The World War II Multimedia Database Recommends Firefox |
Best Viewed at 1024x768 |
Malaya and Singapore December 8, 1941 - February 18, 1942
Singapore Forum
Singapore Image Gallery
Singapore Video Gallery
In making plans for war, the Japanese coveted the tin and rubber of Malaya. The islands were rich in resources, and nearby Java had badly needed oil. The American embargo had left Japan with enough oil to last through 1944 if consumption was reduced.
Malaya was the victim of interservice rivalry between the United Kingdom forces assigned to defend it. 15-inch guns and 88,000 men defended the "Gibraltar of the East", but they were undersupplied, only had anti-ship ammunition, and could not turned against the jungle roads. The 158 aircraft of the RAF were based on airstrips that the Army could not defend, and many were obsolete biplanes. The Navy promised that a superior fleet would relieve Singapore, but it was estimated that it would take six months. There was only enough ammunition to fire once every six days if the relief took that long.
This force was attacked the first day of the war, and a landing was made the same day. English Army General Arthur Percival was informed to set up defensive lines, but thought it would be bad for morale. "It would be bad for morale when the Japanese start running all over the island," one of his staff officers replied. No defense was made to the rear. On December 10, 1941, the Japanese sank the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, The superior fleet sent to be based in Singapore. The superior fleet was sent without air cover, and land based torpedo bombers sank the battleships with 840 dead. Churchill would later write that it was the greatest shock he ever received during the war.
The Japanese had been outnumbered from the start of the campaign. Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Imperial Japanese Army only had 30,000 men, but he had an advantage in aircraft and in quality of his equipment. The Japanese also used superior tactics; they would come from the jungle instead of by sea, as was expected by the British prewar planners.
By January the Japanese were using bicycles to move down the dirt road that connected the rubber plantations. Tanks, which the Army said could not operate in the jungle, started appearing outside Singapore. On February 17, 1942, Percival surrendered. He carried the Union Jack with the white flag of surrender. Unlike Wainwright who expected to return a hated man and returned a hero, Percival was never forgiven by his peers and lived with the stigma of the loss of Singapore for the rest of his life.
The Rising Sun, December 1941 - May 1942
Battle of Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese Occupation of Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HMS Prince of Wales (1939) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sook Ching massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur Ernest Percival - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The British in Singapore and Malaya
::The fall of Singapore::
The fall of Singapore to the Japanese Army on February 15th 1942 is considered one of the greatest defeats in the history of the British Army and probably Britain’s worst defeat in World War Two.BBC - WW2 People's War - Fall of Singapore 1942 Category
BBC - WW2 People's War - Syonanto (Singapore) 1942 - 1945
The only news we were able to get of the war came from the many soldiers taking refuge on our stairs and ...Singapore from 1942-1964
A brief history of Singapore including the Japanese Occupation, and political events that led to the creation of Singapore in 1965.BBC ON THIS DAY | 15 | 1942: Singapore forced to surrender
British forces in Singapore surrender to the Japanese - seven days after enemy troops first stormed the island.South African Military History Society - Journal - SINGAPORE 1942 - SYMBOL AND REALITY
Singapore Japanese Invasion, December 1941-February 1942 - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System
Singapore Japanese Invasion, December 1941-February 1942 - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System, societyThe British in Singapore and Malaya
John's HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales Expedition
Awesome scuba wreck diving holidays in scapa flow, Orkney. Technical diving a speciality. Live aboard boat hire with access to Nitrox, Trimix and Rebreathers. IANTD Nitrox, Trimix and Rebreather courses available. Try the new Buddy Inspiration Rebreather.BBC - WW2 People's War - The Sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS RepulseNo-one seems to have heard of the awful event of 10 December 1941, when HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse ...
The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse: Personal Accounts, by Alan Matthews
Bibliography From Amazon.com
The World War II Multimedia Database
Copyright ©2000-2007 MFA Productions LLC
Send your comments and questions to our