The United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy conducted numerous air raids against Japanese-occupied Hong Kong and shipping near the city during World War II. The Royal Australian Air Force took part in efforts to lay naval mines in the Hong Kong area. These attacks began in 1942. In 1945 it was incorporated into the larger South China Sea raid. British Pacific Fleet aircraft also attacked Japanese suicide boats at Hong Kong as part of the reoccupation of the colony in late August 1945.
Background
The British colony of Hong Kong had been captured by Japanese forces in December 1941, and became a significant naval and logistics base. Japanese forces bombed and shelled the urban areas during the invasion of Hong Kong, and 4,000 civilians were killed in the fighting.
USAAF units based in China attacked the Hong Kong area from October 1942. Most of these raids involved a small number of aircraft, and typically targeted Japanese cargo ships which had been reported by Chinese guerrillas. By January 1945 the city was being regularly raided by the USAAF.
Attacks
1942
25 October: 12 North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and 7 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters attacked the Kowloon Docks, and were intercepted by 21 Japanese aircraft. One B-25 and one P-40 were shot down, along with most of the Japanese aircraft. 25/26 October: 6 B-25s attacked the North Point Power Station in a night raid. 26 October: P-40s made dive bombing attacks on the Hong Kong-Canton area. 27 November: 10 B-25s and more than 20 P-40s attacked shipping and harbour facilities at Hong Kong. The American aircrew claimed to have sunk two freighters and numerous barges, and shot down several of the large force of Japanese fighters which intercepted them.
1943
27 July: 6 B-25s escorted by 14 fighters attacked Stonecutters Island after failing to locate the freighter they had been dispatched to destroy. 28 July: 6 B-25s escorted by 9 P-40s bombed the Taikoo Dockyard. 29 July: 18 Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers with fighter escort attacked the Hong Kong, Kowloon and Taikoo Docks and the shipyard previously used by the Royal Navy. 7 August: 4 P-40s attacked a Japanese convoy sailing to the east of Hong Kong. One freighter was heavily damaged and two others were lightly damaged. 25 August: 8 B-25s escorted by fighters bombed the Kowloon Docks. 26 August: 15 B-24s escorted by 17 fighters bombed the Kowloon Docks. Five Japanese fighters were shot down. 30 August: 4 P-40s attacked a convoy sailing to the east of Hong Kong, badly damaging a freighter and inflicting lighter damage on two others. 31 August: 3 P-40s attacked a freighter near Stonecutters Island, with their pilots claiming to have heavily damaged it. 12 September: 8 Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters attacked Japanese shipping in the Hong Kong area. 15 November: 20 B-25s were dispatched to attack targets in the Hong Kong area. Due to bad weather, only 5 attacked. These aircraft targeted the Kowloon Docks. 19 November: B-25s attacked two Japanese ships sailing near Hong Kong. 1 December: 19 B-25s, 24 P-40s and 10 North American P-51 Mustang fighters attacked the Kowloon Docks. Two other B-25s attacked the Taikoo Dockyard. 25 December: 2 B-25s attacked a passenger ship sailing south of Hong Kong, with their aircrew claiming to have heavily damaged it.