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Shing Mun Redoubt
The Gin Drinkers Line, or Gin Drinkers' Line, was a British military defensive line against the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941, part of the Pacific War. The concept came from France's Maginot Line, built after World War I. The British believed the line could protect the colony from Japanese invasion for at least six months and even called it the "Oriental Maginot Line" (). The Japanese generals also believed the line would stop their advance until the scouts found out the line was very weak. For example, only 30 soldiers defended Shing Mun Redoubt in the Battle of Hong Kong. It had a capacity of 120 men. Geographical location The Line's name originated from Gin Drinkers Bay, a former bay in nearby Kwai Chung, New Territories (now reclaimed and part of Kwai Fong). It passed through Kam Shan, the Shing Mun Reservoir, Beacon Hill, Lion Rock, and Tate's Cairn, ending at Port Shelter in Sai Kung District. Its total length was 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the British Crown colony of Hong Kong around the same time that Japan declared war on Britain. The Hong Kong garrison consisted of British, Indian and Canadian units, also the Auxiliary Defence Units and Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC). Of the three territories of Hong Kong, the defenders abandoned the two mainland territories of Kowloon and New Territories within a week. Less than two weeks later, with their last territory Hong Kong Island untenable, the colony surrendered. Background Britain first thought of Japan as a threat with the ending of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1921, a threat that increased throughout the 1930s with the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War as well as the Japane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Shelter
Port Shelter, known in Cantonese as Ngau Mei Hoi (), is a harbour south of Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong. The water body connects to Inner Port Shelter (known in Cantonese as Sai Kung Hoi; ), as well as Hebe Haven (), Rocky Harbour (Hong Kong), Rocky Harbour () and other water body. Outer Port Shelter, is situated at the mouth of the harbour. Geography The boundary of Port Shelter has different definition according to different sources. Publication of the U.S. Hydrographic Office, had stated the western shores of Keui Island (now known as Kau Sai Chau) and Jin Island, as well as eastern and north-east shores of the mainland area (now HKUST, Tseung Kwan O New Town and Clear Water Bay Peninsula), were the boundaries of Port Shelter. The Hydrographic Office also stated the entrance of the harbour lies between Lung Ha Wan (; located in Clear Water Bay Peninsula) and [a] Peaked Rock , with a width of about . Earlier publication of the Office, had stated the peaked rock is located ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pillbox (military)
A pillbox is a type of blockhouse, or concrete dug-in guard-post, often camouflaged, normally equipped with Loophole_(firearm), loopholes through which defenders can fire weapons. It is in effect a trench warfare , trench firing step, hardened to protect against small-arms fire and grenades, and raised to improve the field of fire. The modern concrete pillbox originated on the Western Front (World War I) , Western Front of World War I, in the Imperial German Army , German Army in 1916. Etymology The origin of the term is disputed. It has been widely assumed to be a jocular reference to the perceived similarity of the fortifications to the Cylinder, cylindrical and hexagonal boxes in which medical pills were once sold; also, the first German concrete pillboxes discovered by the Allies in Belgium were so small and light that they were easily tilted or turned upside down by the nearby explosion of even medium (240mm) shells. However, it seems more likely that it original ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
C Force
"C" Force was the Canadians, Canadian military contingent involved in the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. Members of this force were the first Canadian soldiers to see action against Japan in World War II. The major Canadian units involved in the defence of Hong Kong were the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the Royal Rifles of Canada. In addition to this the Canadians provided a Brigade HQ. Deterrence Diplomacy During the course of 1941, Japan's foreign policy assumed an increasingly aggressive posture towards the Western powers. In July 1941, Japan occupied the southern half of French Indochina, leading the United States, Great Britain, and the Dutch government in exile which controlled the oil-rich Netherlands East Indies (modern Indonesia) to impose an oil embargo on Japan. As Japan possessed no oil, the embargo threatened to shut down the Japanese economy once its oil reserves were exhausted. Talks were opened to find a solution to the crisis, but it was understood that ther ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Maltby
Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Christopher Michael Maltby, (13 January 1891 – 6 September 1980) was a senior officer in the British Indian Army who served as Commander British Forces in Hong Kong, Commander of British Troops in Hong Kong in 1941 before the Battle of Hong Kong, Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, after which he became a prisoner of war. Military career Educated at Bedford School, Maltby attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he was Officer (armed forces), commissioned onto the Unattached List For Indian Army, with a view to an appointment to the Indian Army. After passing his probationary year attached to a British Army regiment stationed in India, he was posted to the 95th Russell's Infantry of the British Indian Army, Indian Army. From 1913 to 1914, he served in the Persian Gulf. In October 1914, the 95th Russell's Infantry were sent to reinforce the British garrison in Muscat, as information had been received that the Imam and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artillery Batteries
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems. The term is also used in a naval context to describe groups of guns on warships. Land usage Historically the term "battery" referred to a cluster of cannons in action as a group, either in a temporary field position during a battle or at the siege of a fortress or a city. Such batteries could be a mixture of cannon, howitzer, or mortar types. A siege could involve many batteries at different sites around the besieged place. The term also came to be used for a group of cannons in a fixed fortification, for coastal or frontier defence. During the 18th century "battery" began to be used as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trenches
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosion by rivers or by geological movement of tectonic plates. In civil engineering, trenches are often created to install underground utilities such as gas, water, power and communication lines. In construction, trenches are dug for foundations of buildings, retaining walls and dams, and for cut-and-cover construction of tunnels. In archaeology, the "trench method" is used for searching and excavating ancient ruins or to dig into strata of sedimented material. In geotechnical engineering, trench investigations locate faults and investigate deep soil properties. In trench warfare, soldiers occupy trenches to protect them against weapons fire and artillery. Trenches are dug using manual tools such as shovel and pickaxe or heav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bunkers
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. They were used extensively in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War for weapons facilities, command and control centers, and storage facilities. Bunkers can also be used as protection from tornadoes. Trench bunkers are small concrete structures, partly dug into the ground. Many artillery installations, especially for coastal artillery, have historically been protected by extensive bunker systems. Typical industrial bunkers include mining sites, food storage areas, dumps for materials, data storage, and sometimes living quarters. When a house is purpose-built with a bunker, the normal location is a reinforced below-ground bathroom with fiber-reinforced plastic shells. Bunkers deflect the blast wave from nearby explosions to prevent ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Science Channel
Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, manufacturing, technology, space, space exploration, ufology and prehistory. , Science Channel is available to approximately 34,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2013 peak of 78,000,000 households. Along with American Heroes Channel, Boomerang, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, and Discovery Life, Science Channel is among the less prevalent networks of Warner Bros. Discovery. In recent years, Science Channel has lost carriage with the growth of streaming alternatives including its parent company's Max, and has generally been depreciated by Warner Bros. Discovery in current retransmission consent negotiations with cable and streaming providers. Science Channel is still a major cont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong, alongside Victoria Harbour and facing toward Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon. Geographically, the term "Kowloon Peninsula" may also refer to the area south of the mountain ranges of Beacon Hill, Lion Rock, Tate's Cairn, Kowloon Peak, etc. The peninsula covers five of the eighteen districts of Hong Kong. Kowloon Bay is located at the northeast of the peninsula. Geology and reclamation The main rock type of the peninsula consists of a medium grained monzogranite with some fine granite outcrops, part of the Kowloon Granite. Early maps and photographs show flat, low-lying land behind the beach of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay with a raised area, Kowloon Hill, in the west. The peninsula has been significantly expanded through land reclamation from the sea, over several phases. In the south and west most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
