8. The Battle of Hong Kong only ended on Christmas Day 1941 after the deaths of nearly 3, 000 people
December 8, 1941 was a busy day for the Japanese army. Four hours after the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese troops stole over the border from Guangdong into Hong Kong. Hong Kong was a British colony, making it a key target for Imperial Japan, allies of Nazi Germany. With other priorities than defending Hong Kong, Britain had left it under-garrisoned. To say it was a mismatch is an understatement: a Japanese air raid destroy the handful of outdated British biplanes in just 5 minutes, and the 38, 400-strong Japanese army faced only 14, 500 British and Colonial soldiers.
The British, Canadian, Indian, and Hong Kong resistance fought bravely against the odds, but their efforts ultimately proved futile. Within hours the Japanese took the high ground of Shing Mun Redoubt, the most important strategic position. Still the resistance fought on as the Japanese army simply shelled the life out of the city. Christmas Day on Hong Kong proved the Allies’ last stand, and after yet another day of heavy losses the allied commander General Maltby surrendered at 3.15 pm. In just 17 days of fighting, 645 Japanese soldiers and 2, 113 Allied troops were killed, the rest captured.