Evening star., 1942-01-12
Hong Kong Invaders
Used Fanning-0ut
Tactic Effectively
Jops Had 1880 Men
Against Only 10000
For Defenders
BY the Associated Press.

BY thc Associated Press.
CHUNGKING, China, Jan. a.
At least a division and a half o1
Japanese troops - perhaps 22,5O(
men-streamed onto the island ol
Hong Kong before it fell-but the
outnumbered defenders seldom saw
more than 10 invaders at time.
Such Is the story of well-executed
tanning out and converging battle
tactics told today by q British sur.
vivor OF the 17-day siege who es-
capped to the mainland before the
crown colony fell on Christmas Day
Against the invaders. Hong Kong
could pit only a garrison of some
10000 men-British, Canadians, In.
dians-whtch was cut down by ex-
tremely heavy losses, he said
American civilians on the island
drove trucks loaded with vital sup
plies almost to the front lines dur
ing the fighting. he said, while 9TH
ers manned first-aid posts.
Americans Grab Rifles.
But In the last desperate days, he
reported, some of the Americans
even grabbed rifles and went up into
the hills where the front lines were
getting thinner.
The American casualties, never
theless, were surprisingly few, he
said.
Describing the invasion of the is
land, the survivor said the Japanese
landed from transports and ad-
vanced behind heavy artillery fire
perfection for their final assault
They split up into groups Of not
more than 10 men, each group
armed with machine guns, trench
mortars and hand grenades.
Slowly they famed out and sur
rounded their objectives. Then, fol-
lowing q fierce motor sheliing with
a hand grenade charge, the Japa-
nese suddenly converged on the main
Hong Kong defense points from all
directions.
Isolated Fighting Continued.
The weary defenders, their ranks
depleted by casualties, laid down
their arms at 3 pm. Christmas Day,
but isolated fighting continued
throughout the island and japanese
bombers kept the air humming until
darkness.
The invaders had completed air
supremacy, the survivor related.
Hong Kong's air force of six old
planes was destroyed during the first
day of battle. Several of the colony S
few anti-aircraft guns were lost in
the scuttling of gunboats and boom
ships December 10.
The Briton said the japanese ap-
parently had been aided by fifth
columnists. He said the British re-
ported that what few prisoners they
captured possessed detailed maps
showing roads, hills and British posi-
tions. Some had maps showing loca-
lion and plans of Hong Kong's air
raid shelters and tunnels.
Defenders Without Lights.
For nearly a week before sur
render of the colony, its defenders
were without electric lights because
the japanese had occupied Taitan
reservoir. For water the colony had
to rely entirely on the brackish sup
ply from long unusued wells.
Just before the surrender the earth
shook and flames and smoke shot
skyward as the garrison blew up
its ammunition dumps to prevent
them from falling to the enemy.
Losses were heavy on both sides
but particularly for the japanese,
the Briton said. as they paid dearly
for their all-out effort to capture
Hong Kong before Chinese armies
moving toward the colony could
apply effective pressure.
Civilian casualties were reported
light