Japanese Strategy

Many years prior to their attack on Malaya in December 1941, the Japanese had studied the Malayan terrain and worked out their strategy, the troops and equipment needed to mount the campaign. Their immediate objective - the Capture of Singapore.

Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commander-in-Chief of the 25th Japanese Army, had studied the science and technology of modern warfare. Before taking command, he had spent 6 months in Germany exchanging ideas with Adolf Hitler's military experts.

The highly trained and battle hardened 25th Army led by the Imperial Guard Division, and elite troops of the 5th Division, were assigned to carry out the lightning offensive down the Malay Peninsula and capture Singapore, before the British could dispatch its reinforcements.