CO129-590-25 Accounts of events leading up to surrender and subsequent treatment of prisoners- etc 23-4-1942 - 28-9-1943 — Page 142

Sir,

-1-

RANGOO N.

Moy449/42176

8th March, 1942.

OPERATIONS BY THE 2nd TB FLOTILLA IN

HONGKONG WATERS DECEMBER 8th 1941 TO DECEMBER 26th 1941.

I have the honour to report the above operations in fairly full narrative form owing to the scarcity of other reports. Certain times quoted may only be approximate as war conditions and the subsequent escape from Hong Kong through China were not conducive to an accurate record.

The 2nd MTB Flotilla consisting of six 1938 Scott Raine MTB's Nos. 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12 and two 55 ft. Thorneycroft MB's Nos. 26 & 27 were based at Kowloon Naval Yard MTB Camber, where the torpedo workshop torpedo store and engine workshop for running repairs wore situated, together with the Flotilla Office and Crews' and maintenance staff's shore accommodation. The officers lived on allowances in various boarding houses very close to, and within a few minutes of the base and in telephone communication with it: and a Duty Officer was always on duty at the Camber. Hajor repairs, overhauls and hoisting of boats for refit were carried out in the HongKong Dockyard.

On the night of Sunday/Monday, December 7th and 8th I was in constant telephone touch with the Duty Officer who reported signals as they came through, such as the Declaration of War between Britain and Japan, and the Commodore's orders to raise steam (MTB's being all roady), and the Duty Officer was instructed to report to me at once when any signal was mado to bring SX One (War organisation) into force.

December 8th: The Communication Distributing Office in HongKong Yard telephoned the Duty Officer (about 5.30 a.m.) that an orderly was to be sent over to HongKong for a secret Document and this was done, but he returned with confirmatory copies of certain signals only, and on my instructions the orderly was sent again to obtain it, the Duty Officer receiving and opening this document (about 7.30 a.m.) and reporting to me that it contained instructions to bring SX One into force. I immediately repaired, with all other officers not already there, to the Base, arriving as Japanese bolibs were heard drop, ing in Kowloon. I understand the Kai Tack Aerodrome was

In accordance with provi ous attacked and planes destroyed at this timo. instructions, Commanding Officers scattered their MTB's and lay off base while raids took place, leaving the lotilla Engineer Officer and Gunner (T) and Maintenance Staff to supervise the transference of base stores to Aberdeen. A very recent amendment to BX Ono stated that TB Base was to be transferred at once to Aberdeen instead of remaining for some period at Kowloon base as had been the original intention in SX One. Japanese bombing of Kowloon took place sporadically during the day, MTB's scattering and returning to Camber accordingly; eventually shifting to Aberdeen base, the first arriving noọn and myself last in MTB.10 leaving at 1600 hrs. with the MTB stores lighter and maintenance staff. MTB.12 undergoing overhaul remained behind in HongKong Dockyard, the Commanding Officer making utmost undeavours to get the work completed carly.

The original intention was to use Aberdeen Base as a last resort, the MTB slipway being capable of taking only one MIB at a time, and the workshop and office being in the Industrial School about mile from the Aberdeen wet Dock, off which and in which MTB's had been instructed to lie.

There....