanteriregiment, under kommando af oberst Teihichi, fra den 38. division, Commonwealth-forsvaret ved [[Shing Mun Redoubt]], der var forsvaret af ''2nd Battalion Royal Scots'', under kommando af oberstløjtnant S. White.<ref name=Klemen2/> Linjen blev brudt på fem timer, og senere samme dag trak Royal Scots sig også fra Golden Hill.<ref name=Klemen2/> D kompagniet fra Royal Scots modangreb og erobrede Golden Hill.<ref name=Klemen2/> Ved kl. 10:00 var bakken igen taget af japanerne.<ref name=Klemen2/> Dette gjorde situationen i [[New Territories]] og [[Kowloon]] uholdbar og en evakueringen startede den [[11. december]] [[1941]] under luftbombardement og artillerispærreild. Så meget, militær- og havneanlæg som muligt blev ødelagt, før tilbagetrækningen. Ved den [[13. december]], var 5/7 [[Rajputs]] fra den britiske indiske hær under kommando af oberstløjtnant R. Cadosan-Rowlinson, de sidste Commonwealth tropper på fastlandet, som havde trukket sig tilbage til [[Hong Kong Island]].<ref name=Klemen3>{{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/december3.html |titel=Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 12 December 1941 - 18 December 1941 |dato=1999-2000 |arbejde=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref>
Operation ''Coronet'', the invasion of [[Honshū]] at the Kantō Plain south of the capital, was to begin on "Y-Day", which was scheduled for March 1, 1946. ''Coronet'' would have been the largest amphibious operation of all time, with 25 divisions, including the floating reserve, earmarked for the initial operations. (The [[Operation Overlord|Overlord invasion of Normandy]], by comparison, had 12 divisions in the initial landings.<!--10 full divisions and 4 brigades, using 2 brigades/division-->) The [[U.S. First Army]] would have invaded at [[Kujūkuri Beach]], on the [[Bōsō Peninsula]], while [[U.S. Eighth Army]] invaded at [[Hiratsuka, Kanagawa|Hiratsuka]], on [[Sagami Bay]]. Both armies would then drive north and inland, meeting at Tokyo.
 
===Redeployment===
Maltby organiserede forsvaret af øen, og opdelte den mellem en østbrigade ({{lang-en|East Brigade}}) og en vestbrigade ({{lang-en|West Brigade}}). Den [[15. december]] begyndte japanerne et systematisk bombardement af øens North Shore.<ref name=Klemen3/> To krav om overgivelse blev fremsat den [[13. december]] og [[17. december]]. Da disse blev afvist, krydsede japanske styrker havnen om aftenen den [[18. december]] og gik i land på øens nordøstlige del. <ref name=Klemen3/> De led kun lette tab, selv om der ikke var nogen effektiv kommando der kunne opretholdes før daggry brød frem. Den nat blev cirka 20 artillerister massakreret på [[Sai Wan]]-batteriet efter at de havde overgivet sig. Der var endnu en massakre på fanger, denne gang af medicinsk personale,<ref name=Klemen4/> i Salesian Mission på [[Chai Wan]] Road. I begge tilfælde overlevede nogle få mænd for at fortælle historien.
{{see also|Orders of battle for Downfall}}
 
''Olympic'' was to be mounted with resources already present in the Pacific, including the [[British Pacific Fleet]], a [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] formation that included at least eighteen aircraft carriers (and providing 25% of the Allied Air Power) and four battleships. The [[Australian First Tactical Air Force]] took part in the [[Philippines campaign (1944–45)]]. These would likely have augmented US [[close air support]] units over Japan. The only major re-deployment for Olympic was [[Tiger Force (air)|Tiger Force]], a Commonwealth long range [[heavy bomber]] unit, made up of 10 squadrons, scheduled to be transferred from [[RAF Bomber Command]] in Europe to airbases on [[Okinawa]].
Om morgenen den [[19. december]], kastede en canadisk ''[[company sergeant major]]'', [[John Robert Osborn]] fra Winnipeg Grenadiers, sig selv på toppen af ​​en granat, og ofrede sig selv for at redde livet for mændene omkring ham. Han blev senere posthumt tildelt [[Victoriakorset]].<ref name=Klemen4>{{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/december4.html |titel=Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 19 December 1941 - 24 December 1941 |dato=1999-2000 |arbejde=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref> Voldsomme kampe fortsatte på Hong Kong Island, men japanerne tilintetgjorde hovedkvarter for vestbrigade ({{lang-en|West Brigade}}), der førte til brigadegeneral [[John K. Lawson]]s død, den øverstbefalende for vestbrigade ({{lang-en|West Brigade}}).<ref name=Klemen4/> Et britisk modangreb kunne ikke tvinge dem fra [[Wong Nai Chung Gap]]<ref name=Klemen4/>, der sikrede passage mellem centrum og den afsondrede sydlige del af øen. Fra den [[20. december]], blev øen delt i to hvor de britiske Commonwealth-styrker stadig holdte ud omkring Stanley-halvøen og på den vestlige del af øen. På samme tid begyndte vandforsyning at løbe ud som japanerne erobrede øens vandreservoirer.
 
