This week, 80 years ago, soldiers of the Twenty-Fifth Imperial Japanese Army under the command of Tomyuki Yamashita (“the Tiger of Malaya”) landed on the North Shore of the island city of Singapore. A week later “the Gibralter of the East” surrendered.
Singapore is located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, 85 miles north of the equator. Since 1965 the City has been an independent state, with a current population of 5.7 million.
Simultaneously with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Gen. Yamashita’s 30,000-man Twenty-Fifth Army invaded the Malay Peninsula. The British weren’t too concerned because the peninsula was “impassable” for an army. Besides, the British forces outnumbered the “inferior” Japanese by 3 - 1, and, of course, the British leadership was far superior to that of the “inferior” Japanese. Wrong on all counts! In addition, the Japanese dominated the air.
Almost immediately with the invasion of the Malay Peninsula, the Japanese began targeting Singapore with bombing attacks, which intensified as Gen. Yamashita’s Army drew closer to the city. The entire northern region of Malaya had been captured by Gen. Yamashita’s army by the end of the first week of January. The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur fell on Jan. 11, 1942. Today, it has a population of 1,730,000.
The invaders got their first taste of the Aussies on Jan. 15, at the Battle of Muar, in the State of Johore, which is the southernmost state on the peninsula. Elements of the Australian 8th Division, commanded by Gordon Bennett ambushed the Japanese 5th Infantry Division, commanded by Gen. Takuro Matsui, which cost the invaders time, 1,000 casualties, and 15 tanks, at little cost to the defenders. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel said of the Aussies, that, “If I had to take Hell, I would use the Australians to take it....”
The Straits of Johore separate Johore and the Malay Peninsula from Singapore. Gen. Yamashita and his staff occupied the Sultan of Johore’s Palace, Istana Bukit Serene, which had a spectacular view of Singapore. His staff was concerned because they were in easy range of Allied artillery, but the general understood that the British were too “civilized” to damage the sultan’s palace!
The last Allied soldiers left the Malay Peninsula on Jan. 31, 1942. Almost 50,000 Allied soldiers had been captured or killed (often both!) in the defense of the Malay Peninsula. With its loss went 38 percent of the world’s rubber and 58 percent of the world’s tin.
At 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, 1942. soldiers of Gen. Matsui’s 5th Division and the 18th Infantry Division, commanded by Lt. Gen. Harukichi Hyakutake, landed on the northwest coast of Singapore Island. Japanese artillery began shelling Singapore Island’s north coast at 11 p.m. The Japanese artillery fired 88,000 shells that night.
The Japanese moved 13,000 soldiers across the straits that first night and followed with 10,000 more the next day. The enemy’s passage was not disrupted by the Allied artillery barrage, because, inexplicably, there was none! The British had, at least a half dozen huge — 15-inch — coastal guns whose shells would have devastated the Japanese. But, all the British had were armor-piercing shells to combat the warships that the British were sure would attack the island, when what was needed were high-explosive shells!
Facing these 23,000 invaders were 3,000 Australians. The bulk of the defenders were on the northeast coast of Singapore Island. They had been placed there by the commander of the Singapore Garrison, Lt. Gen. Arthur Ernest Percival. Soldiers from 11th Indian Division, commanded by Berthold Wells Key, were sent to reinforce the Australians on Feb. 8.
On Feb. 10, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill cabled Sir Archibald Wavell, Far East Commander, the following,
“I think you ought to realize the way we view the situation in Singapore. It was reported to Cabinet by the [Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Gen. Alan Brooke] that Percival has over 100,000 [sic] men, of whom 33,000 are British and 17,000 Australian. It is doubtful whether the Japanese have as many in the whole Malay Peninsula ... In these circumstances the defenders must greatly outnumber Japanese forces who have crossed the straits, and in a well-contested battle they should destroy them. There must at this stage be no thought of saving the troops or sparing the population. The battle must be fought to the bitter end at all costs. The 18th Division has a chance to make its name in history. Commanders and senior officers should die with their troops. The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake. I rely on you to show no mercy or weakness in any form. With the Russians fighting as they are and the Americans so stubborn at Luzon, the whole reputation of our country and our race is involved. It is expected that every unit will be brought into close contact with the enemy and fight it out.”
The Japanese, having already captured the Allies’ main food and fuel depots, captured the city’s water supply on Feb. 13. The next day, the Alexandra Barracks Hospital was captured, and everyone — doctors, nurses, patients — were killed, most by bayoneting.
At 9:30 that night, Gen. Percival conferred with his senior officers. It was decided, despite the PM’s orders, to surrender. The next day, Percival sent a delegation to the Japanese. They returned with the message that Gen. Percival must meet Gen. Yamashita at the Ford Motor Factory. At 2:15 p.m., that day, Percival surrendered the colony and 80,000 soldiers. According to Churchill, it was, “...the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history.”
Gen. Yamashita later said that, “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.”
After the surrender, the Japanese killed many thousands of Chinese residents. Many British and Australian soldiers died while guests of the emperor. Several officers, who avoided the surrender by escaping to another island, such as Air Officer Commanding Far East, Air Vice-Marshal Conway W. Pulford and Rear-Adm. Ernest J. Spooner, died of disease and exposure.
The Japanese recruited 30,000 Indians to serve in the Indian National Army. Other Indians became guards at Changi Prison, in Singapore, where many of the British and Australian soldiers were imprisoned.
The date of the surrender, Feb. 15, is still observed in Singapore as “Total Defense Day.”
(Source: By Peter Ayers Wimbrow III, https://www.oceancitytoday.com/column_posts/world_war_ii/japan-captures-singapore-80-years-ago-in-pacific-theater/article_cf9ca5dc-852a-11ec-a92b-cf735911002d.html )
