Generals At War : The Battle of Singapore
Summary
TLDRThe Battle of Singapore in 1941 saw British General Arthur Percival and Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita in a strategic duel that led to the fall of Singapore. Yamashita's use of speed, surprise, and innovative tactics like the 'Scorpion Maneuver' overwhelmed Percival's forces, despite their numerical advantage. British complacency, outdated equipment, and poor leadership were pivotal in the outcome, culminating in Percival's surrender and a significant blow to British imperial prestige.
Takeaways
- 📅 The Battle of Singapore took place in December 1941, during the early stages of World War II in the Pacific.
- 🏝️ The battle was fought over a strategically important island in the South China Sea, which was part of the British Empire.
- 🇯🇵 Japan, under General Tomoyuki Yamashita, aimed to push Western powers out of Southeast Asia to gain control of its rich resources.
- 🇬🇧 British General Arthur Percival was tasked with defending Singapore, which was considered an exotic and comfortable posting within the Empire.
- 👥 Yamashita was an unconventional military leader, known for his intelligence and willingness to challenge the establishment.
- 🎯 Yamashita's strategy relied on speed and surprise, opting to invade with a smaller, more agile force to maintain logistical efficiency.
- 🌧️ The Japanese invasion was meticulously planned, including the choice of the rainy season to exploit perceived Western aversion to fighting in adverse weather.
- 👮♂️ British forces were complacent and underestimated the Japanese, leading to a lack of preparedness for the invasion.
- 🛡️ British soldiers were ill-equipped for jungle warfare, wearing outdated uniforms and carrying rifles from World War I.
- 🚲 The Japanese used bicycles as a 'secret weapon' to move troops and supplies quickly through the Malay Peninsula.
- 🏳️🏴 The Battle of Singapore ended with a decisive Japanese victory, leading to the largest capitulation in British military history and the capture of 120,000 troops.
Q & A
What significant event occurred in December 1941 that impacted Southeast Asia?
-In December 1941, Japan entered World War II with a plan to attack the Americans at Pearl Harbor, invade the Philippines, and British colonies in the Far East, with the ultimate goal of pushing Western powers out of Southeast Asia and seizing its natural resources.
Who were the two generals that played pivotal roles in the Battle of Singapore?
-The two generals were British General Arthur Percival and Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
What was the strategic importance of the island that General Yamashita targeted?
-The island targeted by General Yamashita was Singapore, which was a British colony with rich natural resources and a strategic location in the South China Sea, crucial to the British Empire's presence in Southeast Asia.
Why was General Yamashita considered an unusual figure in the Japanese military?
-General Yamashita was considered unusual because he did not fit the traditional Japanese military mold. He was from a non-aristocratic background, being the son of a village doctor, and was known for questioning the establishment and thinking outside the box.
What was the initial complacent attitude of the British population in Singapore towards the Japanese?
-The British population in Singapore initially regarded the Japanese as friends, as Britain had been allies with Japan, and the idea that Japan might become expansionist at their expense did not dawn on them.
What was the significance of the Japanese invasion plan relying on speed and surprise?
-The reliance on speed and surprise was crucial to General Yamashita's plan, as it allowed him to launch an attack with a slimmed-down army, avoiding the strain on logistic resources that a larger force might have caused.
What was the impact of the Japanese air superiority on the Battle of Singapore?
-Japanese air superiority, with twice as many planes as the British and superior quality, allowed General Yamashita to launch attacks on British airfields, destroy most of Percival's planes, and gain control of the air during the battle.
How did the Japanese use bicycles to their advantage during the invasion of Malaya?
-The Japanese used bicycles to move their troops quickly and carry a large amount of supplies, allowing them to maintain speed and surprise, and effectively outmaneuver the British forces.
What was the 'Scorpion maneuver' used by General Yamashita?
-The 'Scorpion maneuver' involved sending one column to engage the enemy directly while another column moved through the jungle to attack from the rear, effectively surrounding and overwhelming the enemy forces.
What was the final decision made by General Percival after the Japanese invasion of Singapore Island?
-General Percival decided to surrender unconditionally to General Yamashita after his troops were trapped in Singapore City, facing severe shortages of water, food, and ammunition.
Outlines
🌊 The Battle of Singapore: Clash of Generals
This paragraph sets the stage for the Battle of Singapore in December 1941, highlighting the strategic importance of the island within the South China Sea and its implications for the British Empire. It introduces the two key generals, British General Arthur Percival and Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, who are miles apart yet mentally locked in combat. The narrative delves into Yamashita's unconventional background and strategic decisions, such as opting for a lighter, faster invasion force to maximize the element of surprise. The paragraph also touches on Percival's comfortable posting in Singapore and his readiness to defend against the anticipated Japanese aggression.