If reinforcements had been needed for ''Olympic'', they could have been provided from forces being assembled for ''Coronet'', which would have needed the redeployment of substantial Allied forces from Europe, [[South Asia]], [[Australasia]], and elsewhere. These would have included the U.S. First Army (15 divisions) and the [[US Eighth Air Force|Eighth Air Force]], which were in Europe. The redeployment was complicated by the simultaneous partial demobilization of the U.S. Army, which drastically reduced the divisions' combat effectiveness, by stripping them of their most experienced officers and men.{{citation needed|date=October 2009}}
Om morgenen den 25. december gik japanske soldater ind i det britiske felthospital i St. Stephens College, og torturerede og dræbte et stort antal sårede soldater, sammen med det medicinske personale.<ref>{{kilde www |url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0094(199701)32%3A1%3C43%3AMARIHK%3E2.0.CO%3B2-A |titel=Massacre and Rape in Hong Kong: Two Case Studies Involving Medical Personnel and Patients |forfatter=Charles G. Roland |sprog=engelsk}}</ref>
 
According to U.S. historian John Ray Skates:
Ved eftermiddagen den [[25. december]] [[1941]] blev det klart, at yderligere modstand ville være forgæves og de britiske koloniembedsmænd under ledelse af [[Hongkongs guvernør]], Sir [[Mark Aitchison Young]], overgav sig personligt<ref>{{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/december5.html |titel=Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 25 December 1941 - 31 December 1941 |dato=1999-2000 |arbejde=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |sprog=engelsk}}</ref> i det japanske hovedkvarter på tredje sal på [[Peninsula Hong Kong]]-hotellet. Det var første gang, at en britisk [[kronkoloni]] overgav sig til en invaderende magt. Garnisonen havde holdt ud i 17 dage. Denne dag er kendt i Hongkong som "sorte [[jul]]".
 
<blockquote>American planners took no note [initially] of the possibility that [non-U.S.] Allied ground troops might participate in the invasion of the Kanto Plain. The published plans indicated that assault, followup, and reserve units would all come from U.S. forces. [However, as] the Coronet plans were being refined during the [northern] summer of 1945, all the major Allied countries offered ground forces, and a debate developed at the highest levels of command over the size, mission, equipment, and support of these contingents.<ref>Skates, p. 229</ref></blockquote>
== Eftervirkningerne ==
[[Fil:Dongjianggu.jpg|thumb|Dongjiang guerillakampe i [[skyttegrav]]e.]]
[[Fil:Cenotaph, Hong Kong 1.jpg|right|thumb|[[The Cenotaph (Hongkong)|Cenotaph]] i Hongkong.]]
[[Fil:Sai Wan War Cemetary 1.jpg|thumb|[[Sai Wan War Cemetery]].]]
{{hovedartikel|Japanske besættelse af Hongkong}}
[[Isogai Rensuke]] blev den første japanske guvernør i Hongkong. Dette indledte de tre år og otte måneder med den kejserlige japanske administration. Japanske soldater terroriserede også den lokale befolkning ved at myrde mange, og man har anslået at 10.000 kvinder blev voldtaget,<ref>Estimatat fra {{Harvnb|Snow|2003}} via {{kilde www |url=http://www.economist.com/cities/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1825845 |titel=The history of Hong Kong |dato=[[5. juni]] [[2003]] |udigver=Economist.com |sprog=engelsk}}</ref> og plyndringer.
 
The Australian government requested the inclusion of [[Australian Army]] units in the first wave of ''Olympic'', but this was rejected by US commanders.<ref>Day, p. 297</ref> Following negotiations among the western Allied powers, it was decided that a [[Commonwealth Corps]], initially made up of infantry divisions from the Australian, [[British Army|British]] and [[Canadian Army|Canadian]] armies would be used in ''Coronet''. Reinforcements would have been available from those countries, as well as other parts of the Commonwealth. MacArthur blocked proposals to include an [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] division, because of differences in language, organization, composition, equipment, training, and doctrine.<ref>Day, p. 299; Skates, p. 230</ref> He also recommended that the corps should be organized along the lines of a US corps, should use only US equipment and logistics, and should train in the US for six months before deployment; these suggestions were accepted.<ref>Day, p. 299</ref> A British officer, Lieutenant General Sir [[Charles Keightley]], had been nominated to lead the Commonwealth Corps. The Australian government questioned the appointment of an officer with no experience fighting the Japanese, and suggested that Lieutenant General [[Leslie Morshead]] should be appointed.<ref>Horner, David (1982). ''High Command'' Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-86861-076-3</ref> The war ended before the details of the corps were finalized.
Selvom Hongkong overgav sig til japanerne, førte de lokale kinesere en lille guerillakrig i [[New Territories]]. Som et resultat af den modstand, blev nogle landsbyer jævnet med jorden som en straf. Guerillaerne kæmpede indtil slutningen af ​​den japanske besættelse. Vestlige historiske bøger om emnet har ikke væsentligt dækket deres handlinger. Modstands grupper blev kendt som [[Japanske besættelse af Hongkong#Gangjiudaduey-guerillaerne|Gangjiu]] og [[Japanske besættelse af Hongkong#Dongjiang-guerillaerne|Dongjiang]]-styrker.
 
==Operation ''Ketsugō''==
Fjendtlige civile (der betød Allierede statsborgere) blev interneret i [[Stanley Internment Camp]]. Oprindeligt var der 2400 internerede, selvom dette antal blev reduceret efter nogle hjemsendelser under krigen. Internerede, der døde sammen med fanger henrettet af japanerne, ligger begravet på [[Stanley Military Cemetery|Stanley Cemetery]].
[[Image:Operation Downfall - Estimated Troops 01.jpg|thumb|250px|American estimates of Japanese troop strength on Kyūshū as of July 9, 1945]]
[[Image:Operation Downfall - Estimated Troops 02.jpg|thumb|250px|American estimates of Japanese troop strength on Kyūshū as of August 2, 1945]]
 
Meanwhile, the Japanese had their own plans. Initially, they were concerned about an invasion during the summer of 1945. However, the [[Battle of Okinawa]] went on for so long that they concluded the Allies would not be able to launch another operation before the [[1940–49 Pacific typhoon seasons#1945 Pacific typhoon season|typhoon season]], during which the weather would be too risky for amphibious operations. Japanese intelligence predicted fairly closely where the invasion would take place: southern Kyūshū at [[Miyazaki Prefecture|Miyazaki]], [[Ariake Bay]], and/or the [[Satsuma Peninsula]].<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 102.</ref>
Britisk suverænitet blev genindført i [[1945]] som følge af overgivelse af japanske styrker den [[15. august]], seks dage efter, at [[USA]] [[Atombomberne over Hiroshima og Nagasaki|kastede atombomben]] over [[Nagasaki]].
 
