Since the start of the Pacific War, we’ve been following one of the major theaters of
the Japanese offensive: the Malayan Campaign.
Two weeks ago, the campaign came to its near-end with the final retreat of the Allied soldiers
towards the British fortress of Singapore.
The Malayan Peninsula had been invaded back on December 8, and the defense of the colony
had shown a total lack of readiness on the side of the British government.
Suffering defeat after defeat and making a critical string of blunders, the Allied forces
had rapidly been conceding territory; and only after two months since the invaders first
landed at Kota Bharu, they had been thrown back to the island settlement, which had been
transformed into a fortress.
But the British would see that their belief that Singapore was an impregnable fortress
was as much a lie as their idea that they could intimidate the Japanese by employing
a small naval force in the Pacific.
Now, the campaign is finally coming to its end, as the Japanese prepare to execute one
of their most important operations of the war.
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Back on the morning of January 31, the last of the Allied units, the 2nd Battalion of
the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, had crossed the Causeway bridge into Singapore
with its two pipers playing a lament for an empire on which the sun was setting.
From this moment onwards, the colony that had been at the great commercial crossroads
of the British Empire had but a fortnight to live.
General Percival faced two challenges to defend Singapore: the first was to contest and defeat
any Japanese invasion of the island’s north coast, while the second was to protect the
vital central portion of the island, where most of the population and key infrastructure
of Singapore was located.
In an effort to strengthen the western and eastern ends of this vital ground, two defensive
lines were envisaged to allow for a quick switch of forces between east and west and
to make possible a rapid shortening of the front . These lines had been surveyed and
drawn on a map, but were completely unprepared; and the northern shore of the island had a
similar story.
There were no plans for the defense of this critical front, so Percival quickly developed
a plan: to defend the coast with posts prepared for prolonged resistance.
If the posts were surrounded, they were to hang on and wait for relief by a counter-attacking
force, even though the defenders didn’t have sufficient men or material to stage any
counterattacks.
With this plan in mind, Percival organised the defense of Singapore in four areas , with
the Southern Area of Major-General Keith Simmons under the protection of the 1st and 2nd Malaya
Brigades, the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force and the fortress garrison troops; the
Northern Area defended by the British 18th Division under Major General Merton Beckwith
Smith, which was at full strength, but lacked experience and appropriate training, and the
11th Indian Division, under the overall command of Lieutenant-General Lewis Heath, who had
previously overseen the two Indian divisions during the Malayan campaign; the Western Area
, manned by the 8th Australian Division of General Bennett and the semi-trained 44th
Indian Brigade; and a Reserve Area where Brigadier Paris had the undermanned 12th and 15th Indian
Brigades.
As we can see, Percival chose to appoint more forces to the Northern Area, believing that
the main Japanese attack was going to come over here, although the invaders had other
plans.
Identifying a significant flaw in the Australian sector , where the depleted defenders were
hopelessly dispersed, General Yamashita prepared the highly-trained and well-led 5th and 18th
Divisions to cross the Johor Strait on the western side, where it was at its narrowest
and therefore could diminish the chances of suffering heavy casualties.
Meanwhile, he also deployed the Imperial Guards Division to the east of the causeway at the
Tebrau River, where it was to stage a feint followed by a secondary attack.
This plan was very ingenious, because, as the Imperial Guards occupied the island of
Pulau Ubin and concentrated artillery fire over the east coast positions, Percival’s
conviction that the Japanese were going to invade the Northern Area would be fortified.
On February 4, the Japanese began artillery barrages upon Singapore Island, with their
aerial superiority allowing them to have excellent knowledge of the Allied positions.
On the other side, the British had to send small reconnaissance patrols on February 6
to cross the Johor Straits and gather intelligence on the Japanese positions.
The patrols successfully reported large concentrations of enemy troops facing the Western Area, but
saw only a few landing craft on the Malayu River; this caused Percival to discard the
gathered intelligence as insignificant, with the Malaya Command still believing that the
main attack of the invaders was coming towards the Northern Area.
Finally on February 8, the Japanese launched a heavy barrage of the Australian positions;
the invasion of Singapore was just mere hours away.
Shortly before night, the Japanese forces started the crossing of the Strait of Johor
in 300 vessels , aiming to land between Cape Buloh and Cape Murai and capture the Tengah
airfield with haste.
On the northwest coast, Brigadier Harold Taylor of the Australian 22nd Brigade had deployed
his three battalions across a front approximately 14.6km wide; he didn’t have sufficient men
to cover every piece of ground, he had recurring communication problems and his water obstacles
were almost non-existent.
As a result, his position was very vulnerable.
On the right, the 2/20th Battalion was about to face the full strength of the Japanese
5th Division ; while to the left, the 18th Division would split to assault the two remaining
Australian battalions: three Japanese battalions against the 2/18th Battalion and four Japanese
battalions against the 2/19th Battalion.
During the night, the Japanese soldiers continued their crossing of the straits . Upon detecting
their approach, the defenders waited until they were within 40 meters to rain upon them
a withering hail of machine-gun and artillery fire.