🏝️ Singapore's Complacency and Japanese Preparations
The second paragraph examines the British complacency in Singapore due to their previous alliance with Japan, which led to an underestimation of the Japanese military threat. It contrasts this with the meticulous year-long preparations by the Japanese under Colonel Masanobu Tsuji, who planned an invasion tailored to exploit perceived Western weaknesses. The paragraph also discusses the outdated British military equipment, such as the Victorian-era uniforms ill-suited for jungle warfare, and the superior Japanese gear designed for the tropical climate. The narrative underscores the Japanese soldiers' rigorous training and the psychological advantage gained from their leaders' thorough preparation.
🛳️ The Japanese Invasion and British Response
This paragraph details the Japanese invasion strategy, which involved simultaneous landings in neutral Thailand and British Malaya, aiming to establish a foothold and capture airfields. It describes the initial British hesitation due to the risk of declaring war on neutral Thailand and the subsequent Japanese success in landing troops despite heavy losses. The narrative highlights the Japanese soldiers' indoctrination with the Emperor's cause and their resilience in overcoming British defenses. It also touches on the British realization of the formidable Japanese forces they are up against, as well as the Japanese air superiority and the sinking of British battleships sent to aid Malaya.
🗺️ The Malayan Campaign and British Dilemma
The fourth paragraph delves into the Malayan campaign, where General Percival faces the difficult decision of either withdrawing from Malaya to defend Singapore or fighting a protracted war to protect the valuable rubber and tin resources. The paragraph discusses the pressure from Winston Churchill to hold ground at all costs and the challenges Percival's infantry faced with outdated rifles. It also describes the Japanese strategy of continuous advance, risking supply shortages, and the British infantry's preparedness to defend their positions despite being outnumbered.
🚴♂️ The Japanese Advance and British Retreat
This paragraph focuses on the Japanese use of bicycles to maintain their rapid advance through the Malayan Peninsula, allowing them to carry more supplies and move quickly. It contrasts this with the British troops' lighter load, which was still challenging to manage in the jungle. The narrative describes the Japanese soldiers' determination and the innovative tactics used to overcome obstacles, such as the Skorpion maneuver, which involved encircling and attacking from the rear. The paragraph also details Percival's decision to make operational withdrawals to regroup and defend the southern part of Malaya, despite the psychological impact of losing territory.
🔨 The Struggle for Bridges and River Crossings
The sixth paragraph discusses the critical importance of controlling bridges in the race southward, as both sides sought to either destroy or capture them to aid their advance. It describes the innovative methods used by the Japanese engineers to quickly construct bridges using human props when necessary. The narrative also highlights individual acts of heroism, such as the Japanese soldier who captured multiple bridges single-handedly, and the challenges Percival faced in trying to slow the Japanese advance with limited resources and time.
🇦🇺 Australian Troops and Japanese Atrocities
This paragraph introduces the Australian troops who, despite being new to the theater, made an immediate impact by ambushing and killing a significant number of Japanese cyclists. However, it also reveals the darker side of the Japanese soldiers, who are shown to torture and massacre captured enemy soldiers. The narrative discusses the moral implications of General Yamashita's failure to punish such atrocities and the impact on the overall morale and strategy of both sides as the battle for Singapore Island looms.
🏰 The Final Stand on Singapore Island
The eighth paragraph sets the stage for the battle on Singapore Island, with Percival's troops retreating onto the island and the causeway being destroyed to create a fortress. It describes the strategic challenges Percival faces in defending the island against an unpredictable attack and the pressure from Churchill to hold the island at all costs. The narrative also details the Japanese invasion strategy, which includes a diversionary attack and a main force landing in the difficult-to-navigate mangrove swamps, leading to a swift and surprising advance towards Singapore City.
🏳️🏻 The Fall of Singapore and Percival's Surrender
In the ninth paragraph, the narrative reaches its climax with the fall of Singapore City as British and Australian troops lose control and chaos ensues. General Percival, against Churchill's staunch orders, faces the agonizing decision to surrender to prevent further loss of life. The paragraph highlights the dire situation of Percival's troops, trapped and running out of essential supplies, and the psychological impact of the impending surrender. It concludes with Percival's unconditional surrender to General Yamashita, marking a significant victory for the Japanese and a devastating defeat for the British Empire.
🏹 Post-Battle Aftermath and Legacy
The final paragraph reflects on the aftermath of the Battle of Singapore, with General Yamashita earning the moniker 'Tiger of Malaya' for his strategic prowess, despite the moral questions surrounding his leadership. It contrasts the fates of the two generals, with Percival spending the war as a prisoner and Yamashita eventually being executed for war crimes. The narrative also acknowledges the historical significance of the battle, considered by Churchill as the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history, and the lasting impact it had on the perception of the British military and the course of World War II.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Battle of Singapore
💡General Percival
💡General Yamashita
💡Scorpio Maneuver
💡Bicycle Blitzkrieg
💡Surrender
💡Winston Churchill
💡Atrocities
💡Malacca Strait
💡Imperial Guards
💡Unconditional Surrender
Highlights
Two generals, British General Arthur Percival and Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, faced off in the Battle of Singapore.
