This talk is based on an article written by the author on the failure of the Japanese Army and Navy to use Hong Kong to control the South China coast between 1942 and 1945. Such failure was the result of the inability of the Japanese Army and Navy to cooperate at the strategic and operational levels, the flawed shipping-protection tactics adopted by the Japanese Navy, the incomplete control of the Japanese forces over the South China coast, and the resistance of the Allied guerrilla and intelligence units. The inability of the Japanese to control the South China coast through Hong Kong, in turn, slowly affected the Japanese lifeline to Southeast Asia. In response, the Japanese sought to dominate the South China Sea through a huge land offensive (Operation Ichigo); the costly campaign, however, did not alter the course of the war.

The Speaker

Dr Kwong Chi Man, Ph.D. (2012), University of Cambridge, is Assistant Professor of History Department at Hong Kong Baptist University. He has published books and articles on the military history of modern East Asia, including Eastern Fortress: A Military History of Hong Kong (Hong Kong University Press, co-authored).

Date: Friday, 9 December 2016

Time: Reception desk opens 6:30 pm; talk starts 7:00 pm

Admission: RAS Members $100; Non-Members / Guests $150

Booking: Please email membership@royalasiaticsociety.org.hk in advance to reserve your place and pay at the door