Captain Wilkinson knew the Japanese very well and knew there was no way out for his crew. As the
Captain sighted the convoy of 15 enemy ships that slowly approached him, he pondered his situation.
He could turn back to occupied Singapore and face a terrible fate,
or face the enemy convoy and take down as many Japanese as possible before the inevitable end.
After a few seconds, the captain ordered his crew to battle stations. Armed with only one cannon
and two Lewis machine guns, the converted Ferry Li Wo headed straight into the enemy formation.
Outgunned, outnumbered, and outmatched,
Li Wo and her crew were about to write their name in Royal Navy history…
HMS Li Wo
Li Wo was a passenger riverboat built in 1937 by the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Company, one of the
largest in Asia, for the wealthy Indo-China Steam Navigation Company, which had been established in
1873 prior to the Chinese instabilities that culminated in the Boxer Rebellion.
The riverboat was built to traverse the vast and rich Yangtze River, the longest
in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. Her two years of ferrying passengers across the
shores and landscapes of China coincided with the increasing animosity between Japan and the
Western powers due to the outbreak of total war between the Empire of the Rising Sun and China.
Hong Kong, among other Asian territories such as Singapore,
was part of the British crown, and Japan's policy made it clear that
Asia was meant for the Asians or the Empire of Japan, at the very least.
Even so, European nations did not believe that, in the face of global conflict,
Japan would dare to attack colonies under British, Dutch, Portuguese, French, and American rule.
But they were wrong. The outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939 would give the Japanese
an excuse to take over all of the Pacific. And with tensions quickly rising and the British
Royal Navy's forces focused on neutralizing the German and Italian fleets, the Asiatic dominions
were left without any considerable contingents that could deter the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In 1940, Li Wo's civilian service ended when she was requisitioned and commissioned into the Royal
Navy to fight the Empire of Japan. At the time of her commission, she had a length of 50 meters,
a beam of 9.2 meters, a draught of 2.8 meters, and a gross registered tonnage of 707. Additionally,
she was powered by two triple-expansion steam engines that provided over 278 horsepower.
The river ferry then turned into a small warship when she was fitted
with one 100-millimeter gun installed on the foredeck and two World War 1-era Lewis
light machine guns to use against enemy aircraft and small boats.
Captain Wilkinson
The vessel was commanded by Royal Navy Reserve Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson,
a seaman who joined the Indo-China Steam Navigation Company in 1922 at the age of 24.
Captain Wilkinson was a larger-than-life figure. He was well-educated,
fluent in Chinese and Japanese, and eager to defend his nation from foreign aggression.
Since the captain assumed command of Li Wo in 1940 to patrol China and Hong Kong,
he prepared his men to fight to the last man. Wilkinson knew the enemy he was dealing with and
knew the Japanese closely followed the Code of Bushido. For them, surrender was not an option.
Li Wo and her crew patrolled Singapore’s rivers and coastal waters until late January 1942,
when the Japanese prepared an assault to retake the entire region,
including the crucial nation of Malaya.
Fall of Singapore
Li Wo was in Singapore when the Japanese attacked Malaya with brutal force,
finally taking it by February 13, 1942. The British forces had retreated and gathered
their surviving forces in the Java region and Ceylon. They knew Singapore was next.
Li Wo was one of the last vessels to leave Singapore, but about 36 hours before the
vessel left in the early morning of February 13, the ship's crew experienced some drastic changes.
Because of the imminent threat, the crew consisted of over 84 personnel,
19 of which were sailors from the Royal Navy, two from the Royal Air Force,
five British soldiers, 34 Europeans, ten Malays, and six Chinese.
Some were newcomers, totally unaccustomed to life at sea,
but they knew their lives were at stake and would have to do their best.
Others were seasoned veterans, survivors from HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
Captain Wilkinson was then ordered to head to Batavia as soon as possible. Li Wo was
accompanied by HMS Fuhwo, another converted passenger ship. Both ships anchored south
of the Raffles Light and waited for daylight to cross the minefield in the Durian Strait.