Yamashita's unorthodox approach and slimmed-down army relied on speed and surprise, challenging traditional military tactics.
Percival's appointment to Singapore was met with mixed feelings due to his lack of experience in jungle warfare.
British complacency and underestimation of Japanese capabilities played a role in the unfolding of the battle.
Yamashita's forces invaded neutral Thailand and British Malaya, demonstrating audacious military strategy.
The Japanese invasion was meticulously planned, with Colonel Masanobu Tsuji's detailed operational insights.
British soldiers were ill-equipped for jungle warfare, with outdated uniforms and inadequate weaponry.
Yamashita capitalized on air superiority with superior aircraft and experienced pilots, outclassing Percival's forces.
The Japanese used bicycles as a 'secret weapon' to increase mobility and speed in the dense Malayan jungle.
Percival's decision to withdraw troops to Singapore Island was a strategic move to consolidate defenses.
Yamashita's innovative 'Scorpion' maneuver outflanked and demoralized the British forces.
Percival's Australian troops made a significant impact with a successful ambush on Japanese cyclists.
Yamashita's decision to invade through the treacherous mangrove swamps was a bold and unexpected move.
Percival's struggle to defend the extensive coastline of Singapore Island highlighted logistical challenges.
Yamashita's successful bluff at the surrender negotiations added to his reputation as a cunning tactician.
The Battle of Singapore resulted in a significant loss for the British Empire and a major victory for Japan.
Percival's surrender marked a turning point in World War II and a personal tragedy for the British general.
Yamashita's post-war trial and execution underscored the complexities of military leadership and responsibility.
Transcripts
December 1941 war rips through Southeast
Asia
two generals go head-to-head in a battle
for a tiny island in the South China Sea
that will shake the very foundations of
the British Empire British General
Arthur Percival and Japanese general
Tama Yukiya Master may be kilometers
apart but in their minds they stand over
the same table to modern-day generals
we'll get inside their heads to unpick
their tactics and strategy while a team
of military experts compare their
equipment and their firepower to reveal
just how the Battle of Singapore was won
and lost December 7th 1941 Japan is
about to enter the war with a bad
she plans to attack the Americans at
Pearl Harbor and invade the Philippines
and British colonies in the Far East in
the same night her ultimate goal to push
the Western powers out of Southeast Asia
and grab its rich natural resources a
man chosen to lead the Japanese invasion
of British held Malaya and Singapore his
general yeah master he is an unusual
figure in the Japanese military
he wasn't the traditional Japanese Gerry
didn't fit into the box in in a
comfortable way he was questioning he
wasn't part of the establishment if you
like and therefore he was an odd he was
the oddball out he was too clever by
half
Major General Julian Thompson is a
former Royal Marine Commando he is
fascinated by a master he was the son of
a village doctor he went to a military
academy to get hit an education and so
he's not from the traditional
aristocratic Japanese background and
he's actually a quite senior chap before
he starts battle fighting when he's
actually confronted with battle he's out
there leading from the front and this I
think is very good preparation for what
he's about to do young master wants to
kick the British out of their wealthy
colonies in Malaya and Singapore his
plan relies on speed and surprise so he
will travel light with a slimmed-down
army he is offered four divisions but
decides to launch his attack with just
two an indication of his intelligence as
a general was he resisted the temptation
to have more just in case because he
knew that it would create a great strain
on his logistic resources and might end
up in disaster because he was actually
half starving everybody in order to
cover the whole lot
as your master plots his first move his
adversary takes charge in British
Singapore the newly promoted leftenant
general Arthur II Percival Singapore I
think was probably one of the more
exotic and the more comfortable of the
Imperial of stations when he was told
that he was to be promoted lieutenant
general he must have thought great this
is marvelous Singapore was golf tennis
bridge the club in the evening the
sundowners wonderful
leftenant General Sir Alastair Owen is a
top ranking British general with many
overseas postings under his belt and
then he thinks to himself
hang on Singapore this is either going
to be something where I get to be
drinking drink for the ribs next two
years with nothing happening at all or
it's going to be a pretty difficult
business
Perceval fears the island may prove a
tempting prize for the Japanese but he
is up for the fight he's already proved
himself in World War one and against the
IRA in Island nobody doubted his courage
and his character when things were rough
a man who knew his business
I think the generally speaking he was
thought that what we might in Britain
call a good egg but he does in
appearance not exactly fit the mold of
what you might think a sort of commander
might might look like and instinctively
soldiers follow people who look good
people who just look the part and I
think that that was a a slight Achilles
heel of poor Oh Festival that would have
done to his mother and father didn't do
a great job on the design
arriving in Singapore Perceval finds a
complacent population we in Britain had
been allies of the Japanese and so we
regarded them as friends and and the
idea that slowly they might be becoming
expansionist and that that expansion
would be at our expense didn't really
dawn on people
