DK - World War II Map by Map

112 THE WIDENING WAR 1942

Japanese victory

THE FALL OF HONG KONG

DECEMBER 8–25, 1941

The Japanese attacked the British colony Hong

Kong just four hours after their assault on Pearl

Harbor. After fierce fighting, Hong Kong

surrendered on December 25. Many British and

Commonwealth prisoners were massacred. The

Japanese victory was symbolic—beating the

British—rather than military, because Hong Kong

had little strategic value. Neighboring Portuguese

Macau was left neutral, although the Japanese

installed a protectorate there in September 1943.

4

◁ Japanese jubilation

Holding the flag of the

Rising Sun proudly aloft and

brandishing swords in the air,

Japanese soldiers celebrate

their victory in the Philippines.

Dec 16, 1941

The British

abandon Penang.

Jan 7, 1942 The

British are

defeated at

Slim River.

Dec 8, 1941 Japanese

troops from the 25th

Army land in Malaya at

Kota Bharu and head

down the east coast.

Jan 11, 1942 The

Japanese secure

Kuala Lumpur.

Jan 31, 1942

The Japanese

take Amboina.

Dec 11, 1941 The

Japanese take Guam

after a two-day assault.

Dec 8, 1941 The

Japanese attack the

Philippine islands

north of Luzon

before assaulting

the main island.

Dec 15, 1941

Japanese troops land at

Miri in British Sarawak.

Dec 25, 1941

The Japanese secure

western Sarawak.

Jan 24, 1942 A

Japanese convoy

landing troops is

attacked by four US

Navy destroyers.

Jan 24, 1942 The Japanese

take Kendari and its strategic

airfield in southern Celebes.

Dec 19–20, 1941

The Japanese land

on the Philippine

island of Mindanao.

Jan 2, 1942

The Japanese

take Manila.

Dec 25, 1941 Britain

surrenders Hong Kong

to the Japanese.

I N D I A N

O

C

E

A

N

P A C I F I C

O

C

E

A

N

Coral

Sea

Sea of

Okhotsk

South

China

Sea

East

China

Sea

Sea of

Japan

(East Sea)

Gulf of

Siam

Ku

rile

Is

lan

ds

Ryu

ky

u^

Isl

an

ds

PHILIPPINES

Guam

Iwo Jima

Bonin

Islands

Luzon

Hainan

Saipan

Marshall Islands

Kwajalein Atoll

Borneo

Ceram

Celebes

Mindanao

Java

Bali Timor

Sumatra

So

lom

on

(^) Is
lan
ds
G
ilb
er
t (^) I
sla
nd
s
Midway Atoll
Wake
Island
Hawaiian
Islands
D
UT
CH
EA
ST
(^) IN
DI
ES
Mariana
Islands
(MANCHURIA)
MANCHUKUO
Bismarck
Archipelago
Fiji
New
Caledonia
New
Hebrides
Caro
line (^) Islands
Calcutta
Lhasa
BHUTAN
IRAN
Palau Islands Truk Lagoon
Yap
FR
EN
C
H
(^) IN
D
O
C
H
IN
A
T
H
A
IL
A
N
D
BRUNEI
SARAWAK
Taiwan
Okinawa
BRITISH
NORTH
BORNEO
KOREA
BURMA
MALAYA
MONGOLIA
NEW
GUINEA
U
S
S
R C H I N A
I N
D
I
A
AUSTRALIA
J
A
P
A
N
AF
GH
AN
IS
T
A
N
NEPAL
T I
B
E
T
Vladivostok
Osaka
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
Hanoi
Taipei
Mandalay
Balikpapan
Amboina
Kendari
Tarakan
Miri
Davao
Kota Belud
Kuching
Manado
Hong Kong
Macau
Singapore
Tokyo
Bataan
Shenyang
Qingdao
Seoul
Shanghai
Rangoon
Bangkok Manila
Saigon
Cam
Ranh
Pearl Harbor
Port
Moresby
Darwin
Koepang
Katherine
Batavia
Kuala Lumpur
Kota
Bharu
Penang
Medan
Slim River
Beijing
ATTACKING THE EAST INDIES
DECEMBER 15, 1941–JANUARY 31, 1942
Three Japanese forces attacked the East Indies.
The Western Force landed in British Sarawak on
December 15 and launched attacks on Brunei,
North Borneo, and the Dutch islands of Sumatra
and Java. The Central Force, based at Davao in the
Philippines, headed for Dutch Borneo, while the
Eastern Force, also from Davao, attacked Dutch
Celebes, Amboina, Timor, Bali, and eastern Java.
5
Japanese naval
encounter
Japanese paratroop drop
Japanese advances
in the East Indies
US_112-113_japanese_advances.indd 112 19/03/19 5:47 PM