Lego WW2 - Battle of Hong Kong - with Sergeant Major John Osborn

On December 8, 1941, just 8 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the British Colony of Hong Kong. The colony at the time was defended by only 14,000 British, Canadian, and Indian soldiers. Outnumbered by 3-1, inexperienced, and poorly equipped, the Allied forces were quickly overrun. The majority of the Canadian soldiers stationed in Hong Kong had received little training; some didnt even know how to shoot a gun. By December 13, the Japanese forces had taken Kowloon and the mainland, and the Allied forces retreated to Hong Kong Island. The defence of the island was divided into two brigades. On December 18, after heavy bombardment, a Japanese assault began on the island. Shocked by the speed of the Japanese advance, British command ordered Sergeant Major John Osborn to lead A company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers (West Brigade) on a desperate counterattack against the Japanese invaders. Osborns counterattack succeeded at first, but was soon driven back by enemy reinforcements. This Lego stop motion tells the story of Canadian soldier Sergeant Major John Osborn, and how he won the Victoria Cross through bravery and self-sacrifice in battle.\r
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Sergeant Major John Osborn, a Canadian World War I veteran, and one of the few ually experienced soldiers of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, was the first Canadian in World War II to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He was sent to lead A company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers on a counterattack on Mount Butler, during the Battle of Hong Kong. On December 19, 1941, when more enemy reinforcements arrived, Osborn risked his life and covered the withdrawal for others to retreat. Later that day, Osborns company was under attack by heavy mortar fire and grenades. Several enemy grenades were thrown which Osborn picked up and threw back. The enemy threw a grenade which landed in a position where it was impossible to pick it up and throw back in time. Shouting a warning to his comrades, Osborn threw himself on the grenade which exploded killing him instantly. Hisof gallantry and self-sacrifice saved the lives of his comrades. For his leadership andof valour, Sergeant Major John Osborn was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.\r
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COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF HONG KONG.\r
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This video took me quite a while to make, and this is probably the longest animation that Ive made so far. This is the first video that I made in 16:9! READ THIS: I apologize that some of the guns are wrong; I didnt want to make another order of BrickArms so I just used what I already had. So just pretend that the Kar98 is a Lee-Enfield, and the Bren (with the Japanese) is a Type 99. Just a quick note, I didnt have enough minifigure heads of the same colour, so thats why I had to use different colours.\r
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I would also like to take this opportunity to talk about the importance of remembering the Pacific Theater of WW2. A lot of people dont see the Pacific Theater as important as the European Theater, but that in f is not true. The Pacific Theater saw some of the most brutal fighting in the entire war, but is it sadly overshadowed by the European Theater most of the time. The first battle in WW2, in which Canadian troops saw ion in, was ually during the Battle of Hong Kong; which is mostly forgotten among the new generation of Canadians today. So this Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day), please take some time to remember those who fought in the Pacific Theater of WW2.\r
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Pictures taken: 1312\r
Sound effects: Medal of Honor Pacific Assault