Mahan’s Theory

• Focuses on the use of

navies and naval
warfare.
• Regulates with one
element such as the
naval forces.
• For a decisive battle
and blockades to
destroy the enemy’s
main forces.
Alfred Thayer Mahan
 Imperial Japanese Navy and Mahan’s
Theory
• Made a little upgrading in Mahan’s Theory.
• The naval strength growing by leaps and bounds.
• By December 1941, Japan succeeded in
modernized fleet
- 10 aircraft carriers
- 18 heavy cruiser and light cruiser
• Seize an advanced base, near their target :
Singapore
• Assembling, transporting and supplying and
invasion force easier in short time with advanced
bases
• Fewer logistic problem for better winning result
The Sinking of HMS Prince of Wales
and
HMS Repulse
 Introduction
• Naval engagement in the Second World War
• Part of the war in the Pacific
• Date : 10 December 1941
• Location : East coast Malaya , near Kuantan
Pahang
• Sunk by
- Land-based bombers (cigar shaped plane with
main twin-engine bomber)
- Torpedo bombers
• Naval Battle of Malaya (Marē-oki kaisen)
• Result : Japanese victory
 Assets Involved
BRITISH JAPAN

• 1 battleship • 88 aircraft
• 1 battle cruiser - 34 torpedo aircraft
• 4 destroyers (Electra, Express, - 51 level bombers,
Vampire, Tenedos) - 3 scouting aircraft

HMS Prince of Wales (Top) Mitsubishi G3M Nell of Genzan

HMS Repulse (Below) Air Group.
 Tactical: British Plan
• Admiral Sir Thomas Phillips plan, announced
publicly by Churchill
• “Force Z” Movement consist
- HMS Prince of Wales
- HMS Repulse
- Destroyer Electra, Express, Vampire and Tenedos.
- Sailed without the aircraft protection (avoid
exposing ships position.
- Sent to intercept Japanese landings in Singora
and defend South China Sea from Japanese
invasion.
 Tactical: Japanese Preparations
• Response planned by Isoroku Yamamoto (Japanese
Fleet Admiral) in response of Churchill
announcement
• Intelligence
- over flown by two Japanese reconnaissance aircraft
- radioing British positions and unnoticed by British
navy.
• The ‘zero’ fighter plane.
- Much faster and more maneuverable than any
other fighter at the time.
- training for an attack on the two capital ships.
 Impact

British Japanese
Casualties • Sinking of HMS • 4 aircraft destroyed
Prince of Wales and •28 damaged
HMS Repulse • 2 seaplanes missing

Losess 840 killed 18 killed

Result Losses the war Winning the war

 Conclusions
• Too much dependency on naval force
- the effectiveness of aerial attacks winning against
even the heaviest of naval assets.
- without proper air support

• Underestimated the opponents capabilities

- have strong belief in the power of the battleship
- thought that Japanese planes could not operate so
far from land
- thought the ships were relatively immune from fatal
damage via air attack
- he was unaware of the quality of Japanese bombing
and torpedo aircraft
 References
• Ong, C. C. (2003). Operation Matador: World
War II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese
Invasion of Malaya and Singapore. Washington
: Eastern Universities Press

• Owen, F. (2001). The Fall of Singapore .

England: Classic Peguin 2001.