Japanese commanders parade through the streets of Hong Kong. On December 19, 1941 the Japanese landed on Hong Kong island. The British colony finally surrendered on Christmas Day 1941.

Parade in Hong Kong

In command of the Japanese assault on Malaya was General Tomoyuki Yamashita, who had spent the previous Christmas in Germany, studying Hitler's Blitzkrieg tactics. Instead of using tanks, he armed his troops with bicycles. These allowed fast movement along the narrow jungle tracks and could be carried, if necessary. By advancing directly through the jungle instead of along the heavily defended roads, his troops caught the British and Commonwealth troops by surprise. The conquest of Malaya has taken Yamashita just 54 days.

Conqueror of Malaya

Instead of using tanks, the Japanese troops achieved rapid advance with bicycles. These allowed fast movement along the narrow jungle tracks and could be carried, if necessary. By advancing directly through the jungle instead of along the heavily defended roads, these troops caught the British and Commonwealth troops by surprise. Here, the Japanese crossing Burmese rivers.