45
the mountains to evade Allied radar, and then pouncing on Allied positions at the last minute, thereby achieving a measure of surprise. Depending on the strength of the Japanese response to the invasion, the Allied CAP may or may not have been able to handle all of the attackers.19 Moreover, the CAP would have been highly dependent on radar. Barrage balloons could partially compensate by being placed near a mountain pass where the enemy could be expected to pass through. This tactic, however, would be negated in the presence of strong winds, which can blow through a mountain pass faster than over a peak.20
But air operations could be negatively affected by the wind too. Air drops of supplies depend on calm weather, lest the supplies become lost or fall into enemy hands. The same applies to bombing operations. In a compact setting like Hong Kong, a bomb that is blown even slightly off its target can fall on friendly territory or civilians. The dropping of airborne forces to secure certain objectives, already risky during good weather, is made infinitely more difficult when performed during periods of strong winds. (A wind of just 16 mph/26 kph is enough to blow a paratrooper well off course.) If airborne forces land too far from their objective, surprise would be lost because they would have to fight their way to reach the objective and sustain casualties in the process. Should they reach their objective, they would have to take additional casualties holding it. Sometimes they are left to their fate.
On the other hand, strong winds can benefit incendiary bombing, which depends on the wind to spread the flames farther - as long as they don't spread in the wrong direction. All it takes was for a wind of more than 18 mph (30 kph) to do the job, and this was most common during the early months of the year in Hong Kong.
While Hong Kong was at its windiest during the winter and early spring, this was minor compared to the proliferation of typhoons during the summer (which, incidentally, is the mildest part of the year when there are no typhoons). A typhoon was the weather phenomenon that could do the greatest damage to a military operation in the Pacific.
Simply defined, a typhoon, which comes from the Chinese term tai fung,21 is known in meteorological circles as a tropical cyclone, which is a very strong mixture of wind and rain with sustained wind
45
the mountains to evade Allied radar, and then pouncing on Allied positions at the last minute, thereby achieving a measure of surprise. Depending on the strength of the Japanese response to the invasion, the Allied CAP may or may not have been able to handle all of the attackers.19 Moreover, the CAP would have been highly dependent on radar. Barrage balloons could partially compensate by being placed near a mountain pass where the enemy could be expected to pass through. This tactic, however, would be negated in the presence of strong winds, which can blow through a mountain pass faster than over a peak.20
But air operations could be negatively affected by the wind too. Air drops of supplies depend on calm weather, lest the supplies become lost or fall into enemy hands. The same applies to bombing operations. In a compact setting like Hong Kong, a bomb that is blown even slightly off its target can fall on friendly territory or civilians. The dropping of airborne forces to secure certain objectives, already risky during good weather, is made infinitely more difficult when performed during periods of strong winds. (A wind of just 16 mph/26 kph is enough to blow a paratrooper well off course.) If airborne forces land too far from their objective, surprise would be lost because they would have to fight their way to reach the objective and sustain casualties in the process. Should they reach their objective, they would have to take additional casualties holding it. Sometimes they are left to their fate.
-
On the other hand, strong winds can benefit incendiary bombing, which depends on the wind to spread the flames farther - as long as they don't spread in the wrong direction. All it takes was for a wind of more than 18 mph (30 kph) to do the job, and this was most common during the early months of the year in Hong Kong.
While Hong Kong was at its windiest during the winter and early spring, this was minor compared to the proliferation of typhoons during the summer (which, incidentally, is the mildest part of the year when there are no typhoons). A typhoon was the weather phenomenon that could do the greatest damage to a military operation in the Pacific.
Simply defined, a typhoon, which comes from the Chinese term tai fung,21 is known in meteorological circles as a tropical cyclone, which is a very strong mixture of wind and rain with sustained wind
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.