Occupation & Liberation
of Hong Kong
The Taikoo Dockyards were utilized primarily by the Japanese occupying forces for repair work, refitting and reconditioning. The docks were straddle bombed on 16 January 1945 by US Navy planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force. Explosions to the left set fire to a 4,500 tonne freighter-transport ship, while the smoke column to the right marks a direct hit on vital machine shops.
The B-25 'Tugboat' of the US Army Air Force's 11th Bomber Squadron was responsible for the towering inferno at the Lai Chi Kok oil depot, which deprived the occupying forces of much needed fuel.
When Rear Admiral Harcourt’s flagship HMS Indomitable steamed into Hong Kong harbour on 30 August 1945, those aboard were aware of a prominent landmark commanding the hilltop known as the Tower of Triumph, erected by the occupying Japanese on Mount Cameron to commemorate their victory over Hong Kong.