The Gin Drinkers Line (Chinese: 醉酒灣防線) or Gin Drinker's Line was a British military defensive line against the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941, part of the Pacific War.
The concept came from France's Maginot Line, built after World War I. The British believed the line could protect the colony from Japanese invasion for at least six months and even called it the "Oriental Maginot Line" (Chinese: 東方馬奇諾防線). The Japanese generals also believed the line would stop their advance until the scouts found out the line was very weak. For example, only 30 soldiers were defending Shing Mun Redoubt in Battle of Hong Kong with a capacity of 120.
Read more about Gin Drinkers Line: Geographical Location, Construction, Reasons For Failure, Today
Famous quotes containing the words gin and/or line:
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
—Julius J. Epstein (1909–1952)
“When all this is over, you know what I’m going to do? I’m gonna get married, gonna have about six kids. I’ll line ‘em up against the wall and tell them what it was like here in Burma. If they don’t cry, I’ll beat the hell out of ‘em.”
—Samuel Fuller, U.S. screenwriter, and Milton Sperling. Samuel Fuller. Barney, Merrill’s Marauders (1962)