Hong Kong

China and Asia

World

Nov 20: Imperial Headquarters Liaison Conference passed “Principles for the Implementation of Military Administration in the Occupied Southern Area”;
Nov 26: The Japanese Army and Navy signed “The Central Army-Navy Agreement Concerning Military Administration in the Occupied Areas”

Dec 8 to 25: The Battle of Hong Kong;
Dec 25: Surrender of the British forces in Hong Kong;
Dec 28: The Japanese 23rd Army entered the City of Victoria after a ceremony;
Establishment of the Military Government of Hong Kong;
The Military Government announced the exchange rate between Hong Kong Dollar and Japanese Military Yen as 2:1;
Dec 31: Representatives of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce met with the commander of the 23rd Army, General Takashi Sakai;
Dec to Feb: Gas, water, electricity, radio service, buses, shipping, docks, telephones, trams, telegraphs, and the Kowloon-Canton Railway gradually resumed;
December: The headquarters of the Second China Fleet of the Japanese Navy moved to Hong Kong

Dec 6: The Japanese 23rd Army and the Second China Fleet of the Japanese Navy signed “The Army-Navy Agreement Concerning the Administration of Hong Kong and Kowloon”;
Dec 8: Japanese forces landed in Malaya and Luzon; Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor;
Dec 23: Fall of Wake Island

Dec 5: Soviet Army began counteroffensives against German forces outside Moscow

Hong Kong

China and Asia

World

Jan 3: The Military Government proposed “The Principles on the Emergency Financial Measures in Hong Kong and Kowloon”;
Jan 6: The Military Government announced the beginning of evacuation work;
Jan 10: The Hong Kong Rehabilitation Advisory Committee established;
Jan 14: Resumption of rice sales;
Jan 21: The Military Government announced the division of Hong Kong and Kowloon into 18 districts and the establishment of District Bureau;
Jan 28: Establishment of the Government of the Hong Kong Occupied Territory;
January: British and American nationals sent to Stanley; Chinese Communist guerillas entered Hong Kong;

Jan 2: Japanese forces captured Manila

January: The First Washington Conference, 26 nations jointly issued the "United Nations Declaration"

Feb 20: Isogai Rensuke became the Governor-General of the Hong Kong Occupied Territory;
the Government of the Occupied Territory (GOT) issued a series of laws and instructions such as “Martial Law” and "No. 1 Instruction of the Governor General", establishing the authority of the Kempeitai (Military police)

February: Japanese forces captured Singapore;
Japanese carrier strike group attacked Darwin, Australia;
Li. Gen. Joseph Stilwell becomes Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek

March 28: GOT announced the establishment of the Chinese Representative Council and the Chinese Cooperative Council;
GOT announced "Order for the control of Exit and Entry, Residence, the Import and Export of Goods, the Establishment of Enterprises, Business, and Commerce within the Jurisdiction of the GOT";
March 31: The Japanese government allowed the printing of Military Yen in Hong Kong;
March: GOT announced "Management of the Banks of Hostile Nations"

March: Japanese forces transferred the British concession of Shameen in Guangzhou to the Canton Municipal Government;
Japanese forces captured Java and Rangoon

April 10: GOT moved from The Peninsula Hotel to the HSBC Building
April 16: GOT announced the establishment of Regional offices;
April 30: GOT demanded the disbandment of all self-defence groups by this deadline

April 18: Doolittle Raid on Tokyo

May: The Japanese Army and Navy signed "The Memorandum of Agreement on the Defense and Establishment of a Military Government of Hong Kong between the Governor General of Hong Kong Occupied Territory and the Commander in Chief of the 2nd China Fleet"

May 4 to 8: Battle of the Coral Sea;
May: Establishment of the Hong Kong Economic Committee (disbanded in November);
All American forces in the Philippines surrendered

June: American and Canadian nationals returned home on exchange ships, GOT put forth "Guidelines for Restoring Hong Kong's Factories and Mines", The Imperial Headquarters issued "Imperial General Headquarters Order No. 652" to Hong Kong.

June 4 to 7: Battle of Midway, the US Navy destroyed four carriers of the Japanese carrier strike group;
June: Establishment of the British Army Aid Group

July 23: GOT issued "Order for the Registration of House Ownership";
July 24: GOT issued "Regulations for Currency and Exchange within the GOT Jurisdiction", stipulating the exchange rate of Hong Kong Dollars and Military Yen to: 4:1;
July: District Bureau renamed as District Office; District Councils established;
The Governor General established the Hong Kong and Kowloon Junk Transport Association;
Hong Kong signed a trade agreement with Cantom;
The Economic Committee decided on "Temporary Currency Policy in Hong Kong".

