the Hung Hom Workers Children's School, both at Bulkeley Street in Kowloon, met with fierce resistance. The Police had to cut their way through iron grilles with oxyacetylene burners while under constant attack from stones and bottles, fire bombs and acid. The operation lasted for three hours and the premises yielded a further quantity of weapons and inflammatory literature, as well as two carboys of acid. One person was shot dead while throwing bottles from the roof and two others were seriously injured in the action. The Police sustained minor injuries. 81 persons, including several who were wanted for previous offences, were arrested.
128. Further raids continued almost daily on communist premises and on other places known or suspected to be used for activities con- nected with confrontation. After the initial raids there was little or no opposition to the Police but in many cases they had to break through iron grilles, steel doors and other formidable physical obstacles. On 18th July the Bank of China building was seen to have an anti- helicopter defence system erected on the roof, although up to this time. helicopters had only been used for observation, crowd control and com- munications flights.
129. Helicopters were however, used offensively in the raids that took place on 4th August. These were against Kiu Koon Mansions, which houses the Wah Fung stores, and another communist centre, the New Metropole Building, on opposite sides of King's Road. These are both multi-storey buildings. While one detachment of the raiding party gained entry at ground level another, which included members of the army as well as the Police, was dropped on the roof of the buildings from Royal Navy helicopters. This was probably the first time that an operation of this type had been mounted against a multi-storey build- ing and it was eminently successful. There was no human resistance but there were booby traps and other physical obstacles to be over- come. 26 persons found on the premises were arrested and a quantity of weapons, posters and other documents was seized. In the New Metropole Building an unregistered but well-equipped miniature hos- pital was found. There was no indication that it had been used.
130. These raids had considerable effect on communist morale. Apart from the loss of weapons, explosives and propaganda literature seized by the Police, they now realized that the premises of their unions and other centres were no longer safe for meetings. Communist leaders
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