Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries in Hong Kong
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This is the latest instalment from Rob Weir's records of British military sites in Hong Kong.
Introduced by the British Armed Forces during the build-up of strength in 1949, their chief purpose was the defence of important infrastructure from attack by low flying aircraft. They were effective against low flying propeller driven aircraft, but less so against the speed of jets.
Each Battery consisted of several Bofors 40mm guns:
The Bofors gun had been in service with many armed forces since before WW2. It was mounted on a wheeled carriage, and could be towed by a variety of vehicles. As a mobile weapon, they could be moved to pre-assigned positions, around their area, so the positions given for each battery is that of the nominated area.
Map of Light AA Batteries:
All sites had been withdrawn from use by 1957. Unlike the fixed Batteries of Coast Defence and Heavy AA guns, these had little in the way of permanent facilities, and therefore nothing remains to indicate their positions today.
