SCOPE OF PRESENTATION

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 ARRAY OF TROOPS
 BATTLE EVENTS
 PRINCIPLES OF WAR ANALYSIS
 ASSESSMENT
 CONCLUSION
 TAKE-AWAYS
 Executive Summary

Battle of Singapore
- also known as the fall of Singapore
- Malaya campaign fought in southeast Asia during WW II
- Empire of Japan invaded the British stronghold

Singapore
- Significant British military base
- “Gibraltar of the east.”
- Reputed to be an ‘island fortress.

Island’s defences
- Concentrated on the naval base at Changi
- Designed to protect the base and harbour from attacks from the sea
- Left Northern shore, facing Malaya, vulnerable from attacks
- Japanese broke through the last line of defence
- Seven days, the “Impregnable Fortress”, had fallen.
Historical Background

• Imposition of embargo against Japan

by the US oil exports.
• To counter, Japan took China for
seeking alternative sources materials
• Japan invaded Malaya (Now
Malaysia, Singapore, and North
Borneo)
• Japanese saw Singapore as a port
for a launching pad against the Allies
Array of Forces
Array of Forces
Array of Forces
Array of Forces
 Array of Forces

• 15-inch Coastal Guns • Type 89IB Medium Tank

• 6 x 9.2-inch guns - 17PMH
• 6-inch guns - Type 90 .57mm main gun
• 3.7-inch guns - Type 91 6.5mm machine gun
• Anti-Aircraft guns WEAPONS • Type 95 Light Tank
• Machine Guns - 28 MPH
- Type 94 37mm main gun
- Type 91 6.5mm machine gun

• Lockheed Hudson (Recon Aircraft) • Mitsubishi G4MI (Long Range Bombing Aircraft)
222MPH 265MPH
- 7 x .303-inch machine guns AIR - 2 x 7.7mm machine guns
- Bomb Load 1350 lbs - Bomb Load 1764lbs torpedo
 Array of Forces

• HMS Prince of Wales

10 x 14-inch guns
16 x 5.25-inch guns
32 x 2 pounds guns BATTLESHIP
• HMS Repulse
6 x 15-inch guns
Series of 4-inch guns
• 137,000 men armed w/ 450 guns TROOPS • 60,000 Japanese Troops
• 110 aircrafts (damage carrier) AIRCRAFT • 610 aircrafts
• No tanks available • 200 light weight tanks for max mobility
TANKS
equipped w/ small guns
Battle Events
08-15 February 1942
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION IMPERIAL
DIVISION
GUARDS
DIVISION

8 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack

8TH
DIVISIO
N
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

9 February 1942
Attacked the 27th
Australian Infantry

8TH
DIVISIO
N
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

10 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack

8TH
DIVISIO
N
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

11 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack

8TH
DIVISIO
N
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

12 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack
8TH
DIVISIO
N
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

13 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

14 February 1942
Japanese Main
Attack
 IMPERIAL
8TH 5TH
GUARDS
DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION

15 February 1942
Fall of Singapore
 Japanese Tactics
• Japanese air fighter plane helped them gain an upper
hand.
• Japanese aircrafts managed to sink the British capital
ships
• Japanese made good use of bicycles and light tanks
Japanese
• Had a large modern Airforce and naval fleet. Japanese Zero Fighter
• Fighting spirit and kamikazes. Soldiers Planes
• Japanese zero fighter planes destroyed half of the old &
outdated British planes
Japanese Japanese
Intelligence Imperial
• Japanese set up intelligence services in Malaya and
Army
Singapore
• Better trained in jungle warfare.
 British Tactics

• 20+ big cannons that some

can shoot as far as 42km

• Battle cruisers with latest air

tracking system

• 130+ Brewster Bufalos to

control the skies
 Principles of WAR
SINGAPORE PRINCIPLES JAPAN

Upholding the British fortress in OBJECTIVE Capture Singapore among strategically located
Singapore. nations in the Asia-Pacific to expand control and
project Japanese Power

Defensive actions OFFENSIVE -Conduct of Air attacks in the island of Singapore

Acted by British Empire
-Bombarded the northwestern coastline of
Singapore
-Japanese attacks on Pasir Panjang Ridge
MASS Deployed in full compliment Japanese Imperial
Army.

