Sir Robert Black had been the Governor of Hong Kong for less than a year-- he had arrived in January of 1958, and now in October there was this massive outbreak of violence. Government House buzzed with activity as the new Governor set about righting the situation in the colony. British Army soldiers guarded the building at all hours, a full platoon of them.

First order of business was to right the situation with the police. The Army had arrested the Third Deputy Chief of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, who now languished in prison in the military base, kept well away from the RHKPF and other potentially compromised officers. Governor Black called for representatives of the intelligence services based in Hong Kong and set the Security Service to the task of combing the RHKPF and delivering lists of officers potentially compromised by the Maoists. GCHQ’s men were set to monitoring communications between Hong Kong and the mainland, seeking to establish evidence that Beijing was pulling strings behind the police. Governor Blacks summoned the Commissioner of the RHKPF, Arthur Crawford Maxwell, and informed him that the screening process for officers joining his service would have to be far more stringent, and present officers must be open to scrutiny.

With the police sorted, next came the issue of the rioters’ support coming from the mainland. The Royal Navy attaché in Hong Kong next arrived at Government House, escorted to the busy office. He reported that the Royal Navy had already organized a flotilla of frigates, lead by the Type-15 HMS Relentless and joined by HMS Rocket and the Type-16 frigate HMS Orwell. The Navy ships were coming up from the UK, due to arrive in a couple days’ time. In the mean time, the Bay-class frigates HMS Cardigan Bay and HMS Mount’s Bay would be detached from the Far East Fleet in Singapore and sent to Hong Kong to assist in the patrols until the three frigates from Britain arrived. The Royal Navy’s present assets were conducting harbor patrols and stopping and searching all ships seeking to come to Hong Kong. Ships making port without first encountering the Royal Navy would be searched where they landed by the Army. They would be assisted by the Royal Marines.

As the Royal Navy officer departed, he was passed by an incoming knot of British Army officers. They shortly arrived at the office to meet the Governor. The Army had restored order on much of the island. A permanent presence at RAF Kai Tak would prevent another incursion onto the airstrip, concertina wire had been strung around it and patrols set up to keep watch on approaches to the same. 17th/21st Lancers would be deployed to the New Territories upon their arrival with 10th Gurkha Rifles to keep the peace; 5th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, 19th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, 49th Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery, and 74th Light Anti-Air Regiment Royal Artillery to the mountainous approaches to Kowloon in preparation for a potential Chinese invasion. 1st Battalion, the Green Howards would be set to work in Kowloon keeping the peace. 1st Battalion, the Lancashire Regiment would do the same work in Hong Kong directly with the RHKPF and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment.

50th Regiment Royal Engineers, 56th Field Squadron Royal Engineers, and 54th Independent Field Squadron would commence in the construction of what the planning staff called the “Green Line”, a series of defensive positions stretching across the peninsula in the mountains north of Kowloon. In the event of a Chinese invasion of Hong Kong, the Army would be well prepared to bleed them as they attempted to cross through the mountains.

Lt. General Sir Eric Bastayn assumed overall command of the preparations to defend Hong Kong, owing to his position as Commander British Forces in Hong Kong. The defensive strategy would be to establish the artillery forward along the Green Line, with a fallback position garrisoned by the anti-tank sections. 40th Division’s 27th and 28th Infantry Brigades were employed in pacifying the New Territories and with a new project to construct a hard border between China and Hong Kong, utilizing razor wire in two tiers 50 meters apart. As time and resources permitted the inner tier of razor wire would be replaced by a three-meter tall chain link fence topped with razor wire. Checkpoints were to be established over major roads so as not to impede movement between the two states to avoid giving China further cause to step up their intervention in Hong Kong. 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, also assigned to the 40th Division, would act as a mobile reserve and assist in peacekeeping operations further from the border.

For the tanks-- still Comets, as upgrades had not been rolled out in Hong Kong yet-- Lt. Colonel Richard Ward of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment proposed what he described as an “urban protection applique kit”, namely a number of welded-on metal plates and armored skirts for the treads. This would, in his estimation, improve the performance of the aging Comets in urban combat. This plan was approved by the Governor, and orders went out to 1st and 3rd RTR to begin the modifications. 17th/21st Lancers would do the same upon their arrival and before their deployment.

Next to arrive were a collection of RAF officers and their equal parts in the local Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. The RHKAAF’s responsibilities were simple: their comparatively few aircraft, predominantly Taylorcraft Austers, were to conduct reconnaissance flights along the border between Hong Kong and China. The flights would be geared towards advance warning of any PLA buildup on the far side of the border and reporting any efforts to breach the border from the Chinese side.

The RAF’s No. 205 Squadron, flying Short Sunderlands, would conduct maritime patrols around Hong Kong to assist the Royal Navy’s effort to interdict more weapons shipments coming from the mainland. No. 81 Squadron’s detachment would assist, flying Percival Pembrokes on either coast and behind the border. No. 28 Squadron and their de Havilland Venoms would be placed on high alert on the ground at RAF Kai Tak, prepared to launch in the event of a PLAAF intrusion into British airspace.

>! Crucially, orders went out to No. 207 Squadron in Singapore to prepare flight plans to points on the Chinese coast in the event that the Chinese invade Hong Kong. If the situation grew desperate enough No. 28 Squadron would scramble to escort the V-bombers to their target sites. Type 758 Valiant Bs are to be fueled up and loaded down to provide mid-air refueling if necessary. !<

Additionally, the base commander at RAF Kai Tak was relieved of his command and replaced for failing to secure his base against incursions on the runway at his base. It was a shocking display that transport aircraft could not land on an RAF base because of protesters running amok on the airstrip, and unbecoming of an RAF officer.

Generally speaking, the curfew would remain and the Army would conduct search and destroy missions for bomb manufacturing sites and weapons caches. A reward for such information would be offered to the people of Hong Kong in the hopes that the conflict could be worn down. The Army would patrol the streets to support the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and to ensure no further breaches in loyalty while the Security Service went through their membership to weed out communist sympathizers.

No specific action would be taken against the people of Hong Kong unless they were to take action against the Army, Navy, or Air Force. In the event they did, preference would be given to nonlethal techniques of neutralization, with lethal force a tool of last resort. Notable exceptions to the latter rule would be further efforts to storm RAF Kai Tak or any firing upon British ships or personnel by Chinese boats attempting to make it to the shore of Hong Kong. Signs would be posted around RAF Kai Tak warning protesters that attempts to breach the razor wire and military perimeter now encircling the base would be dealt with harshly, but that they were welcome to protest beyond the gates. The Royal Navy would be given carte blanche to protect its ships and people from Chinese aggression should they attempt to attack a British ship.

With the day's meetings done, it neared the early evening and it seemed the board had been set. There was no question that they had been infiltrated by Mao's China, the weapons captured by the Navy en route to all but confirmed it. The question became, how far would this go? Governor Black retired to dinner and let his military staff continue doing the work of organizing the response as the situation evolved for the next hour. It was going to be a long month.