HMS Li Wo: Made in Hong Kong

The most decorated Hong Kong-made small warship in the history of the British Royal Navy.

On Valentine's Day in 1942, HMS Li Wo, a patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy, was sent from Singapore to help protect Batavia in the Dutch East Indies. There were only 84 crew on board, including her commanding officer, Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson. A few days before the vessel encountered a large Japanese fleet, she had already been damaged by enemy aircraft. Facing a severe situation, outnumbered and outgunned, Wilkinson did not flinch at all — he decided to go full speed ahead and attack! With only 13 rounds of ammunition for their 4-inch gun, this little ferry attacked the Japanese ships fearlessly and set one of them on fire, forcing its crew to abandon ship. Although Li Wo was sunk in the end, the news of this ship fighting against all odds spread widely. Eventually, HMS Li Wo became the most decorated small ship in the history of the British Royal Navy!

The builder of this warship, the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company, had been internationally renowned since Hong Kong's early days as a port. From ship maintenance to building large passenger ships and helping other countries build warships, Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock was one of the most advanced and largest dockyards in the Far East at the time.

▶ Watch video