the British had rather disgraceful
attitude to the Japanese fighting man
the Japanese couldn't see at night the
Japanese were always wearing thick
pebble glasses so that when it rained
they couldn't see only at all they were
far too small to carrying a thing of any
significance on their backs well they
just weren't aware the enemy really what
the British don't know is that the
Japanese have been preparing their
invasion for a year under your masters
chief planner Colonel Masanobu soo-ji
Colonel suji who later gains a taste for
eating his enemies livers plots a
tropical war down to the last detail
he's a sort of freshest character he
master doesn't like all that much but
he's an ace staff officer highly
enthusiastic a driving character just
the sort of chap you need as a chief of
staff provided you have a hand on the
back of his neck from time to time and
pull him back
soo-ji wants a master to launch his
invasion in the rainy season
he believes Westerners being very
effeminate and cowardly have an intense
dislike of fighting in the rain or the
mist or at night your master takes his
advice he'll attack at night in the
monsoon Percival's men are not properly
equipped for such a fight
military historian Andy Robert Shaw
explains why the uniform that we see
here on our representative British
soldier it's based on what was worn
really at the end of Queen Victoria's
reign in the 1890s so it's old-fashioned
the even by the style of the 1940s
British soldiers have been wearing
shorts for a long time and they're great
for desert environments in a jungle your
legs are very exposed they get cut and
scratched you're very very vulnerable to
mosquitoes that carry malaria boots is
wearing ammunition boots developed
really for long-distance marching on
nice dry roads in a jungle environment
if these things last 10 days then you're
lucky really this a whole uniform is not
ideal for what we're going to ask him to
do when he fights the Japanese Japanese
soldier here is wearing a uniform at the
based on recent experience fighting in
China so whereas his uniform is based on
what was happening at the end of the
19th century this is modern it's light
quite comfortable to wear designed to
combat the heat
these are putties basically they're
bandages behind your legs these stock
mud and dirt getting into your boots
protects your legs these things are
really good for jungle warfare
frankly we couldn't cope with this level
of sophistication we had nothing to
match the Japanese the Japanese
preparation was so thorough the troops
knew what to expect and of course it
gives a soldier huge confidence if he
thinks his leaders have done the
homework and when he arrives there it's
exactly as he's been told it's going to
be but your master's plan is still
fraught with risk he wants to put troops
ashore in neutral Thailand and British
held Malaya at the same time his Air
Force will attack British airfields and
destroy Percival's planes he master will
use the captured bases to launch his own
bombing raids then he will push his main
force 800 kilometers down the west coast
of the peninsula to attack Singapore
Island the key British naval base in the
Far East on the eve of the invasion
yamato writes a poem in his diary on the
day the Sun shines with the moon our
arrow leaves the bow it carries my
spirit toward the enemy with me are a
hundred million souls my people from the
east
Perceval gets wind of your masters force
heading for Thailand he considers
striking first but attacking the
Japanese entire territory will amount to
a declaration of war on neutral Thailand
so he hesitates while he did as you
mashed her lands her master's invasion
is on track he is caught the British on
the back foot with the speed and sheer
nerve of his first move young master
comes ashore with over 20,000 troops in
neutral Thailand fights off the Thai
military police and quickly heads south
to the Malay border the mesh should have
helped no compunction part of a through
a neutral country I don't think that was
rated very high on the on the Japanese
radar but his attempt to land another
strike force in British held Malaya
immediately hits trouble
here his men face soldiers from the
British Indian Army who are defending
Malaya alongside regular British and
Australian troops Percival knows that
the odds of stopping a master landing
are stacked in his favor if you can
catch an invading force on the beach you
have a pretty good chance of pushing it
back into the sea the enemy is at his
weakest when he's putting people ashore
him to establish themselves on the
ground their commanders Astrea flag and
so on they they they are vulnerable to
exploit this advantage personal bombs he
amassed as launchers as they attempt to
put troops ashore many go down but your
master runs the gauntlet
he manages to land over 5300 men on the
Malay beach then his soldiers have to
fight through three lines of barbed wire
past ranks of dug-in infantry and cross
a network of waterways under constant
artillery and machine gun fire
the Japanese are forced to crawl on
their hands and knees through a hail of
bullets over 800 are killed or injured
but they don't give up
yo masters determined men forced their
way through Percival's defenses and
overrun the air field for the first time
the British realize what they are up
against the Japanese soldier was taught
that immediately Emperor's everything
that death was as light as a feather
that surrender was disgraceful that
being a prisoner was the lowest thing
you could be tough frugal ruthless very
well trained and Japanese soldier was a
very very superior fine soldier
despite his heavy losses he masters plan
is on track now he has captured his
first airbase he opens his bid to win
the air war
yah Master has twice as many planes as
Percival and it isn't just a matter of
quantity but of quality well he had the
zero which was a very fine fighter was
