118 THE WIDENING WAR 1942
Japanese forces commanded by General Tomoyuki Yamashita
had invaded British Malaya on December 8, 1941 (see pp.112–113).
Through superior tactics and mobility they defeated the British and
Commonwealth forces, and by January 30, 1942, had reached the
Johore Strait at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The
exhausted Allied troops crossed to Singapore Island via a causeway,
which they then partially destroyed in the hope of delaying Japanese
progress. By this time though, the Japanese had reliable intelligence
on the weak state of “Fortress Singapore,” and invaded on February 9.
Outgunned, outmaneuvered, and with inadequate air support—yet
with more than twice the number of troops that the Japanese had—
the British and Commonwealth forces were soon pushed back into
Singapore city itself. They were forced into a humiliating surrender
on February 15. It later became clear that while the British were
running out of supplies in the last days of the battle, so were the
Japanese, who were low on ammunition for their artillery. However,
had the British commander Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival
decided to fight on, victory would have been unlikely.
THE BRITISH NAVAL BASE IN SINGAPORE
“My attack on Singapore was a bluff—
a bluff that worked.”
GENERAL TOMOYUKI YAMASHITA
Completed in 1939 at a staggering cost of $500 million, Singapore’s
naval base boasted what was then the largest dry dock in the world, the
third-largest floating dock (below), and enough fuel tanks to support the
entire British navy for six months. It was defended by heavy 15-in naval guns
and also by airforce squadrons stationed at Tengah Air Base. Winston
Churchill touted it as an impregnable fortress, the “Gibraltar of the East.”
SURRENDER
AT SINGAPORE
The fall of the British colony of Singapore to the
Japanese in February 1942 led to the largest surrender
of British-led personnel in military history. It was
described by prime minister Winston Churchill as the
worst disaster ever to befall the British in wartime.
Feb 9 The first Japanese
landings take place on
Sarimbun Beach.
Feb 10 The second
Japanese landings take
place in the north.
THE CAPTURE OF SINGAPORE
The Japanese attack on Singapore began
on February 9, 1942, and ended with the
surrender of British and Commonwealth
forces six days later. The Japanese then
held the island until their own surrender
in September 1945.
KEY
British air bases
British naval base
Roads
Railroads
Japanese gains by Feb 9
Japanese gains by Feb 11
Japanese gains by Feb 15
British territory, Feb 15
Japanese forces
Allied forces
Battles
Built-up areas
Japanese landings Feb 9–10
Japanese advance Feb 9–11
Allied retreat
THE JAPANESE ATTACK
FEBRUARY 9–11, 1942
After a 15-hour artillery barrage, Japanese troops
landed on two beaches in the north-west of
Singapore in the early hours of February 9. This
was followed by another attack in the early hours
of February 10. The invaders first encountered the
numerically inferior 22nd Australian Brigade,
which was soon pushed back. After a series of
aerial dogfights, the remaining Allied planes and air
force personnel were withdrawn to Sumatra.
2
JAPANESE PREPARATIONS
JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 7, 1942
The last British and Commonwealth forces
had withdrawn to Singapore by January 31. On
February 3, the Japanese began to shell and attack
the island by air for five days; on February 7, they
launched a feint attack to fool Lieutenant-General
Arthur Percival, commander of the British
garrison, into thinking that the main attack
would come from the north-east.
1
Japanese feint attack
JAN 1942 FEB MAR
3
4
5
1
TIMELINE
2
Johor Bahru
Mandai
Sarimbun Beach Kranji Woodlands
Nee Soon
Seletar
Sembawang
Paya Lebar
Kallang
Sa Ranggong
Bedok
Changi
Tengah
Jurong
Pasir Panjang
Bukit Timah
Choa Chu
Kang
Singapore
Peirce
reservoir
MacRitchie
reservoir
Si
ng
ap
or
e
St
r
a
it
Joh or e
St
ra
it
Pulau Ubin
SINGAPORE ISLAND
MALAYA
27th Australian
Brigade
53rd British
Brigade
54th British
Brigade
22nd Australian
Brigade
1st Malaya
Brigade
18th Infantry
Division
28th Indian
Brigade
5th Infantry
Division Japanese Imperial Guards
Kr
an
ji
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