Special issue to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of ...

Decoding the Enigma of the Fall of the Shing Mun Redoubt Using Line of Sight Analysis
The Cabinet Office was wrongly counseled to
accept that:
(a) the Artillery Observation Post had only
one exit and
(b) the pillboxes were connected to the OP
by tunnels.
In fact, the Post had three exists and the
Redoubt had two unconnected systems of
tunnels.
Waters and McEvan (2005: p.54) reproduced
Z force member Colin McEvan’s statement,
“the runner having the key in his pocket
(Capt. Jone’s orders)”.
Lance Naik is the Indian Army equivalent
of Lance Corporal.
23:00+ (9 Dec) Invaders’ narratives: Probably PB 402, and the time had to be
after Wylie went out and locked the gate.
The Japanese assault troops were shot at by a
pillbox. Fighting commenced [Cheung Sha]. Obviously, the defenders shot first.
23:00 was the Japanese planned time of
assault on the Redoubt (Cabinet Office,
Banham, Cheung Sha).
23:00+ (9 Dec) Defenders’ narratives:
(1)
“Lance Corporal Laird, on sentry duty to the
east of the Redoubt, which was nearest the Shing
Mun river, challenged figures approaching the
wire (95:49). They dispersed and he engaged
them with his submachine gun. They replied with
rifle fire and grenades.”
J. Laird
The Japanese attack the Redoubt (initially
around PBs 401b and 402) from above, throwing
grenades down the airshafts. While they attacked
the eastern parts, they were fired on from the
western (and by Cpl. Campbell with a Vickers
gun in a position 50 yards north of PB 402),
with the 3rd Battalion’s HQ elements being
caught in the open and suffering casualties.
Sergeant Robb led a counterattack. Men were
ordered to suppress the fire, and the battle
degenerated into short blind chases through
claustrophobic concrete tunnels. Sergeant Robb’s
party of 13 men sustained five casualties (L/Cpl.
Bankier, Ptes. Basnett, Coyle, Casey, and Jardine). R. Bankier, A. Basnett, H. Coyle,
They were left behind as Robb withdrew. Casey J. Casey, G. Jardine
was killed when the Japanese entered. The Casey was killed by the Japanese but Jardine
others – apart from Jardine – were captured. escaped to the rear. [Muir]
Lieutenant W. Willcocks (the Artillery Observation
Officer of the HKSRA) called fire down on the
Redoubt itself to try and dislodge Japanese forces
in the open (92:98) [Banham: p.38].
SBE
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