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| Defence
of Malaya |
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The
Blitz On Peninsula Malaya
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British Defence
Plans Crushed
The
“Main Fleet to Singapore” strategy collapsed on 10th December
1941, a mere two days after Japanese invaded Malaya, when the
Prince of Wales and the Repulse, the only two battleships, were
sunk 60 miles off Kuantan.
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Soon after landing on southern Thailand
and northern Malaya, the Japanese invading forces established
air superiority as Britain had only old and obsolete aircraft.
Moreover
Britain had no tanks to stop the Japanese onslaught over land.
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“Only
in the Battle of Singapore did the British employ a squadron
of obsolescent light tanks… The effect of Japanese tanks on
young troops was demoralising.”
Lt-General A.E. Percival
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Japanese troops landed at Kota Bharu
on 8th December 1941 at 12.25am - 90 minutes before the bombing
of Pearl Harbour.
The attacks were relentless, augmented by troop reserves in
South Thailand and Indo-China. Outflanked and outclassed,
the British were forced to retreat.
It took the Japanese army only 55 days to over run Peninsular
Malaya and reached Johore. They crossed the Johore Strait
on 7th February 1942 to capture Fortress Singapore.
The British lost because they underestimated their enemy -
the cardinal mistake in warfare!
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