The vanguard of the invaders suffered enormous casualties as a result, but the Japanese barges
kept coming and they started to pinpoint gaps in the coastline where they could land virtually
unopposed.
Soon, great concentrations of enemy soldiers began to outflank the scattered Australian
machine gunners, forcing them to destroy their guns and retreat during the early hours of
February 9.
Although some units managed to withdraw in order, most did so in disarray, with many
getting completely cut off or fighting a series of hand-to-hand struggles to escape.
At the Murai River in particular, the Japanese moved down the river in strength and surrounded
the retreating defenders of the 2/19th with a series of roadblocks at their rear; while
on the northwest coast, the 2/20th’s men were overwhelmed by the nine battalions of
the 5th Division, losing their commanding officer and suffering several ambushes that
inflicted heavy casualties upon the defenders.
From both of these battalions, only about a company each would manage to escape towards
the Tengah airfield.
Meanwhile, the 2/18th would successfully reach Ama Keng with half of its forces intact; yet
despite this, the 22nd Brigade had been effectively rendered combat ineffective.
With the invaders securing their position on the northwest coast of Singapore, Bennett
sent the reserve 2/29th Battalion to Tengah to support the defenders, while Percival also
prepared the 12th Indian Brigade to move to Keat Hong and occupy the Jurong Line for the
incoming Japanese attack.
In the meantime, the remnants of the 22nd Brigade sought to defend a line running east
of Tengah through the village of Bulim, trying to give time for their compatriots to get
to Jurong.
By nightfall, the Allied forces had completed their assembly at the Jurong Line, being further
reinforced by the 15th and 44th Indian Brigades.
But at the same time, after an increase of Japanese artillery fire, the Imperial Guards
Division started to cross the 1.1km-wide Kranji River at the Causeway Sector.
This time, the Australian machine gunners not only caused enormous losses on the invaders,
but they also managed to hold their ground.
Yet despite this, Brigadier Duncan Maxwell of the 27th Brigade decided to withdraw from
the critical Causeway Sector by midnight; it appears that he wanted the Malaya Command
to surrender to avoid a senseless slaughter.
Thus, after destroying their oil tanks, the defenders began to retreat to a perimeter
behind the Mandai Road and the Woodlands Road, allowing the Imperial Guards Division to safely
land without any further interference.
At this point, it would seem clear that the Japanese had completely concentrated at the
west of the island, but Percival would fail yet again to denude his other areas to adequately
reinforce the Jurong Line.
By the early morning of February 10, the Imperial Guards Division was still consolidating their
position at Kranji, and they were threatening the 11th Indian Division of General Key.
Immediately, Key sent the reserve 8th Indian Brigade to counterattack and recapture a position
just south of the former perimeter of the Australians.
This attack would fail, causing the death of many Indian defenders; and so, Percival
assigned the 27th Brigade under Key’s command so he could use it to contain the Japanese
invaders.
Further south, the remnants of the 22nd Brigade finally abandoned Bulim to occupy the central
position of the Jurong Line, between the 12th and 44th Brigades.
In case this line fell to the enemy, Percival had also issued orders to take new positions
on an inner posn [point?].
Brigadier Taylor completely misread these orders upon receiving them, retreating towards
Reformatory Road while the Japanese started their attack on the 12th Brigade of Paris
. With the threat of getting outflanked by the Japanese to the north and west, Paris
then had no choice but to withdraw towards Bukit Pajang . This left a considerable hole
in the Jurong Line, and by midday, the invaders began to move down the road to attack the
southern end of the line.
In response, some Allied units undertook a limited withdrawal, causing a domino effect
that ended with both the 15th and 44th Brigades retreating eastwards . By afternoon, the Jurong
Line had been completely abandoned to the surprise of the Japanese, who hadn’t even
engaged the defenders there . At the same time, General Wavell arrived at
Singapore and, after being informed of the British blunders, ordered the creation of
a fresh reserve , composed by three battalions of the yet-unused 18th Division, to help the
Allied units in their defense of the key Bukit Timah area.
He also ordered Bennett to launch a counterattack to regain the Jurong Line , using the 12th
Brigade to the right , the 15th Brigade in the center and the 22nd Brigade on the left
flank . By midnight, this operation would prove a disaster.
On the right, Paris lost half his forces due to desertions and the efficacy of tenacious
Japanese soldiers, while the 2/29th Battalion was pummeled by a strong tank attack that
forced them to retreat to Tengah.
Hot on their heels, the Japanese tanks would follow on and would capture the road junction
at Timah, severing the 12th from the rest of the Allied forces and forcing Paris to
retreat towards Tanglin.
Meanwhile, the 15th and 22nd Brigade had made some progress , but they were to be cut off
by the 5th Division, which was very close to taking Tengah.
The defenders would then be subsequently decimated by the 18th Division in the early hours of
February 11 , with few survivors escaping towards Pasir Panjang and Reformatory Road.
With his battlefront completely lost, Bennett desperately ordered the reserve Tomforce to
recapture Bukit Timah and then Bukit Panjang against the full might of the 5th and 18th
Divisions, who had now consolidated their positions.
