Chapter 5

The British defeat of Singapore

 Rise of Modern Japan
• Till mid-19th century, Japan was still a medieval country
(Middle Age), ruled by a Shogun (military overlord), damiyos
(lords) and samurais.
• In 1853, everything changed when 4 American steamships
sailed into Japan, demanding Japan open up for trade.
• The daimyos then forced the Shogun to ‘return’ power to the
young Meiji Emperor.
Emperor Meiji and his Family
(A period of Old and New)
• Under the Emperors, Japan began to
modernise, including its armed forces.
• Soon, it was strong enough to defeat China in
1895 and Russia in 1905.
• It will continue to grow its empire, threatening
other European empires, until 1940s.

Video: How the Meiji Restoration Turned Japan

into an Empire.
Japanese Empire, 1942.
 Reasons for start of WWII

• End of WWI
- Treaty of Versailles: War reparations
demanded from Germany, land taken away,
armed forces drastically reduced. Hitler
wanted revenge!
• The Great Depression
- Japan wanted to take over the resources of
China to solve their economic woes in the
1930s.
End of WWI (Germany)
Germany before Nazis
 Europe before WWII (1930s)
Nazism (Germany) Fascism (Italy)
 WWII in Europe
• Fighting finally started in Europe in 1939. By the end of 1940,
Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland,
Belgium and France fell under Germany.
• Only Britain remains outside the control of Nazi Germany.
• This meant the colonies in Southeast Asia (Indonesia,
Indochina, and Malaya) were left practically undefended by
their European masters…
 German Blitzkrieg
Poland 1939 France 1940
 Nazi Might (1940)
Stuka Ju 87 Diver-bomber Panzer III
British Empire: 1920s
(before WWII)
Southeast Asia (pre-1940)
 British’s preparation in Singapore before
the war “The Singapore Strategy”.
• Main Fleet to Singapore in case of war.
• Construction of a new naval base
• 15-inch guns
• Military airfields were built
• Fighter warplanes (Buffaloes) were sent
over
• Underground bunkers were built
HMS Prince of Wales
15 inch guns
‘Buffalo’ warplanes
 British military airfields
in Singapore
• Sembawang
• Seletar
• Kallang
• Tengah
“Singapore Strategy”
 What happened on 8 Dec 1941?
The Japanese forces:
1. Attacked Pearl Harbour in Hawaii
2. Bombed Singapore for the first time
3. Landed on Kota Bahru (Malaya), Singora (Siam) and Pattani
(Siam) almost simultanously!

War has arrived in Singapore!

 Battle of Singapore and Malaya
• Background Knowledge: Malaya invaded in 8 Dec 1941,
Singapore fell in 15 Feb 1942.
• Video: Generals at War Singapore (Youtube)
: Battle for Singapore with subtitles
Homework:
1) Why did the British lose the Battle of Malaya/Singapore in
1942?
2) What was life like under the Japanese?
Headlines after the attacks
Why Japan wanted to invade S.E.A?
• War in China (since 1937) not going well for
Japan.
• USA threaten to stop sales of oil to Japan
unless it withdrew from China.
• Southeast Asia, which holds oil and other
resources Japan wanted (tin, rubber), was left
undefended by their European masters, who
was defeated by Nazi Germany in Europe.
• Southeast Asia thus presented an easy target
to Japan.
 What happened to the ‘Main Fleet’?
• 2 Dec 1941, HMS Prince of Wales, Repulse and a few
destroyers arrived in Singapore.
• 10 Dec 1941, the two capital (main) warships were sunk by
Japanese warplanes
• The ‘Main Fleet’ had went into the battle without air cover…
 Weaknesses of the British forces?
• Poor leadership of General Percival
• Soldiers poorly/not trained in jungle warfare
• No tanks!
• Obsolete (old) warplanes
• No coordination between air force, army and navy
• Underestimated the abilities of the Japanese forces.
 Strengths of the Japanese forces?
• Good leadership of General Yamashita
• Tanks
• Bicycles!
• Well-trained and experienced soldiers
• State of the art warplanes (zero fighters)
• Years of espionage (spying)
A6M ‘Zero’ fighters
Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank
Type 95s in Singapore
General Percival General Yamashita
 Battle of Singapore
• On 8 Feb 1942, Japanese landed on Pulau Ubin
• On 15 Feb 1942, General Percival surrenders to the Japanese.
• Major battles in Singapore
1. Battle of Bukit Timah (Dalforce vs Japs)
2. Battle of Pasir Panjang (Malay Regiment)
 1

NAVAL BASE
3 SEMBAWANG
4 2
SELETAR

MANDAI/NEE SOON

BUKIT TIMAH

TENGAH

PASIR PANJANG SURRENDER

PERIMETER

15 FEB 1942
 Fighting in Malaya/Singapore
Dalforce (Chinese Volunteers) Malay Regiment
British soldier Japanese soldiers
Japanese tanks (Malaya)
Battle of Malaya (Destroyed tanks)
Street Fighting
British surrenders 15 Feb 1942
Japanese Empire (1941)