While Japan no longer had a realistic prospect of winning the war, Japan's leaders believed they could make the cost of conquering Japan too high for the Allies to accept, which would lead to some sort of [[armistice]] rather than total defeat. The Japanese plan for defeating the invasion was called {{nihongo|Operation Ketsugō|決号作戦|ketsugō sakusen}} ("Operation Codename ''Decisive''"). The Japanese had secretly [[Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters|constructed an underground headquarters]] which could be used in the event of Allied invasion to shelter the Emperor and the Imperial General Staff.
General [[Takashi Sakai]], der ledede invasion af Hongkong og senere fungerede som guvernør i et stykke tid, blev retsforfulgt som en krigsforbryder og henrettet ved skydning i 1946.
 
===''Kamikaze''===
De Allierede, der døde i slaget, herunder britiske, canadiske og indiske soldater, blev senere begravet på [[Sai Wan War Cemetery|Sai Wan Military Cemetery]] og [[Stanley Military Cemetery]]. I alt 1.528 soldater, primært fra [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], ligger begravet der. Der er også grave for andre allierede soldater, der døde i regionen under krigen, herunder nogle [[holland]]ske søfolk, der var genbegravet i Hongkong efter krigen.
Admiral [[Matome Ugaki]] was recalled to Japan in February 1945 and given command of the [[Fifth Air Fleet]] on Kyūshū. The Fifth Air Fleet was assigned the task of ''[[kamikaze]]'' attacks against ships involved in the invasion of Okinawa, [[Operation Ten-Go|Operation ''Ten-Go'']], and began training pilots and assembling aircraft for the defense of Kyūshū where the Allies were likely to invade next.
 
The Japanese defense relied heavily on ''kamikaze'' planes. In addition to fighters and bombers, they reassigned almost all of their trainers for the mission, trying to make up in quantity what they lacked in quality. Their army and navy had more than 10,000 aircraft ready for use in July (and would have had somewhat more by October) and were planning to use almost all that could reach the invasion fleets. Ugaki also oversaw building of hundreds of small suicide boats that would also be used to attack any Allied ships that came near the shores of Kyūshū.
[[The Cenotaph (Hongkong)|Cenotaph]] i [[Central (Hongkong)|Central]] fejrer forsvaret såvel som døde fra [[1. verdenskrig]].
 
Fewer than 2,000 ''kamikaze'' planes launched attacks during the Battle of Okinawa, achieving approximately one hit per nine attacks. At Kyūshū, because of the more favorable circumstances (such as terrain that reduced the US's radar advantage), they hoped to get one for six by overwhelming the US defenses with large numbers of ''kamikaze'' attacks in a period of hours. The Japanese estimated that the planes would sink more than 400 ships; since they were training the pilots to target transports rather than carriers and destroyers, the casualties would be disproportionately greater than at Okinawa. One staff study estimated that the ''kamikazes'' could destroy a third to half of the invasion force before its landings.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 184–185.</ref>
Skjoldet i det koloniale [[Hongkongs emblem|våbenskjoldet for Hongkong]], der blev tildelt i 1959, indeholdte et murkronedesign for at fejre forsvaret af Hongkong under [[2. verdenskrig]]. Våbene var i brug indtil 1997, da det blev erstattet af den nuværende regionale emblem.
 
===Naval forces===
[[Lei Yue Mun Fort]] mistede sin forsvarbetydning i [[efterkrigstiden]]. Efter krigen blev det til et træningsområde for de britiske styrker, indtil [[1987]], hvor det blev endeligt blev forladt. På grund af sin historiske betydning og unikke arkitektoniske elementer, besluttede det tidligere [[Urban Council]] i [[1993]] at bevare og udvikle Lei Yue Mun Fort til [[Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence]].
By August 1945, the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) had ceased to be an effective fighting force. The only major Japanese warships in fighting order were six aircraft carriers, four cruisers, and one battleship, none of which could be adequately fueled. They could "sustain a force of twenty operational destroyers and perhaps forty submarines for a few days at sea."
<ref>Feifer, ''The Battle of Okinawa'', p. 418.</ref>
 
The IJN also had about 100 [[Koryu class submarine|''Kōryū'']]-class [[midget submarine]]s, 250 smaller [[Kairyu class submarine|''Kairyū'']]-class midget submarines, 400 ''[[Kaiten]]'' [[manned torpedo]]es, and 800 ''[[Shinyo (suicide boat)|Shin'yō]]'' suicide boats.
Den nærliggende [[Sai Wan Battery]], med bygninger opført så langt tilbage som [[1890]], husede Depot and Record Office of the [[Hong Kong Military Service Corps]] i næsten fire årtier efter krigen. Kasernen blev overgivet til regeringen i [[1985]] og blev efterfølgende omdannet til [[Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village]].
 
