Q. Why was it important for steamer "Rangoon »
to reach Hongkong on time?
Answers
Answer:
7th March 1942 (Sat)
Ships Log "Orders received to evacuate Rangoon and blow it up. Demolition charges replaced, and arrangements made to blow.
09.30 Sailed down Rangoon River to "Dry Tree Point" where convoy anchored to evacuate troops.
Brewer left behind to carry out part of demolition.
14.00 Demolition of Rangoon and amazing site - Terrific fires at oil refineries and wharfs. 80.000 tons oil fuel at one shot.
Embarking troops all afternoon and evening, and sinking all small craft in river. Dry Tree Point blown up." [5]
L/S Les Barker "Loading lead." [24]
8th March 1942 (Sun)
The Commodore, Rear Admiral Cosmo M Graham, along with Gandy, Collingwood, Ashby and the remaining ratings departed Rangoon on board the Commodore's Flag Ship, the Danish registered "Heinrich Jessen" under the command of 31 year old Danish Captain George Rhod Hansen. This was the last Merchant ship to leave the port of Rangoon. [51]
Force Viper proceeded up the Irrawaddy, reaching Prome on 13th.
Ships Log "05.00 All demolition parties on board. Got under way for Calcutta. Ready all day for air attacks, but for some reason they did not came " [5]
Lt Kennedy RNVR "The military withdrawal from Rangoon was almost over.
The Commodore left Rangoon in the 'Jessen' after the docks had been demolished, and was accompanied by Gandy and the rest of the MTB party.
The 'Somagyi' was patrolling off the Irrawaddy with two ML's." [9]
Lt-Cmd Gandy submitted his report to the Commodore for the attention of the Amiralty, Far East Command, on the battle for Hong Kong and subsequent escape. [15]
A/B Stoker Lenny Rann "Rangoon was finally evacuated and when I last saw the city, large fires were burning as the scorched earth policy had been thoroughly carried out. My vessel left in a small convoy for Akyab." [63]
Lt Collingwood RN "We actually left Rangoon three times, returning twice, the third time we went to Calcutta." [8]
Rangoon destruction 7th March 1942.
Photo from RMM ©PO Buddy Hide "We left and returned to Rangoon three times, the last time to blow up everything, the godowns (warehouses), jetties, piers, wireless station and all military places. Then we proceeded downstream, and then we stopped to blow up and set fire to the oil refineries, dumps, and works. We could see the fires burning forty mile out at sea." [21]
Maj-Gen S W Kirby "As the launches passed down Rangoon River against a strong flood-tide a strange spectacle was presented to the eyes of the weary passengers. A heavy pall of smoke hung over the town but a light southerly wind kept the smoke off the foreshore and it could be distinguished that the electric power station was ablaze, there were fires at Sule Pagoda wharf where the port warehouses were blackened skeletons of what they had once been; on the docks the cranes, damaged by dynamite, leant over at a drunken angle and the columns of smoke rising behind the wharves indicated the end of the principle buildings of a city of half a million inhabitants. All along the normally thronged foreshore not a sign of human life was to be seen. By the time that Syriam was abeam it was almost dark when the flames, topped by columns of dense black smoke rising thousands of feet into the air from the oil refineries presented an awe-inspiring sight, and as the night fell the whole sky was lurid with the glare of that inferno." [96]
Lt Ashby HKRNVR "After making the final demolitions and setting fire to oil installations, we escaped in a speedboat to a ship." [5]
PO Prest "The Japanese were knocking hell out of Rangoon, preparatory to their final assault. We escaped in the teeth of the final assault -- on the last British merchant ship to leave the port." [84]
L/S Les Barker "4pm. Left for Calcutta. Rangoon well ablaze and abandoned. Fires blazing hundreds of feet in to the air. One long blaze." [24]
The "Jessen" was later commandeered by the Royal Indian Navy and re-named HMIS Barracuda serving as a depot ship during the Arakan campaign, and representing the coastal forces was in the the first wave of ships, representing the Coastal Forces, to sail back into Rangoon to witness the Japanese surrender on 12th September 1945.
Lt Pittendrigh RNR was seconded into the British Indian Army with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Arthur demobilised in 1945 with the rank of Major. He returned to Hong Kong to command the Maritime Police Service with the rank of Colonel.
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