The Battle of Hong Kong (14 December 1938 - 1 January 1939) was one of the first battles of the Pacific War. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the Empire of Japan invaded British Hong Kong and met the stiff resistance of its garrison, composed of local troops as well as British, Canadian and Indian units. In less than a week the defenders abandoned the mainland, and less than two weeks later, with their position on the island untenable, the colony surrendered.