===Ground Fanger forces===
In any amphibious operation, the defender has two options for defensive strategy: strong defense of the beaches or [[defense in depth]]. Early in the war (such as at [[Battle of Tarawa|Tarawa]]), the Japanese employed strong defenses on the beaches with little or no manpower in reserve. This tactic proved to be very vulnerable to pre-invasion [[Naval gunfire support|shore bombardment]]. Later in the war, at [[Battle of Peleliu|Peleliu]], [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]], and [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]], the Japanese switched strategy and dug in their forces in the most defensible terrain.
[[Krigsfange]]r blev sendt til:
* [[Sham Shui Po Barracks|Sham Shui Po POW Camp]]
* [[Argyle Street Camp]] til officere
* [[North Point Camp]] primært til canadierne og Royal Navy
* [[Ma Tau Chung]]-lejren for indiske soldater
* [[Yokohama-lejren]] i [[Japan]]
* [[Fukuoka-lejren]] i [[Japan]]
* [[Osaka-lejren]] i [[Japan]]
 
For the defense of Kyūshū, the Japanese took an intermediate posture, with the bulk of their defensive forces a few kilometers inland from the shore: back far enough to avoid complete exposure to naval gunnery but close enough that the Americans could not establish a secure foothold before engaging them. The counteroffensive forces were still farther back, prepared to move against whichever landing seemed to be the main effort.
Af canadierne fanget under slaget, omkom efterfølgende 267 i japanske krigsfangelejre, hovedsageligt på grund af mishandling og misbrug. I december 2011 undskyldte Toshiyuki Kato, Japans parlamentariske viceudenrigsminister, for mishandling af en gruppe canadiske veteraner fra slaget i Tokyo.<ref>[[Associated Press]], "Japan apologizes to Canadian POWs from H.K. battle", ''[[Japan Times]]'', [[10. december]] [[2011]], s. 2.</ref>
 
In March 1945, there was only one combat division in Kyūshū. Over the next four months, the Imperial Japanese Army transferred forces from [[Manchuria]], [[Korea]], and northern Japan, while raising other forces in place. By August, they had 14 divisions and various smaller formations, including three tank brigades, for a total of 900,000 men.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 203.</ref> Although the Japanese were able to raise large numbers of new soldiers, equipping them was more difficult. By August, the Japanese Army had the equivalent of 65 divisions in the homeland but only enough equipment for 40 and only enough ammunition for 30.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 176.</ref>
=== Udmærkelser ===
[[John Robert Osborn]] ([[2. januar]] [[1899]] - [[19. december]] [[1941]]) blev tildelt det første [[Victoriakorset|Victoriakors]], den højeste og mest prestigefyldte pris for tapperhed over for fjenden, der kan tildeles britiske og Commonwealth styrker, til en canadier for handlinger under [[2. verdenskrig]]. Efter at have set en japansk granat rulle ind gennem døren til bygningen, hvor Osborn og hans canadiske Winnipeg Grenadiers havde været garrisoning, tog han sin hjelm af og kastede sig over granaten, og reddede livet for over 10 andre canadiske soldater. Han blev født i [[Norfolk]] i [[England]].
 
The Japanese did not formally decide to stake everything on the outcome of the Battle of Kyūshū, but they concentrated their assets to such a degree that there would be little left in reserve. By one estimate, the forces in Kyūshū had 40% of all the ammunition in the Home Islands.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 177.</ref>
[[Gander (jund)|Gander]] var en [[Newfoundlænder]], der posthumt blev tildelt [[Dickin Medal]], "dyrenes" Victoriakors " i [[2000]] for sine handlinger under 2. verdenskrig, den første pris i over 50 år. Han tog en kastet japansk håndgranat og løb med den mod fjenden, og døde i den efterfølgende eksplosion, men reddede livet for flere sårede canadiske soldater.
 
In addition, the Japanese had organized the [[Volunteer Fighting Corps|Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps]], which included all healthy men aged 15 to 60 and women 17 to 40 for a total of 28 million people, for combat support and, later, combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading [[musket]]s, [[longbow]]s, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 188–189. Bauer and Coox, ''OLYMPIC VS KETSU-GO''.</ref>
== Noter ==
<div class="references-small">
# {{note|tab1}} Tallene er taget fra [[Christopher Maltby]], den [[Commander British Forces in Hong Kong|øverstbefalende for britiske styrker i Kina]].<ref>Banham, Tony (2005). ''Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941''. Hong Kong University Press. s. 317. ISBN 9622097804.</ref>
# {{note|tab2}} De japanske tab er ukendte. Skønnene spænder fra 675 dræbte og 2.079 sårede til 7.000 dræbte og 20.000 sårede. Den [[29. december]] [[1941]] rapporterede ''Hong Kong News'', 1.996 dræbte og 6.000 sårede, som [[Tony Banham]] kaldte "måske det mest troværdige skøn".<ref name="p. 318">Banham 2005, s. 318</ref>
# {{note|tab3}} Tallene er taget fra [[Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke]], direktør for de medicinske tjenester ({{lang-en|Medical Services}}) i Hongkong.<ref name="p. 318" />
</div>
 
One mobilized high school girl, Yukiko Kasai, found herself issued an [[Scratch awl|awl]] and told, "Even killing one American soldier will do. … You must aim for the [[abdomen]]."<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 189.</ref>
== Se også ==
*[[The Battle of Hong Kong (film)|''The Battle of Hong Kong'']] - film om Slaget om Hongkong
 
==Allied re-evaluation of ''Olympic''==
== Referencer ==
===Air threat===
{{reflist}}
US military intelligence initially estimated the number of Japanese aircraft to be around 2,500.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 206.</ref> The Okinawa experience was bad: almost two fatalities and a similar number wounded per [[sortie]]—and Kyūshū was likely to be worse. To attack the ships off Okinawa, Japanese planes had to fly long distances over open water; to attack the ships off Kyūshū, they could fly overland and then short distances out to the landing fleets. Gradually, intelligence learned that the Japanese were devoting all their aircraft to the ''kamikaze'' mission and taking effective measures to conserve them until the battle. An Army estimate in May was 3,391 planes; in June, 4,862; in August, 5,911. A Navy estimate, abandoning any distinction between training and combat aircraft, in July was 8,750; in August, 10,290.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 209–210.</ref>
<!-- Estimates of Japanese strength deleted again. See talk. -->
 
