Hong Kong (HM6)

Hong Kong under Geoffry Northcote is a flourishing harbor city of about 1.5 to 1.75 million inhabitants in 1940.
When the Chinese-ese War broke out, Northcote immediately declared Hong Kong a neutral zone, in order to safeguard the Colony. As the war proceeded, Canton was occupied by the Japanese, causing a population boom as refugees rushed into Hong Kong. Northcote proposed more provision of housing and social services to serve the needs of the poor. Meanwhile, the Japanese army also started encroaching upon Sham Chun, leading the Hong Kong government to adopt various measures to cope, such as the construction of air-raid shelters and blackout practices.
After the outbreak of , the garrison of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong was reinforced with British Indian Army and Canadian Army units. A second brigade, the Kowloon Infantry Brigade, was formed to assist. All in all, 14,000 men were ready for defense.
In late June 1940, Japan demanded from the Brits to stop the transit of weapons to , to which they complied.
de:Hongkong (W6)
Category:Hong Kong
Category:East Asia (HM6)