probably in its time the best fighter
around his pilots were experienced
they'd fought in China and so he had a
huge card in that in that sense general
Percival is at a distinct disadvantage
the Royal Air Force had quite a large
fleet of very second eleven airplanes
but should been procured during the
interval between the first and second
world wars and which really weren't fit
for any kind of service other than just
sort of looking good on flying displays
all that wouldn't have mattered if the
Japanese themselves had had
old-fashioned aeroplanes but they didn't
the master uses his superiority in the
air to launch attacks on other British
airfields in northern Malaya
he drops bombs designed to damage
aircraft and kill soldiers but which
leave the runways intact so he can use
them later within four days he master
captures all the airfields in northern
Malaya and destroys most of Percival's
planes and there is more disappointment
for Percival as news of your masters
invasion comes in battleships sent by
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
set sail from Singapore to help defend
Malaya Japanese bombers sink them within
hours
with the Navy and airforce
decimated the defense of Malaya now
rests solely with the army general
Percival has two choices
pull his troops out of Malaya abandoning
the people to their fate and regroup to
defend Singapore or fight every inch of
the way for the Malayan Peninsula Valera
had the great importance to Britain it
had two particularly vital commodities
rubber and Tim this was not just a
stretch of jungle this was a a highly
productive highly desirable stretch of
territory and Churchill piles on the
pressure to give up any part of the
Empire without a fight will undermine
Britain as an imperial power
Percival must hold his ground whatever
the cost in blood the fate of the island
is now in the hands of his infantry but
they fight with a handicap
they are saddled with rifles left over
from World War one Bob modesta served in
the British Special Forces he has fought
in the jungle with modern guns he wants
to see how effective one of these
cumbersome antiques could be a lump of
clay represents a human body
it's gone straight through as you can
see you've got a nice neat entry where
the bullet has ended the body ok and
where the bullet has exited you've got
this massive wound open wound where all
the governs has come out yeah I mean
that this is a 303 rifle ok and a 303
bullet is a very large bullet it's a
it's a big round big old round the and
the fall you know what we're about to do
here is to see what has happened in the
center with the bullet did this
you can see where the ball that has
entered the body look and it's causing a
massive amount of damage the bullet has
tumbled and fragmented inside the clay
before exiting the hole of this the
man's internal organs would have been
absolutely smashed I'm very impressed
with the rifle the guy definitely
wouldn't have survived if that bullet
had hit this body armed with their
old-fashioned but effective guns
Percival's infantry dig in and wait for
the Japanese yah Master has a dilemma
consolidate his position or take the
initiative the temptation is to stop and
draw your tail up behind you and get
ready for the next bit and have a quick
breather and he did not fall into that
trap he kept going the risk he was
facing he'd come up against some really
serious opposition we'll just hold him
up and then he'd be eating through his
ammunition he be eating through his food
so he was banking on capturing what
critical in order to keep his momentum
going but it's a highly risky strategy
because if you don't win you don't get
those supplies you are completely
banjaxed you come to a grinding halt so
he did take a risk huge risk
yah Master wants to reach Singapore in
weeks but it is 800 kilometers down the
Malayan peninsula to the island
how can he move his 30,000 foot soldiers
so far so fast could he learn a lesson
from Percival's troops the British have
been in Malaya for years to March long
distances along jungle tracks they have
learned to travel light what we've got
here on the floor is the complete set of
equipment as carried by a British
soldier in the Singapore campaign got
his rifle his gas mask his respirator
boots spare equipment ammunition the lot
the whole lot they suggested should be
about 18 kilos no more than that and in
fact this is 18 kilos in water bottles
it's worth saying that a unit of the
Ardiles marched 90 kilometres 30
kilometres a day with that kind of
weight on in fact if we put my volunteer
here in soup
18 kilos of real weight on it goes
buckle it all neatly into place give you
your gas mask your respirator on it goes
like that and then give you a rifle to
go over your shoulder you should be able
to march through jungle in this case
some this is our jungle and you're going
to do not 90 kilometres you're going to
do just a brief section to try it out on
you get Banda
start marching happy very happy feel
comfortable yeah it's fine I wanna say
you're doing a few kilometers time okay
you gonna March now for an hour the end
of an hour you got 10 minutes break you
can have a drink of water and back on
the treadmill All Right see you do but
your master wants his men to carry more
so they can survive for longer without
being resupplied what we've got here is
what a Japanese soldiers carrying is
good at least 10 liters of water
he's got 6 kilograms of rice the whole
weight is 36 kilos bring it in
dump it there that's twice as much cuz
we're not British soldiers are carrying
but to move it you need a secret weapon
Jun this is the secret weapon this is
the bicycle the Japanese have two
divisions that's 30,000 men and in those
two divisions they had 12,000 of these
that means that you can carry vast
amounts of weight downhill you cycle
uphill you can push them it's not a
problem
with 12,000 troops on bicycles you
