The British government had just spent a vast amount of amount to complete improvements to it`s miliatry base in Singapore in 1938. British military command in Singapore was confident they could resist any Japanese attack.
British troops in Singapore were told the Japanese troops were poor fighters. However, the Japanese onslaught through the Malay Peninsula took everyone by surprise.
The British predicted the Japanese would attack from the sea. All the defences on Singapore pointed out to sea.
The Japanese relied on speed. Japanese troops were ordered to take no prisoners. A pamphlet issued to all Japanese soldiers stated: "When you encounter the enemy after landing, think of yourself as an avenger coming face to face at last with his father’s murderer. Here is a man whose death will lighten your heart."
By December 9th 1941, the RAF had lost nearly all of its front line aeroplanes after the Japanese had attacked RAF fields in Singapore. Britain’s naval presence at Singapore was strong. A squadron of warships was stationed there lead by the modern battleship "Prince of Wales" and the battle cruiser "Repulse". On December 8th 1941, both put out to sea and headed north up the Malay coast to where the Japanese were landing. On December 10th, both ships were sunk by repeated attacks from Japanese torpedo bombers.
There were 90,000 British, Indian and Australian troops. The Japanese advanced with 65,000 troops. The Japanese troops were battle hardened after having fought in the Manchurian/Chinese campaign.
Indications were the Japanese would attack Singapore across the Johor Strait. On January 31st 1942, the Allied forces withdraw across the causeway that separated Singapore from Malaya. Percival spread his men across the entire coastline of the island leaving himself too spread out.
On February 8th, 1942, 23,000 Japanese soldiers attacked Singapore.
The Japanese took 100,000 men prisoner in Singapore.
9,000 of these men died building the Burma-Thailand railway.
The people of Singapore fared worse.
50,000 Chinese were slaughtered by the Japanese.
The End of the War: Singapore's Liberation and the Aftermath of the Second World War
World War Two
Paralumun New Age Village