The Allies made counter-kamikaze preparations, known as the [[Big Blue Blanket]]. This involved adding more fighter squadrons to the carriers in place of [[Torpedo bomber|torpedo]] and [[dive bomber]]s, and converting [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17]]s into [[List of radars#Airborne|airborne radar]] pickets in manner similar to modern-day [[Airborne Early Warning and Control|AWACS]]. Nimitz came up with a plan for a pre-invasion feint, sending a fleet to the invasion beaches a couple of weeks before the real invasion, to lure out the Japanese on their one-way flights, who would then find—instead of the valuable, vulnerable transports—ships loaded with anti-aircraft guns from bow to stern.
== Yderlig læsning ==
 
=== Bøger ===
The main defense against Japanese air attacks would have come from the massive fighter forces that were being assembled in the [[Ryukyu Islands]]. US Army [[Fifth Air Force|Fifth]] and [[Seventh Air Force]] and US Marine air units had moved into the islands immediately after the invasion, and air strength had been increasing in preparation for the all-out assault on Japan. In preparation for the invasion, an air campaign against Japanese airfields and transportation arteries had commenced before the Japanese surrender.
 
===Ground threat===
Through April, May, and June, Allied intelligence followed the buildup of Japanese ground forces, including five divisions added to Kyūshū, with great interest but some complacency, still projecting that in November the total for Kyūshū would be about 350,000 servicemen. That changed in July, with the discovery of four new divisions and indications of more to come. By August, the count was up to 600,000, and [[Magic (cryptography)|Magic cryptanalysis]] had identified ''nine'' divisions in southern Kyūshū—three times the expected number. (In fact, this was still a serious underestimate of Japanese strength; see above.)
 
Estimated troop strength in early July was 350,000,<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-<!-- -->intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/<!-- -->the-final-months-of-the-war-with-japan-<!-- -->signals-intelligence-u-s-invasion-planning-<!-- -->and-the-a-bomb-decision/pg16.gif | title= Estimated Japanese Dispositions on Kyushu, 9 July 1945 | first= Douglas J. | last= MacEachin | year= 1998 | month= December | format= [[Graphics Interchange Format|GIF]] | work= [https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-<!-- -->intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/<!-- -->the-final-months-of-the-war-with-japan-<!-- -->signals-intelligence-u-s-invasion-planning-<!-- -->and-the-a-bomb-decision/csi9810001.html The Final Months of the War With Japan] | publisher= [[CIA]] |pages= | accessdate= 2007-10-04 }}</ref> rising to 545,000 in early August.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-<!-- -->intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/<!-- -->the-final-months-of-the-war-with-japan-<!-- -->signals-intelligence-u-s-invasion-planning-<!-- -->and-the-a-bomb-decision/pg18.gif | title= Estimated Japanese Dispositions on Kyushu, 2 August 1945 | first= Douglas J. | last= MacEachin | year= 1998 | month= December | format= GIF | work= The Final Months of the War With Japan |publisher= CIA |pages= | accessdate= 2007-10-04 }}</ref>
 
<blockquote>The intelligence revelations about Japanese preparations on Kyushu emerging in mid-July transmitted powerful shock waves both in the Pacific and in Washington. On 29 July, [MacArthur's intelligence chief, Major General Charles A.]<!-- This gloss isn't part of the quote. --> [[Charles A. Willoughby|Willoughby]] … noted first that the April estimate allowed for the Japanese capability to deploy six divisions on Kyushu, with the potential to deploy ten. "These [six] divisions have since made their appearance, as predicted," he observed, "and the end is not in sight." If not checked, this threatened "to grow to [the] point where we attack on a ratio of one (1) to one (1) which is not the recipe for victory."<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 211: Willoughby's Amendment 1 to "G-2 Estimate of the Enemy Situation with Respect to Kyushu".</ref></blockquote>
 
The build-up of Japanese troops on Kyūshū led American war planners, most importantly General George Marshall, to consider drastic changes to ''Olympic'', or replacing it with a different plan for invasion.{{citation needed|date=October 2009}}
 
===Chemical weapons===
Because of its predictable wind patterns and several other factors, Japan was particularly vulnerable to [[chemical warfare|gas attacks]]. Such attacks would neutralize the Japanese tendency to fight from caves, which would increase the soldiers' exposure to gas.
 
Although chemical warfare had been outlawed by the [[Geneva Protocol]], neither the US nor Japan were signatories at the time. While the US had promised never to initiate gas warfare, Japan [[Japanese war crimes#Use of chemical weapons|had used gas against the Chinese]] earlier in the war.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 84.</ref>
 
<blockquote>Fear of Japanese retaliation [to chemical weapon use] lessened because by the end of the war Japan's ability to deliver gas by air or long-range guns had all but disappeared. In 1944 [[Ultra (cryptography)|Ultra]] revealed that the Japanese doubted their ability to retaliate against United States use of gas. 'Every precaution must be taken not to give the enemy cause for a pretext to use gas,' the commanders were warned. So fearful were the Japanese leaders that they planned to ignore isolated tactical use of gas in the home islands by the US forces because they feared escalation.<ref>Skates, ''The Invasion of Japan'', p. 97.</ref></blockquote>
 
=== Nuclear weapons===
On Marshall's orders, Major General [[John E. Hull]] looked into the tactical use of [[nuclear weapon]]s for the invasion of the Japanese home islands (even after the dropping of two strategic atomic bombs on Japan, Marshall did not think that the Japanese would capitulate immediately). Colonel [[Lyle E. Seeman]] reported that at least seven bombs would be available by X-Day, which could be dropped on defending forces. Seeman advised that American troops not enter an area hit by a bomb for "at least 48 hours"; the risk of [[nuclear fallout]] was not well understood, and such a short amount of time after detonation would have resulted in substantial radiation exposure for the American troops.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 312–313.</ref>
 
