Lesson 6: Fall of Singapore

Question 1

Why did Japan target Singapore?

Answer 1

• British
  would relocate a large Royal Navy fleet + considered a main threat
  -good position to launch their offensive to take the Dutch East Indies

Question 2

Why were the Japanese able to take control of Malaya?

Answer 2

The Japanese had managed to take control of the seas and skies of Malaya.
* Japanese troops were significantly more experienced and better trained than the Commonwealth forces defending the country.
* The Japanese showed ingenuity throughout the battle. Japanese soldiers took bicycles from locals to enhance the speed of their advance. The Japanese also used
naval craft to flank and surround stubborn defenders.
* By contrast, the Commonwealth forces were poorly led by stubborn Generals who refused to change their strategy.
* The Japanese equipment was also much more modern in comparison to the Commonwealth forces who were still relying on aircraft from the 1920s and early
1930s.

Question 3

How did Japanese actions contribute to their capture of Singapore?

Answer 3

Commonwealth forces were suffering from incredibly low morale.

-The north-east as Percival had expected and;
- The north-west of the island. This part of the island was very poorly defended due to the strong belief that an attack would not come through this direction as it was mainly mangroves and jungle due to control over skies and seas = saw where most strongest defenses were
-relentlessly shelled the British and Commonwealth defences.

Question 4

How did British actions contribute to their loss of Singapore?

Answer 4

-Percival moved most
of his forces into this location and
scattered weaker forces across
the rest of the island
-However, what Percival didn’t realise was that the attack
in the north-east was just a diversionary attack from the
main offensive in the north-west.
By the time Percival realised this was the case it was
already too late.
Percival ordered his reserves to move to north-west of
the island, but the Japanese advance had already gained
too much momentum and they were quickly forced to
retreat.
-The withdrawal of troops gave the Japanese control of the high
ground that overlooked the city, the only fresh water supply
station on the island and the British supply depot.

Question 5

What impact did the fall of Singapore have on Britain?

Answer 5

For the British the defeat was a humiliation. 80,000 were wounded or captured.
* 15,000 Australian troops were captured – over 7000 would die as POWs. ‘the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British
history’
British placed unfair blame on Australian soldiers
for the fall of Singapore -> Australia now started to align more closely with the USA.