July: The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of China (ROC) asked the British Ambassador whether the UK would transfer Hong Kong to the ROC after the war

July: British forces repelled the German-Italian forces in the First Battle of El Alamein

August 5: The Hong Kong Economic Committee passed the document "Further Integration of Chinese Banks in Hong Kong";
August: GOT allowed the citizens to apply for the return of goods seized by Japanese forces;
Ronald Holmes and the advanced group of the British Army Aid Group infiltrated into Hong Kong, and contacted the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Brigade under Choi Kwok Leung;
The Office of the Governor General announced monthly press conferences

August 7: Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal

August: The British Colonial Office submitted a memorandum on the Hong Kong issue

September 18: GOT issued the "Trade Control Order"

October 3: The Hong Kong Economic Committee passed "Emergency Measures on the Economic Recovery of Hong Kong";
October 8: Establishment of the Hong Kong Trade Association;
October 25: Hong Kong's first air raid;
October: The Imperial Army General Staff sent "Instructions No. 1397" to Hong Kong

October 2: The sinking of "Lisbon Maru", over 800 British and Commonwealth prisoners of war perished;
October 10: Negotiations between ROC and the UK on signing a new treaty for bilateral relations

November: Lieutenant General Ichiro Suganami assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the GOT

November: Lieutenant General Ichiro Suganami assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the GOT

November: The British forces routed the Axis forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein

December: The Washington Conference, where the Allied powers reaffirmed the "Europe First" strategy

Hong Kong

China and Asia

World

January: British and American governments and the ROC Government signed an agreement, relinquishing extraterritorial rights

January: British forces captured Tripoli in North Africa

February: GOT allowed Chinese lawyers to resume their practice

February: Japanese forces withdrew from Guadalcanal

February: The Battle of Stalingrad ended

March to June: Japanese forces uncovered the British Army Aid Group's network in Hong Kong and raided the base of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Brigade;
March: GOT issued "Regulations for government Schools in east Asia (1943 Hong Kong Government Order No. 11)"

March: Establishment of the 14th US Army Air Force

May 10: GOT issued "Currency Regulations for the Occupied Territory";
May 31: GOT implemented the "Regulations for Control of the Transfer of Properties etc";
May: Former Director of Public Health, Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke, the former Chief of Staff of the Hong Kong Garrison, Lanceray Arthur Newnham, and others

May 31: The 10th Japanese Imperial Conference discussed the Hong Kong issue

May: Allied forces annihilated Axis forces in North Africa

June: Military police conducted forced evacuations

July: Hong Kong relaxed the import restrictions on food and daily necessities from the nearby areas

July: Allied forces landed in Sicily; the German and Soviet armies fought at Kursk

August: GOT no longer allowed Chinese staff to resign, British military personnel's families from neutral nations were detained

August: Isogai Rensuke submitted a report to the government "On Hong Kong’s Future Character";
The Allies established the Southeast Asia Command

August: the British Colonial Office formed the Hong Kong Planning Unit;
Quebec Conference

September 2: Allied air strike destroyed the Lai Chi Kok oil depot

September 3: Italy signed an armistice with the Allies

October 15: The Law Court of the GOT was established;
October 19: John Fraser, Assistant Attorney-General, and Walter R. Scott, Deputy Commissioner of Police and others were beheaded

November: The formation of the Hong Kong Food Assistance Board by community leader Aw Boon Haw and others

November 2 to 11: American air raids on Rabaul, attack on the Gilbert Islands;
November: The Chinese Communists guerrillas in the Eastern River area was named to East River Column of the People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla

November: Cairo Conference;
Japan hosted the Greater East Asia Conference

December 18: Newnhmn and others were beheaded;
December: Taiwan Development Company submitted "Proposal on the Development Projects in Hong Kong"

Hong Kong

China and Asia

World

February: The Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the East River Column rescued Lieutenant Donald W. Kerr, and Lau Pui join the Eastern River Column

February 17 to 19: US air raids on Truk Atoll and the invasion of the Marshall Islands

March: Hong Kong Volunteer Company participated in the Burma Campaign

April 15: Rationing of rice was limited to personnel related to the Japanese military administration and their families

April 19: Japanese forces launched Operation Ichigo

April: The Combined Staff Planners submitted "Plan for Campaign within China," including a concrete plan against Hong Kong

June: Chief of Staff Ichiro Suganami was transferred away;
the city's power supply was significantly reduced

June 15: US forces landed on Saipan, the first B-29 bomber air raid on the Japanese mainland;
June 19 to 20: Battle of the Philippine Sea, the defeat of the Japanese Naval Air Force;
June: Japanese forces occupied Changsha

June 6: Allied forces landed in Normandy, putting Germany on the defensive on two fronts;
June 22: The Soviet Army launched Operation Bagration, breaking the German Central Army Group

July: Firewood rationing was canceled

July 25: The Chinese Communist Central Committee instructed the Eastern River Column to expand its sphere of influence;
July: Roosevelt met in Pearl Harbor with military leaders, deciding on the invasion of the Philippines;
British military achieved a significant victory over the Japanese in the Imphal region, Burma