[[Ken Nichols]], the District Engineer of the [[Manhattan Engineer District]], wrote that at the beginning of August 1945, "[p]lanning for the invasion of the main Japanese home islands had reached its final stages, and if the landings actually took place, we might supply about fifteen atomic bombs to support the troops." <ref>Nichols, p 201</ref> An air burst {{convert|1800|-|2000|ft|m|abbr=on}} above the ground had been chosen for the (Hiroshima) bomb to achieve maximum blast effects, and to minimize residual radiation on the ground as it was hoped that American troops would soon occupy the city.<ref>Nichols pp 175, 198, 223</ref>
 
===Alternative targets===
The Joint Staff planners, taking note of the extent to which the Japanese had concentrated on Kyūshū at the expense of the rest of Japan, considered alternate places to invade such as the island of [[Shikoku]], northern Honshū at [[Sendai, Miyagi|Sendai]], or [[Ominato, Aomori|Ominato]]. They also considered skipping the preliminary invasion and going directly at Tokyo.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 273–274.</ref> Attacking northern Honshū would have the advantage of a much weaker defense but had the disadvantage of giving up land-based air support (except the [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29]]s) from [[Okinawa]].
 
===Prospects for ''Olympic''===
General Douglas MacArthur dismissed any need to change his plans:
 
<blockquote>I am certain that the Japanese air potential reported to you as accumulating to counter our OLYMPIC operation is greatly exaggerated. […] As to the movement of ground forces […] I do not credit […] the heavy strengths reported to you in southern Kyushu. […] In my opinion, there should not be the slightest thought of changing the OLYMPIC operation.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 274–275.</ref></blockquote>
 
However, Admiral Ernest King, the Chief of Naval Operations, was prepared to oppose proceeding with the invasion, with Admiral Nimitz's concurrence, which would have set off a major dispute within the US government.
 
<blockquote>At this juncture, the key interaction would likely have been between Marshall and Truman. There is strong evidence that Marshall remained committed to an invasion as late as 15 August. […] But tempering Marshall's personal commitment to invasion would have been his comprehension that civilian sanction in general, and Truman's in particular, was unlikely for a costly invasion that no longer enjoyed consensus support from the armed services.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 357.</ref></blockquote>
 
Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Soviets were preparing to follow up their invasions of [[Sakhalin]] and the [[Kuril Islands]] with an invasion of the weakly defended island of [[Hokkaidō]] by the end of August, which would have put pressure on the Allies to do something sooner than November. On August 15, the Japanese agreed to surrender, rendering the whole question of invasion moot.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 322–324: Glantz, David, "Soviet Invasion of Japan".</ref>
 
==Estimated casualties==
Because the U.S. military planners assumed "that operations in this area will be opposed not only by the available organized military forces of the Empire, but also by a fanatically hostile population",<ref name="sutherland"/> high casualties were thought to be inevitable, but nobody knew with certainty how high. Several people made estimates, but they varied widely in numbers, assumptions, and purposes, which included advocating for and against the invasion. Afterwards, they were reused in the [[debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].
 
Casualty estimates were based on the experience of the preceding campaigns, drawing different lessons:
 
*In a letter sent to Gen. [[Curtis LeMay]] from Gen. [[Lauris Norstad]], when LeMay assumed command of the B-29 force on Guam, Norstad told LeMay that if an invasion took place, it would cost the US "half a million" dead.<ref>Coffey, ''Iron Eagle''</ref>
*In a study done by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in April, the figures of 7.45 casualties/1,000 man-days and 1.78 fatalities/1,000 man-days were developed. This implied that a 90-day ''Olympic'' campaign would cost 456,000 casualties, including 109,000 dead or missing. If ''Coronet'' took another 90 days, the combined cost would be 1,200,000 casualties, with 267,000 fatalities.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 135–137.</ref>
 
*A study done by Adm. Nimitz's staff in May estimated 49,000 U.S casualties in the first 30 days, including 5,000 at sea.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 137.</ref> A study done by General MacArthur's staff in June estimated 23,000 US casualties in the first 30 days and 125,000 after 120 days.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 137–138.</ref> When these figures were questioned by General Marshall, MacArthur submitted a revised estimate of 105,000, in part by deducting wounded men able to return to duty.<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 138.</ref>
 
*In a conference with President [[Harry Truman|Truman]] on June 18, Marshall, taking the [[Battle of Luzon]] as the best model for Olympic, thought the Americans would suffer 31,000 casualties in the first 30 days (and ultimately 20% of Japanese casualties, which implied a total of 70,000 casualties).<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 140–141.</ref> Adm. Leahy, more impressed by the Battle of Okinawa, thought the American forces would suffer a 35% casualty rate (implying an ultimate toll of 268,000).<ref name="Frank-Downfall-p.142">Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 142.</ref> Admiral King thought that casualties in the first 30 days would fall between Luzon and Okinawa, i.e., between 31,000 and 41,000.<ref name="Frank-Downfall-p.142"/> Of these estimates, only Nimitz's included losses of the forces at sea, though kamikazes had inflicted 1.78 fatalities per kamikaze pilot in the Battle of Okinawa,<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 182.</ref> and troop transports off Kyūshū would have been much more exposed.
 