Between 1:00 and 3:00pm on February 13, both vessels were subjected to
heavy bombing attacks by over 52 Japanese aircraft. The crew expended most of its
Lewis ammunition fending off the attacks and made it out alive, but not without a scratch.
Li Wo remained seaworthy, but her superstructure was badly damaged. The two Royal Navy vessels
then made it to a nearby island and decided to anchor to pass the night.
Facing The Enemy
The following day, Li Wo and Fuhwo were attacked by two Japanese bombers.
Spotted and without support, the two vessels parted ways to divert the enemy.
HMS Fuhwo would be beached a day later on Banka Island after a Japanese cruiser
and destroyer opened fire and severely damaged the small ship.
Meanwhile, Li Wo was attacked by more Japanese aircraft as she made her way to Batavia.
As they approached Bangka Strait, Captain Wilkinson saw smoke on the
horizon that later materialized in an Imperial Japanese Navy convoy of around 15 ships.
The vessels formed part of an invasion force bound for Sumatra
and were escorted by the light cruiser Yura and destroyers Fubuki and Asagiri.
Wilkinson had his back against the wall. He could turn back and risk being captured on his way to
Singapore or face the Japanese ships and take his chances. Either way, the situation was dire.
The captain ultimately decided that fighting was the only way out and addressed his men:
(QUOTE) "Gentlemen, the enemy outnumber us, the enemy outgun us, the enemy can outrun us.
There is only one possible course of action. Full speed ahead and attack!
We will take as many of those Japanese ships as possible."
Ramming the Transport
Word spread quickly among the crew. They were going to face the convoy
until the last round was fired. Li Wo suddenly altered course to
attack a 2,300-ton transport that was number eight in the formation.
Then, with only 13 shells left for the main gun and less than 1,000 rounds of
machine-gun ammunition, Li Wo hoisted her battle flag and charged the enemy.
As the ferry approached the middle of the convoy, Wilkinson ordered the crew to open fire.
The Japanese were caught off guard and puzzled by the boldness of such a small ship attacking them.
The three warships were incapable of attacking Li Wo without damaging their own transport vessels,
so the Royal Navy crew made every shot count.
The Japanese transport ship then caught fire, and the crew abandoned the ship.
When the main gun ran out of ammunition, Wilkinson
ordered the crew to brace for impact: they were going to ram the enemy ship.
The clash destroyed the Japanese transport, but Li Wo was also heavily damaged by the
impact and fire from the other vessels. With her steering gear and steampipe destroyed, Wilkinson
gave the order to abandon the ship as the enemy warships began opening fire against the crew.
The surviving men took to the sea and swam as fast as they could to reach a lifeboat.
However, the Japanese did not give them peace and fired at them.
Less than eleven sailors survived,
while Wilkinson remained at his station on the bridge and went down with his ship.
The Victoria Cross
HMS Li Wo became the most decorated small ship in British Royal Navy history, immortalizing
her crew for the bravery displayed during the fight against the Imperial Japanese forces.
Moreover, Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross,
the most prestigious British military decoration conceded to British and Commonwealth forces.
On Wednesday, December 18, 1946, The Times published the citation. It read:
(QUOTE) “Lieutenant Wilkinson gathered his company together and told them that,
rather than try to escape, he had decided to engage the convoy and fight to the last,
in the hope that he might inflict damage upon the enemy.
In making this decision, which drew resolute support from the whole ship's company,
Lieutenant Wilkinson knew that his ship faced certain destruction,
and that his own chances of survival were small.”
The collective act of bravery of the members of Li Wo’s crew was also commended by the King.
For their acts of service and special bravery, some were awarded the Distinguished Service Order,
the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.
A true testament to the bravery and sacrifice of a crew and their Captain.
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