master plans to storm down the Malayan
Peninsula in weeks speed and surprise
was the key master the infantry was so
good in keeping the momentum going using
bicycles that he was able to have a sore
foot equivalent of litte scream bicycle
blitzkrieg is the British are left
floundering by the freewheeling Japanese
how you doing feeling it now it's very
tough you're doing very well just coming
up to an hour okay you get your um 10
minute break that's it take it easy
yeah take it easy just put your rifle
down first okay that's it okay okay
respirator yeah you're under the string
put your cap down that's it good and
under your waist belt and then just sit
down let's see there yeah just okay yeah
you get the rhythm with the Japanese
setting the pace Perceval is forced on
the defensive once again his indian
soldiers find themselves in the front
line and the road down which the
Japanese are pouring south it is a
strong defensive position it should hold
out for weeks the young Indian recruits
expect an infantry attack but the
Japanese have another surprise in store
tanks
imagine the scene monsoon rain
absolutely pouring down and suddenly
down the red comes this where you can
hear it from a distance
amongst the rain the clanking of the
tracks and the squeaking of the turret
and suddenly then again through you you
know it's not a happy position to be in
not surprising people began to wonder
what was going on under what to do next
as the Japanese tanks charged ahead of
Yamashita's bicycle army terrified
Indian soldiers break ranks and flee
into the jungle you as a young man from
the Punjab sitting in a jungle in Malaya
with the monsoon rain pouring on top of
you you haven't had sleep for four days
you've been shot at you've been bombed
from the air your officers have been
killed you need to be a pretty
sophisticated young man to say to us of
hang on I'm here for a real purpose here
the Japanese were not expected to have
tanks they were hopeless pathetic tanks
but they were more than equal to us
because we had none
the British had no tanks they dismay
they were very upset about the tanks
Perceval has not got any tanks because
the Chiefs of Staff in London thought
they would not work in the Malayan to
range
now with his troops fleeing into the
jungle he is forced to withdraw he has
lost the first major land battle to hold
the enemy up Perceval orders his
engineers to blow up steel bridges in
your Master's path but with stocks of
British explosives falling into Japanese
hands they need to find a method that
makes their dwindling supplies go
further by eking out their explosives to
demolish as many bridges as they can
Percival's engineers gained him vital
time to dig in more reinforcements are
on their way but they won't arrive for
two weeks
Percival must hold your master until
then the ace in his hand is his superior
artillery at camp are halfway down the
Malayan Peninsula he finally manages to
get his big guns into a defensive
position and trains them on your masters
charging army
for the first time
general Percival is calling the shots
with the help of his artillery he holds
up the Japanese blitzkrieg for six days
a master is outgunned and outnumbered
his chief of staff recommends Paul's
bring up more people and then mount a
set-piece attack you know hate with what
we used to call hey diddle-diddle done
straight down the middle like that he
doesn't want to do that Percival's
artillery is well dug in among the hills
of Kanpur in central Malaya her master
decides not to wait for reinforcements
but to immediately employ the Skorpion
maneuver he sends one column forward to
grip the British in its claws then he
sends another column through the jungle
to attack them from behind this is the
lethal sting in the scorpion maneuver
and it totally banjaxed and through the
British who hadn't come across the
select act of cheating what he was
attacking was the psychology of the
enemy and and the enemy the British were
surrendering or giving up when they were
out numbering their enemy by ten to one
they had dared mentally run away from
the battle omastar writes this entry in
his diary New Year's Day 1942 my duty is
half done though success is still a
problem I would like to achieve my plan
without killing too many of the enemy
with the loss of camp our Percival is
caught between a rock and a hard place
his frontline troops are disheartened
and exhausted
thousands of bewildered and injured
soldiers flee into the jungle whole
battalions are wiped out
Perceval decides to change tack he will
turn two feet into victory Katka
operational withdrawals can be very
sound military maneuvers they can be the
precursors to victory and there's
nothing wrong with having a planned
withdrawal if everybody understands what
the point of it is and and when it's
going to happen and if you do it when
you want to do it as opposed to when
you're forced to do it
Percival decides to withdraw giving up
the central Malayan states and the
capital Kuala lumper to you master he
wants to concentrate his defenses in the
south where new troops are waiting to
hold the line as Percival retreats you
master chases him he left it was
actually leapfrog these people he had
their reserves so there wasn't much left
up all rest involved the focus of taking
a division out of the line for a week to
have a Kip
they were pretty tired and of course
time is not on his side in a sense that
he doesn't know what reinforcements are
coming
control of the bridges is vital as they
race south omastar has to take them
before Percival can blow them up he
relies on his soldiers to take the
initiative
twenty-two-year-old sudden oh boo
Watanabe rises to the challenge in one
morning he leaves his tank four times to
cut explosive charges on bridges with
his saber then he leads a cavalry charge
against the enemy all guns blazing
virtually wiping out two companies about