Utilization of Straits Settlement ECONOMY Utilization of about 60,000 soldiers to fight the
Volunteer Force and the Dalforce in OF FORCE Allies.
support to British Troops
 Principles of WAR
SINGAPORE PRINCIPLES JAPAN

Anticipated the landward attack from its MANEUVER -25th Air Division landed troops in Sinagpore, Patani in
back door, Malaya. Code named southern Thailand, and Kota Bharu in Northern
“Operation Matador” Malaya
-5th & 18th Infantry Division crossed the Johor Straits
in collapsible boats
Singapore forces rely on the Command UNITY OF Japanese forces rely on the command of General
of British General Percival. COMMAND Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Anticipated the landward attack from its
back door, Malaya. Code named
“Operation Matador”
SECURITY Secured logistical support for the Japanese Army
SURPRISE Japanese force moved swiftly down the western flank
of the Malay Peninsula with the help of motor vehicles
and bicycles
 Assessment

Poor Appreciation
British had wrongly appreciated the ground with the conclusion that the country was
not accessible by a tank.

Poor Communication
Communications between British headquarters and the unit were frequently lost.

Lack of Air Support

British had only 158 aircraft of all types in Malaya and Singapore which reduced the
serviceability ratio of air-worthy aircraft to one-third at any one time.
 Assessment

Lack of Training
The authority did not acclimatize troops and proper training in the new
environment to the British force.

Incomplete Preparation of The Defense.

Units under the 11th Division were given two tasks to defend Jitra, and
Headquarters gave matador Operation with the latter high priority

Ignorance of Basic Principles of War.

The offensive and defensive operations need different preparation. Even in the
defense, the British forces did not think and act offensively. The force level
required for the security was grossly inadequate.
 Conclusion

• Response to imposed embargo against Japan.

• Economic and reputational.
• Establishment of Japan’s honor
 Take-Aways

Japanese-American road to the Pacific War in 1941: Yields several

enduring lessons for national security decision makers:
1. Fear and honor, “rational” or not, can motivate as much as interest.
2. There is no substitute for knowledge of a potential adversary’s history and culture.
3. Deterrence lies in the mind of the deterree, not the deterrer.
4. Strategy must always inform and guide operations.
5. Economic sanctioning can be tantamount to an act of war.
6. The presumption of moral or spiritual superiority can fatally discount the
consequences of an enemy’s material superiority.
7. “Inevitable” war easily becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
 Reference List
Battle of Singapore - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Singapore

Battle of Singapore - General Yamashita V | Military ....

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Singapore Falls to Japanese Occupation | World History Project.

https://worldhistoryproject.org/1942/2/15/singapore-falls-to-japanese-occupation

A. (2013, June 10). Chapter XVIII – THE SINGAPORE FORTRESS. The War in Malaya.
https://thewarinmalaya.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/chapter-xviii-the-singapore-fortress/

Battlefield - fall of singapore - full documentary. (2019, July 18). YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt67ZVHzoyw

Chen, P. C. (n.d.). Iwane matsui. WW2DB. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from
https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=707
 Reference List

“fortress” singapore in WW2. (n.d.). Digger History. Retrieved July 19, 2021, from
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/singapore.htm

Lodge, A. B. (1993, January 1). Bennett, henry gordon (1887–1962). Australian Dictionary.
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bennett-henry-gordon-9489

McGill school of computer science. (n.d.). McGill University. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca

Renya mutaguchi. (n.d.). Military Wiki. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Renya_Mutaguchi

Tomoyuki yamashita. (n.d.). Your Dictionary. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from
https://biography.yourdictionary.com/tomoyuki-yamashita
End of Presentation