*A study done for [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Henry Stimson]]'s staff by [[William Shockley]] estimated that conquering Japan would cost 1.7-4 million American casualties, including 400,000-800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities. The key assumption was large-scale participation by civilians in the defense of Japan.<ref name="shockley">Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 340.</ref>
 
Outside the government, well-informed civilians were also making guesses. [[Kyle Palmer]], war correspondent for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', said half a million to a million Americans would die by the end of the war. [[Herbert Hoover]], in a memorandums submitted to Truman and Stimson, also estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 fatalities, and those were believed to be conservative estimates; but it is not known if Hoover discussed these specific figures in his meetings with Truman. The chief of the Army Operations division thought them "entirely too high" under "our present plan of campaign."<ref>Frank, ''Downfall'', p. 122.</ref>
 
The [[Battle of Okinawa]] ran up 72,000 US casualties in 82 days, of whom 12,510 were killed or missing. (This is conservative, because it excludes several thousand US soldiers who died after the battle indirectly, from their wounds.) The entire island of Okinawa is {{convert|464|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}. If the US casualty rate during the invasion of Japan had been only 5% as high per unit area as it was at Okinawa, the US would still have lost 297,000 soldiers (killed or missing).
 
Nearly 500,000 [[Purple Heart]] medals were manufactured in anticipation of the casualties resulting from the invasion of Japan. To the present date, all the American military casualties of the 60 years following the end of [[World War II]], including the [[Korean War|Korean]] and [[Vietnam War]]s, have not exceeded that number. In 2003, there were still 120,000 of these Purple Heart medals in stock.<ref name="surplus hearts">Giangreco, Dennis M. & Moore, Kathryn, "[http://hnn.us/articles/1801.html ''Are New Purple Hearts Being Manufactured to Meet the Demand?'']"; ''History News Network'' (December 1, 2003), Retrieved December 4, 2006.</ref> There are so many in surplus that combat units in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]] are able to keep Purple Hearts on-hand for immediate award to soldiers wounded on the field.<ref name="surplus hearts"/>
 
==See also==
*[[Operation Majestic]]
 
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
 
==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |title=Code-Name Downfall |last=Allen |first=Thomas B. |authorlink= |coauthors=Polmar, Norman |year=1995 |publisher=Simon &amp; Schuster |location=New York |isbn=0-684-80406-9 |pages= }}
* {{kilde bog |url=http://books.google.com/?id=YPO1HXdXYDAC&printsec=frontcover&q |titel=We Shall Suffer There: Hong Kong's Defenders Imprisoned, 1942-1945 |forfatter=Tony Banham |udgiver=Hong Kong University Press |år=2009 |id=978-962-209-960-9 |sprog=engelsk}}
*{{cite book |title=Iron Eagle: The Turbulent Life of General Curtis LeMay |last=Coffey |first= Thomas M. |year=1988 |publisher=Avon Books |location=New York |isbn=0-380-70480-3 |page=474 }}
* {{kilde bog |efternavn=Burton |fornavn=John |år=2006 |titel=Fortnight of Infamy: The Collapse of Allied Airpower West of Pearl Harbor |udgiver=US Naval Institute Press |id=ISBN 159114096X |sprog=engelsk}}
*{{cite book | last = Drea | first = Edward J. | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 1998 | chapter = Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan | title = In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army | publisher = University of Nebraska Press | location = Nebraska | isbn = 0-8032-1708-0}}
* {{kilde bog |url=http://books.google.com/?id=SJERKhAdZg4C |titel=Long Night's Journey Into Day: Prisoners of War in Hong Kong and Japan, 1941-1945 |forfatter=Charles G. Roland |udgiver=Wilfrid Laurier University Press |år=2001 |id=ISBN 0889203628 |sprog=engelsk}}
*{{cite book |title=Reluctant Nation: Australia and the Allied Defeat of Japan, 1942–1945 |last=Day |first=David |authorlink=David Day (historian) |coauthors= |year=1992 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=0-19-553242-2 |pages= }}
*{{cite book |title=The Battle of Okinawa: The Blood and the Bomb |last=Feifer |first=George |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2001 |publisher=The Lyons Press |location=Guilford, CT |isbn= 1-58574-215-5 |pages= }}
*{{cite book |title=Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire |last=Frank |first=Richard B. |authorlink=Richard B. Frank |coauthors= |year=1999 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |isbn=0-679-41424-X |pages= }}
*{{cite book |title= The Road to Trinity: A Personal Account of How America's Nuclear Policies Were Made |last=Nichols |first=Kenneth |authorlink=Kenneth Nichols |coauthors= |year=1987 |publisher=Morrow |location=New York |isbn=0-688-06910-X |pages= }}
*{{cite journal|last=Silkett|first=Wayne A.|title=Downfall: The Invasion that Never Was|year=1994| issue=Autumn|page=119|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/Articles/1994/1994%20silkett.pdf| accessdate=October 17, 2011}}
*{{cite book |last= Spector |first=Ronald H. |authorlink= | coauthors= |year=1985 |publisher=Random House |location= |isbn=978-0-394-74101-7| pages= |title= Eagle against the sun: the American war with Japan |unused_data= Eagle Against The Sun }}
*{{cite book |title=The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb |last=Skates |first=John Ray |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1994 |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |location= Columbia, SC |isbn=0-87249-972-3 |pages= }}
*{{ cite journal | last = Thomas | first = Evan | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2007 | month = March | title = The Last Kamikaze | journal = World War II Magazine | volume = | issue = | page = 28 | id = | url = | accessdate = | quote = }}
*{{cite book |title=LeMay |last=Tillman |first=Barrett |year=2007 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan| location=New York |isbn=1-4039-7135-8 |page=224 }}
{{refend}}
 
