WW2 Japanese Radar Station on Tai Mo Shan [1944-c.1945]

Submitted by David on Mon, 01/25/2016 - 14:33
Current condition
Demolished / No longer exists
Date completed
(Day is approximate.)
Date closed / demolished
(Day, Month, & Year are approximate.)

Tymon Mellor has written an interesting article about this at:

http://industrialhistoryhk.org/japanese-radar-station-tai-shan/

Photos that show this Place

Comments

In 2011, the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors published a special issue of their journal Surveying & Built Environment to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the battle for Hong Kong.  One chapter by Lawrence Lai, Ken S.T. Ching, and Y.K Tan provides a map showing exactly where the 12 radar sites were located in a cluster atop Tai Mo Shan.  I imagine it was actually all one site with multiple arrays and antennas.  The map also shows the location of three Japanese AA gun positions atop Tai Mo Shan.  I remember seeing the remnants of these positions when I hiked up Tai Mo Shan years ago.  According to the chapter, the positions were built by POWs.  --Steve

Hi David,

I think I may have reached the AA gun sites.  I found three sites with boulder boundary walls.  They could actually be spotted from the bush fire lookout.

More later.  Have to chow down a bit.  Just got down through Lin Fa Shan/Shek Lung Gung/Chai Wan Kok......

 

T

Hi David,

I went up again yesterday, a bit earlier this time.  The Radar sites seemed spreaded out in a bigger area of the slopes.  Couldn't locate them all this time.  For the ones I passed by they seem to have the same boulder wall characteristics as the AA Gun emplacements.  But many of them are much overgrown, literally.   The walled up area are basically a tropical forest of its own.

A few of them remained opened, with a bigger one with some brick wall with concrete reinforcement.  If we go next time, I suggest to go further up Tai Mo Shan Road to try and get a better view of the site before going down for a closer inspection.   Those artificial shapes would be difficult to miss from above.

T

.

For interest, part of an Intell Report (NA Kew, WO 208/750A, dated 14th Sept 1945).

Tai Mo Shan: An Air Intelligence Unit (radio location) 113 strong is at the top of the mountain. The road leading to it is nearly 9 miles long. Construction started in Jan 1944 and with camp buildings was finished in Aug 1944. 3 Coy's of Japanese Engineers from Canton with 800 coolies were employed. The rains necessitate frequent repair as the road is not surfaced.

The main installation of 1 Transmitter and 4 receivers is serviceable. Each receiver searches a 90° arc. The power is supplied by a 75W 200 Volt AC diesel driven generator. 

Thanks to Philip Cracknell, who writes:

There are a couple of photos in Gordon Alderson's History of RAF Kai Tak  (1927-1971) of the Japanese receiving heads at the Japanese radar station on Tai Mo Shan and of the Japanese accommodation at the radar station. There is a copy of this book in HKU HK 355.0942 A36

I see the Public Library also has a copy (https://webcat.hkpl.gov.hk/lib/item?id=chamo:1735146&theme=WEB), which I've just requested.

Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_1
Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_1, by Freddie

 

Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_2
Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_2, by Freddie

 

Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_3
Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_3, by Freddie

 

Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_4
Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_4, by Freddie

 

Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_5
Tai Mo Shan Japanese Radar Station_5, by Freddie