CO129-590-25 Accounts of events leading up to surrender and subsequent treatment of prisoners- etc 23-4-1942 - 28-9-1943 — Page 149

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when Japanese crossed harbour with white flag and a truce was proposed and accepted till 1600. On this day telephone communicat ion became at times very bad and ROBIN, commanded by S.N.0.Aberdeen took over W/T communication for me (V2) by day through Aberdeen Industrial School W/T station. All confidential books except LOXO code were destroyed.

December 18th, on Thursday, 18th December, Aberdeen had a quiet day and one of the MTB petrol lighters was shifted to what might be a less,exposed berth, but Hongkong was heavily bombed and in the after noon the Asiatic Petroleum Company's installation was set on fire (presumably by British gunfire or demolition), black smoke from which continued to hang into next day. I understand the Japanese occupied Saiwan Forts and Lymun on Hongkong side and commenced infiltrating towards Jardine's Lookout.

MTB 11 and 12 lay on Patrol in Telegraph Bay this night, MTB's 10 and 26 going to Hamiwán and all keeping a very special lookout owing to the black smoke, no moon and 8 feet springs high water at 2300 which would have allowed craft to navigate over the West Lamma minefield and in fact considerably assisted any possible landing operations. I consider the Japanese must have crossed the Hongkong Harbour in considerable force this night and occupied North Point and Causeway Bay,.infiltrating from there..

December 19th. On Friday, 19th December, the black smoke continued to hang over Hongkong and communications were noticeably worse than usual. I understand the eastern brigade of our military force on Hongkong Island withdrew this day and our artillery which remained on the Hongkong side of the island was fully employed trying to reply to Japanese guns supporting their troops.

About 0830 I received an urgent telephone call from XDO to V2 in ROBIN to send one sub-division into Hongkong harbour to Lewis gun Japanese crossing from Kowloon Bay towards Taikoo, in boats and ferries; another sub-division to stand by for orders at Green Island and remainder to, await orders at Aberdeen, MTB's 07 and 09 were fresh, having had the night off, and were selected for the first sub-division; 10: and 26 for the next with the second in command of Flotilla to stand by telephone in ROBIN, all boats ordered alongside ROBIN to prepare ammunition etc. on trying to start up 10's engine the starters on two engines jammed up, trailing in was tried but was unsuccessful with one engine alone. Consequently time being paramount, the second sub-division had to be changed from 10 and 26 to 11 and 12, with 27 and 26 standing by for third attack, v2 remaining with 10 alongside" ROBIN,

At 0845 MTB's 07 and 09 proceeded at full speed and made a most successful surprise daylight attack on Japanese towed in flatwottom

boats overturning..

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