=== EksterneExternal links ===
*Allen, Thomas B., "''[http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/mil/html/ml_038500_operationdow.htm Operation Downfall]''". Houghton Mifflin Reader's Companion to Military History.
{{commonskat|Battle of Hong Kong}}
*[[K. Jack Bauer|Bauer, K. Jack]], "''[http://www.ww2pacific.com/downfall.html Operation Downfall: Olympic, Coronet]; World War II in the Pacific, The Invasion of Japan''". ww2pacific.com.
* [http://www.hkvca.ca {{en sprog}} Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association]
* Bauer, Jack & Coox, Alvin D., "[http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/war.term/olympic.html OLYMPIC ''VS'' KETSU-GO]"; ''Marine Corps Gazette'', August 1965, Vol. 49, No. 8.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/categories/c54618/ {{en sprog}} BBC submissions]
*Giangreco, Dennis M., "''[http://tigger.uic.edu/~rjensen/invade.htm Casualty Projections for the U.S. Invasions of Japan, 1945–1946: Planning and Policy Implications]''"; ''Journal of Military History'' (July 1997)
* [http://www.britain-at-war.org.uk/WW2/London_Gazette/hong_kong {{en sprog}} Officielle report af generalmajor C.M Maltby, G.O.C. Hong Kong]
*Giangreco, Dennis M., Transcript of "''[http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/giangrec.htm Operation Downfall: US Plans and Japanese Counter-measures]''". US Army Command and General Staff College, 16 February 1998.
* [http://www.remuseum.org.uk/corpshistory/rem_corps_part16.htm#far {{en sprog}} Royal Engineers Museum] ''Royal Engineers'' og 2. verdenskrig - Fjernøsten
*Hoyt, Austin, ''[[American Experience]]'': ''[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pacific/index.html Victory in the Pacific]''; [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] documentary.
* [http://www.wwii.ca/page42.html {{en sprog}} Canadians at Hong Kong] - canadiere og slaget om Hongkong.
*Japanese Monograph No. 23, "[http://www.warbirdforum.com/invasion.htm Waiting for the invasion]" (notes on Japanese preparations for an American invasion)
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/51/a4830851.shtml {{en sprog}} MTB The 2nd MTB Flotilla escapes from Hong Kong]
*MacEachin, Douglas J., "[https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/the-final-months-of-the-war-with-japan-signals-intelligence-u-s-invasion-planning-and-the-a-bomb-decision/csi9810001.html ''The Final Months of the War With Japan: Signals Intelligence, U.S. Invasion Planning, and the A-Bomb Decision'']"; [[CIA]] Center for the Study of Intelligence, 1998.
* [http://fourthmarinesband.com/cambon.htm {{en sprog}} GUEST OF HIROHITO by Kenneth Cambon, M.D. Story of the youngest royal rifle]
*Pearlman, Michael D., "[http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Pearlman/pearlman.asp ''Unconditional Surrender, Demobilization, and the Atomic Bomb'']{{dead link|date=August 2011}}"; Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1996.
* {{PDFlink|[http://web.archive.org/web/20080528032100/http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~ghayes/Copp.pdf {{en sprog}} The Defence of Hong Kong: December 1941 by Terry Copp]}} (arkivet fra [http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~ghayes/Copp.pdf the original] den [[28. maj]] [[2008]])
*White, H.V., "[http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p4013coll8&CISOPTR=649&CISOBOX=1&REC=11 ''The Japanese Plans for the Defense of Kyushu'']{{dead link|date=August 2011}}"; 31 December 1945. (link to PDF)
* {{PDFlink|[http://web.archive.org/web/20060824135009/http://www.forces.gc.ca/dhh/downloads/cmhq/cmhq163.pdf {{en sprog}} Report No. 163 Canadian Participation in the Defence of Hong Kong, December, 1941]|299&nbsp;KB}} (arkiveret version siden den [[24. august]] [[2006]])
 
* [http://hksw.org/despatches_106_1_j.htm {{en sprog}} The Fall of Hong Kong]
<!--spacing-->
* [http://hksw.org/Shing%20Mun.htm {{en sprog}} The Hong Kong Defence]
* [[Thomas David Frank Evans]], ''Roll Call at Oeyama, P.O.W. Remembers'', 1985
* [http://www.hongkongwardiary.com/ {{en sprog}} Hong Kong War Diary - Current research into the Battle]
* [http://www.hkvca.ca/historical/banham.htm {{en sprog}} Battle of Hong Kong Background and Battlefield Tour Points of Interest] af [[Tony Banham]]
* {{kilde bog |efternavn=Snow |fornavn=Philip |url=http://books.google.com/?id=HDX_IAAACAAJ |titel=The Fall of Hong Kong: Britain, China, and the Japanese Occupation |udgiver=Yale University Press |måned=juli |år=2003 |id=ISBN 0-300-09352-7 (hardback); ISBN 0-300-10373-5 (paperback) |sprog=engelsk}}
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20091028162455/http://www.geocities.com/rcwpca {{en sprog}} "The detailed story of the actual battle and a tribute to Major Maurice A. Parker, CO "D" Coy, Royal Rifles of Canada.]
* [http://www.hkvca.ca/historical/accounts/Al%20Babin/index.htm {{en sprog}} "The story of Alfred Babin, stretcher bearer, HQ Company, Royal Rifles of Canada."]
* [http://www.memoriesuninvited.com/ {{en sprog}} Philip Doddridge, Memories Uninvited - "A fascinating story of a young man who finds himself caught up in the horrific battle for Hong Kong and the years of captivity he lived through after the battle was over on December&nbsp;25th, 1941."]
* [http://www.stanfordprojects.co.uk/index.html {{en sprog}} "Story of the Stanford family and the effect of the fall of Hong Kong in 1941."]
* {{kilde www |fornavn=Klemen |efternavn=L |url=http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html |titel=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 |dato=[[1999]]-[[2000]] |sprog=engelsk}}
 
{{2.World verdenskrigWar II}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hongkong, Slaget omDownfall}}
[[Category:Japanese home islands campaign]]
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[[Category:World War II operations and battles of the Pacific Theatre]]
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[[Category:Cancelled military operations involving the United States]]
[[Category:Cancelled military operations involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps in World War II]]
 
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