250 mm at the next bridge he shoots
through the fuse wire with a machine gun
he's captured five bridges in six hours
but such heroics are not enough
your master fears Percival's bridge
demolitions could delay the attack on
Singapore by six months impatient for
victory he also turns to his engineers
for help
how can he cross rivers fast if the
bridges are down Captain Bob stork of
the Royal Engineers wants to improvise a
bridge quickly with the materials that
Japanese had in the jungle he's asked a
local rugby team to help okay guys the
Japanese engineers have got to come up
with some kind of rapid solution to
cross all the gaps that the British are
making the gap itself just behind you is
about waist-high of water close your
eyes and picture the scene you've got
two minutes to come up with a solution
starting from now go Bob's team start by
building piers to support their bridge
floating away
it only takes 15 minutes but it's not
quick enough in a fast-moving battle
every second counts
okay well doing that was very very good
okay but it was over time and it was
over engineered the Japanese come up
with a novel way to speed up their work
they use humans as bridge props the ways
that yapanese did it was just used in
the engineers the actual sappers as the
piers themselves so what we're going to
try and do is lash two of these logs the
large logs together once they're
actually lashed together going to pick
them up on our shoulders and then
position ourselves in stream and we're
going to do that in two minutes right
let's go come on then guys let's show it
we can prove it there's have some good
type bindings guys let's hold it nice
and tight
hold it take the pain hold it okay guys
that was two and a half minutes well
done good teamwork okay well don't fight
improvising like this you master crosses
river after river soon only a thin line
of Percival's defenders stands between
him and singapore island now Percival's
Australian troops enter the frame
they immediately make their mark they
ambush and kills 700 cyclists most with
their guns still tied to their
handlebars
it is a good start and in a further
boost Percival's reinforcements are
beginning to arrive when you send troops
to a new theater of war it's terribly
important to give them time literally to
acclimatize but it wasn't like that in
Singapore Percival's new recruits are
thrown straight into battle with no time
to adapt to fighting and surviving in
tropical conditions some pay a heavy
price at Muir the newly arrived 45th
Indian Division faces a deadly variation
of you masked his scorpion maneuver the
Japanese Imperial Guards attack them
from the front as your master lands more
troops by boat thirty kilometers to
their rear cutting off their retreat the
4,500 strong Brigade is white at only
900 men managed to escape through the
jungle to safety now you're matched as
fanatical soldiers reveal a darker side
his imperial guards torture captured
enemy soldiers and then Massacre them
cutting off their heads with their
samurai swords it is one of several
atrocities where your master does not
step in to punish his troops if soldiers
get out of hand they need to be brought
back under hand very sharply and very
quickly and he had the power to do it in
the Japanese army you could have a chap
executed just like that and he could
have made an example of these guys in a
way that he didn't and I think he was
morally at fault in that sense
a worried Percival writes to his
superiors January the 26th 1942 consider
general situation becoming grave may be
driven back into the island within a
week
Singapore Island sits at the bottom of
the Malayan Peninsula and is linked to
it by a causeway on the last day of
January 1942 a piper leads Percival's
troops in a final retreat onto the
island they blow up the causeway behind
them turning the island into a fortress
the battle for Malaya is over the battle
for Singapore is about to begin there
you are you've closed up you've got
everybody that you own and you've got a
very specific and clear task to defend
Singapore now until you get reinforced
again you have no more major decisions
to make really now you have to fight the
battle for the defense of Singapore in
just eight weeks
your masters forces have advanced over
1,000 kilometres for ninety five battles
and repaired two hundred and fifty
bridges it is an extraordinary feat but
he has only 30,000 troops and percival
has three times as many men holed up on
Singapore Island the British had a huge
base in Singapore and it was stock rahem
in nishan food it was it was a massive
base the master has a couple of options
which is stop here bring up my tail
regroup rest get everyone ready click my
kit together and then either sit there
and starve them out you hope or mount an
attack a lot of the cards are stacked
against him so it's a formidable
undertaking your master decides to
strike fast but where
to the east by Percival is stronger but
the beaches are easier to land on or to
the west where British troops are
thinner on the ground but landings would
have to be made in treacherous mangrove
swamps the mangrove swamps had all the
elements of potential disaster because
of the ability to control what's going
on with guys wandering around in the
mangrove in the dark being fired on all
the elements of potential disaster are
to land in the mangrove swamp it's the
most difficult thing to do it's the
least obvious thing to do therefore it's
the right thing to do yah master decides
to launch a diversionary attack to the
east to confuse Percival then sent his
main force across the Straits in small
boats to attack through the thick
mangrove under cover of darkness he
readies a flotilla of boats for his
secret invasion Percival is daunted by
the challenge facing him how was he
going to defend Singapore against an
attack from a direction that he couldn't
possibly predict with certainty he had
