1. Canadians in Battle in WWII

2. The Battle of Hong Kong When? December 8, 1941 What happened?
Battle hardened Japanese troops swarmed Hong Kong Island and overran Canadian positions
Hong Kong was surrendered on Dec 25th

3. Why was Hong Kong impossible to defend?
Japanese troops were battle hardened versus the poorly trained Canadian troops that had been sent to defend the island (some Canadian troops had never fired a rifle)
Canadians outnumbered by Japanese

4. The Heroic Tale of Canadian Brigadier General John Lawson

5. The Japanese Brutalize their Captives
When the Japanese took over Hong Kong they committed brutal acts against the Canadians on Hong Kong
Bayoneted wounded soldiers in field hospitals, raped then killed the nurses.
More than 550 Canadians died either in war or as prisoners in POW camps

6. Dieppe: A Military Debacle or A Necessary Sacrifice?

7. Why was Dieppe launched in Aug 1942?
Test German defences of France
Appease Stalin and alleviate pressure on the Eastern Front

8. What Happened?
5,000 Canadians launched an amphibious invasion of the harbour town
Ships landed men at wrong sites
Germans had strategic advantage perched atop coastal cliffs
Tanks that landed had difficulty moving across beach (rocky)
Battle objective were too complicated and unrealistic (100 pages long).
Inexperienced troops sent in without cover—soldiers caught in shooting gallery
Bodies washed up on shore for days!
Battle lasted 9 hours—3300 casualties

9. Significance? Canada’s Baptism of Fire—finally got to see battle
The failed invasion was studied for the next two years and helps the Allies launch the successful D-Day invasion in June ‘42