Under the black clouds of burning oil, the British soldiers were, as expected, rapidly
repelled by the elite Japanese divisions, suffering heavy casualties and being forced
to retreat . Bennett now only counted with the Tomforce
at the Racecourse and with the 44th Brigade around Pasir Panjang, joined by the 1st Malaya
Brigade, the remnants of the 22nd Brigade and the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders;
while east of the Racecourse, Percival ordered General Heath to organize the defense of Singapore
Town, who then established the Massy Force in a line that extended to Thompson village.
But to the north, Brigadier Maxwell yet again committed a terrible decision when he ordered
his 27th Brigade to launch a counterattack towards Bukit Panjang.
By the morning of February 12, the brigade had been surrounded and had to retreat, yet
again leaving Heath’s left flank in great peril.
The general then acted accordingly and evacuated the Northern Area to better positions further
south , yet the Imperial Guards Division rapidly attacked the 8th Brigade near Nee Soon and
achieved a devastating victory.
At the same time, the 5th Division started its assault over the Racecourse, overcoming
the defenses of both the Tomforce and Massy Force, and forcing them to retreat.
With the threat of a Japanese breakthrough towards Singapore Town, Percival finally ordered
Bennett to establish new defensive positions at a line that stretched from Buona Vista
to Tanglin Halt, and from there to the Bukit Timah–Farrer Road junction, while Heath
established his 18th Division on a line that went from this junction through Thomson village
towards the Woodleigh crossroads, and his 11th Division from Woodleigh to the Paya Lebar
airstrip.
Lastly, the 2nd Malaya Brigade took positions between this airstrip and the Kallang airfield.
This was to be the final defense of Singapore.
As dawn broke on the morning of February 13, the Allied soldiers’ morale was unravelling,
with no hope of avoiding Singapore’s final demise.
The new defensive perimeter lacked depth, both in numbers and equipment; the Allied
units had suffered many desertions; many soldiers had given up the fight; supplies were very
low; and the city of Singapore had been constantly and mercilessly bombed from the air and shelled
from the ground.
In response, Percival called a general meeting with his commanders at Fort Canning, where
both Heath and Bennett strongly advocated for an immediate capitulation, something that
Percival himself vehemently opposed.
An evacuation using all of the remaining ships at Singapore Harbour was nonetheless ordered,
resulting in the final evacuation of 1800 military personnel and 1200 civilians for
Java and Sumatra.
The rest would have to stay and face death or imprisonment.
The day also saw Bennett concentrating most of his remaining formations in an 11km concentric
perimeter around Holland Road and the Tanglin Barracks.
There, they would continue to resist the Japanese incursions, although the invaders would largely
leave them alone; and to the north, the British defenders would be repulsed from Thompson
village, having to establish new defensive positions to the north of Braddell Road.
Meanwhile, the Japanese, ever closer to their final objective, concentrated their attack
on the front held by the 1st Malaya Brigade around Pasir Panjang, penetrating their defensive
line and forcing them to retreat to Buona Vista.
The following day, Yamashita finally managed to concentrate his entire army on Singapore
Island, applying pressure all along the battlefront but deciding to concentrate his assault along
the southwest coast.
Around Raja Road, the 1st Malaya Battalion was attacked yet again, suffering heavy casualties
as the invaders broke through towards Bukit Chermin and captured the water supplies of
Singapore.
During this attack, elements of the 18th Division got to the Alexandra Hospital, where the Japanese
committed another act of indiscriminate slaughter against defenseless noncombatants.
On the north, Japanese tanks also broke through and reached the outer limits of Mount Pleasant,
leaving the British defenders in a U-shaped loop ; while to the east, the Indian defenders
successfully managed to resist the assaults of the Imperial Guards Division.
In the end though, Percival realized that the water supply of Singapore Town was imminently
going to collapse, so he knew that the only options were to counterattack to restore the
town’s water supply and food dumps or to capitulate and avoid a senseless slaughter
of his civilian population.
On February 15, he finally bowed to the inevitable and decided on the latter, giving his unconditional
surrender to Yamashita at Bukit Timah by late afternoon.
The 70-day Malayan Campaign was over at long last, and it had been an astounding success
for the Empire of the Rising Sun, capturing a huge Allied army of 80000 troops and the
considerable economic resources of Malaya.
Yamashita later wrote: “My attack on Singapore was a bluff – a bluff that worked.
I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one.
I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten.
That is why the surrender had to be at once.
I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness
and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting”.
In total, the British had suffered 138708 casualties in the Malayan Campaign, with more
than 130000 becoming prisoners of war in the Pudu and Changi prisons, as well as the other
prison camps across the Thai-Burma Railway.
In comparison, Japanese casualties totaled only 9824 for the entire campaign.
With the fall of Singapore, the Malay Barrier had been breached, and Burma and the Dutch
East Indies now layed ripe for the taking.
The Japanese would now launch their invasions of Sumatra and Lower Burma, so don’t forget
to join us next week for another exciting episode of the Pacific War.
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