70 miles of coastline to defend and by
this stage he couldn't in any way be
certain that the Japanese wouldn't load
troops into ships and come round the
bottom so he had to defend the whole
perimeter and he didn't have enough
troops for all this but in London
Winston Churchill is unsympathetic he
sends this message I want to make it
absolutely clear and I expect every inch
of ground to be defended
every scrap of material or defenses to
be blown to pieces to prevent capture by
the enemy and no question of surrender
to be entertained until after protracted
fighting in the ruins of Singapore city
Percival spreads troops around the
entire coast by trying to defend
everywhere he may not be strong enough
anywhere on February the 5th 1942
omastar launches his diversionary attack
then while Percival is distracted he
mounts his main invasion sending his
boats across the jeho Strait under cover
of artillery fire within an hour your
master's troops have come ashore to
surprise the defenders in the mangrove
swamps the British are overwhelmed and
begin to fall back
your master pushes on towards Singapore
City
again the Japanese have got inside the
decision loop of totally discommode the
British and are rampaging to Singapore
City as you master breaks through his
lines
Percival loses control of his troops
British and Australian soldiers desert
on mass heading to town and riot
civilians flee in boats as fast as they
can
there is panic chaos and confusion
Percival considers surrender but
Churchill is adamant there must be no
thought of saving the troops or sparing
the population the battle must be fought
to the bitter end at all costs
commanders and senior officers should
die with their troops the honour of the
British Empire and the British Army is
at stake these are the sort of messages
that if they were again to be said at
all would you know have been opening
gambit sort of battle cries the
beginning of the campaign your areas of
charging people up with the notion that
they're going to be victorious from the
outset but by this stage even the most
optimistic people know that the game is
up
Perceval is on the ropes but your master
is also worried he is running out of
bullets and fears a street by street
fight for Singapore City which he might
lose it's not a totally foregone
conclusion he is clever enough and wily
enough to recognize that unit he's not
stupid all the time he's thinking maybe
they're gonna pull something off maybe
I'm going to run at her monition and my
guys are going to get massacred or bled
white fighting in a built-up area
Perceval attempts to counter-attack with
tired and confused Australian troops the
attack fails after five days all
Percival's troops are now trapped in
Singapore city they have enough food for
a week but your masters planes have
bombed pipelines and reservoirs and they
are running out of water
general Percival faces the hardest
decision of his life fight to the death
or surrender as your masters troops
besieged Singapore City the lifelines of
Percival's army are strangled
he sends his last signal to his
superiors owing to losses from enemy
action water petrol food and ammunition
practically finished unable therefore to
continue the fight any longer all ranks
have done their best
Percival decides to surrender in
defiance of Churchill I think any
fighting man when is done what he can
doesn't like in the end to know that
he's lost and it is had to put his hands
up
it's not something that you want to do
and you do feel ashamed about it
Percival agrees to meet your master to
discuss terms
now your master needs to pull off one
final bluff
and at the end he was down to the last
few runs and keeps actually balanced on
a knife hit he thinks that when Percival
comes suggest surrender that Percival is
going to demand his surrender at the
negotiations when personally sort of
Havering and trying to sort of cut deals
he says are you going to surrender or
not inside you can just imagine the
tension building up all these guys gonna
talk me out of it and so he's got to
bring this to a stop this hard large
overbearing guy who's saying giving a
world of wipe you off the face of the
earth must have been quite alarming it's
very interesting to speculate what would
have happened had personal said well I'm
not gonna surrender you better fight for
it
now first of all surrendering at the end
of his first and only senior command in
battle he would have been internally
wondering what he did wrong what could
he have done better to have stopped it
poor man must have been dismayed that he
had lost Singapore for Britain after an
hour
Perceval signs an unconditional
surrender your master has taken the
island and the whole of Malaya with the
loss of only nine thousand six hundred
men
the Japanese fate him is the tiger of
Malaya his morals may be questionable
but his generalship is not fantastical
treatment in my view I can't think of
any mistakes or bad decisions in a rush
to makes and throughout the campaign and
he's a faultless performance I I really
can't think of have any mistakes that he
makes actually Churchill calls it the
worst disaster and the largest
capitulation in British history 120,000
British troops are killed or captured
Percival Kelley did make mistakes but
show me a general anywhere in military
history who does not make mistakes and
I'll show you someone who's got delusion
because you know we all make mistakes
generals all the time
and it's certain that a different
general would have done it differently
would the outcome have been
substantially different who can tell
general Percival's spent the rest of the
war as a captive of the Japanese before
returning to a quiet life in England
general Yamashita went on to fight in
the Philippines after the war he was
tried for atrocities committed by his
soldiers he was found guilty and hanged
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