August: The Chinese Nationalist Army captured Myitkyina

August: Allied forces liberated Paris

September 1: GOT established the Hong Kong Junk Operation Association, issued the "Trade Control Regulations", dissolved Hong Kong Foreign Trade Associati
September: The Political Section of the Kempeitai called "Special Section" was established

September: US forces landed on the Palau Islands

September: Operation Market Garden failed, German forces continued to resist

October 16: US air attack against Hung Hom district, over 900 people died

October 10 to 20: Air battle over Taiwan;
By the end of October: US forces landed in the Philippines

November 20: GOT restricted remittances from Hong Kong to Japan, Japanese nationals began to evacuate;
November: Establishment of the "News Association"

November: Japanese forces captured Guilin

December 24: The sinking of "Reinan Maru", Chinese Representative Council member Chan Lim Pak died;
December: Rice rationing was limited to personnel related to the Japanese military administration

December: Japanese forces captured Nanning; the success of the Operation Ichigo

December: Battle of the Bulge, the German counter-offensive in the western front failed

Hong Kong

China and Asia

World

January 15-16: Task Force 38 dispatched over 400 airplanes to attack Hong Kong;
January 18: Noma Kennosuke, the commander of the Hong Kong Kempeitai, was transferred out of Hong Kong;
January 21: 14USAAF bombed the naval dockyard mistakenly hit civilian residences in Wanchai, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries;
January: GOT was placed under the jurisdiction of the 23rd Army, and The Office of the Governor General issued an order prohibiting the holding of Hong Kong dollars

January 9: US forces landed on Luzon Island

February 14: Shinyo suicide motorboats arrived in Hong Kong;
February: Tanaka Hisakazu became the Governor General of Hong Kong, and GOT was reorganized

February 19: US forces landed on Iwo Jima

February: The Yalta Conference

March: GOT promulgated the "Hong Kong Development Association Order";
The Hong Kong Police Headquarters was established, and the police and Kempeitai were separated;
Hong Kong's shipping to Taiwan was disrupted

March 9: The U.S. air raid on Tokyo, about 100,000 people killed;
March 13: The China Expeditionary Army issued the " Operation Kōichigo" order;
March: Macdowell of the Hong Kong Planning Group arrived in China

April 2-5: Far East Air Force launched a series of raids against Hong Kong; Hunghom and Wanchai severely bombed and thousands were killed and wounded. The St. Paul Hospital at Causeway Bay was hit.

April 12: President Roosevelt passed away

May 7: Germany surrendered, end of the war in Europe

June 12: 62 U.S. aircraft dropped napalm bombs on the north shore of Hong Kong Island

June: The 23rd Army formulated a plan in in anticipation of the final battle

July 14: The Allies laid their mines in Hong Kong for the last time

July: The U.S. and British naval forces bombarded mainland Japan

August 15: The Japanese troops in Hong Kong learned of Japan's surrender, the 23rd Army ordered the troops in Hong Kong to continue their current mission;
The CCP instructed the East River Column to accept the surrender of the Japanese troops in Hong Kong
the Japanese troops cooperated with the triads, Chinese merchants and Chinese police to maintain order, looting occurred in many places in the city
August 16-17: The British raised the British flag in Ma Tau Chung and on Hong Kong Island
August 18: The East River Column attempted to takeover Japanese barracks, but the Japanese troops resisted, most of the New Territories was still under Japanese control
August 20: The East River Column launched an offensive on Lantau Island and Sai Kung, the Silver Mine Bay Massacre
August 26: Franklin Gimson established a provisional government in the Former French Mission Building, elements claiming to represent the KMT and CCP appeared in Kowloon
August 28: Gimson used the Hong Kong radio station to announce the restoration of British rule
August 29: The fleet commanded by Cecil Harcourt arrived off Hong Kong
August 30: Harcourt and his fleet entered Hong Kong, British troops landed

August 6: The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima;
August 9: The Soviet Union invaded Manchuria and Mongolia;
August 10: The Japanese ambassador in Sweden met with the Swedish Foreign Minister, requesting Sweden to convey to Britain and the Soviet Union that Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration;
Britain decided to send a fleet to Hong Kong, the British ambassador to China instructed the British Army Aid Group to infiltrate Hong Kong and convey orders to the Colonial Secretary Gimson to restore British rule in Hong Kong;
August 13: Horace J. Seymour informed Chiang Kai-shek that Britain would send a fleet to recover Hong Kong, Chiang objected;
August 15: Japan announced unconditional surrender;
August 18: Truman notified Britain that it could send a fleet to recover Hong Kong;
August 24: Chiang Kai-shek notified the Japanese 23rd Army that Hong Kong would be occupied by General Zhang Fa Kui of the 2nd Theater Army;
August 27: Harcourt and his fleet left Subic Bay for Hong Kong;
August 30: Chiang Kai-shek ordered Sun Li Jen to lead troops to occupy Hong Kong