Chapter 116 Volume 4, Chapter 6, The Fall of Singapore

No investigation into Singapore has been conducted of General Percival's deployment Weakened garrison Whitehall has no illusions Importance of sabotage General policy of the American, British, Dutch and Australian theaters My Memorandum to the Chiefs of Staff February 2 Singapore Air Force The Weakness of Force The Japanese crossed the strait on February 8th and they established themselves on the island. My telegram to General Wavell on February 10th. Serious situation in the city. Wavell ordered to hold on to the defense. On February 14 he sent me a telegram to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff and I granted Wavell the right to decide to surrender. He gave General Percival a final order to surrender. A telegram from President Roosevelt.

In my judgment, it was impossible to send a Royal Commission into the circumstances of the fall of Singapore when the fighting was in full swing.We can't spare people, time and energy.This opinion was accepted by Parliament; but of course it occurred to me that, in order to do justice to the officers and men concerned, an inquiry should be made as soon as the fighting had ceased in all its circumstances.It's just that the subsequent government didn't start it.Many years have passed and many witnesses have passed away.Perhaps we will never have a court competent to pass formal judgment on the worst rout and largest capitulation in British history.In these pages I do not intend to substitute for such courts, nor to express an opinion on the actions of individuals.I have restricted myself to recording only those salient facts which I believe to be unquestionable, and to cite documents which were recorded at the time.Readers may make their own judgments from these materials.

I am responsible for the military aspects of the narrative here.In making this account I have been greatly assisted by General Bonnard.When the talks in Washington made the decision to create the command of the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, and Australia, he was actually the commander-in-chief of the Far East, with the headquarters in Singapore.After the United States, Britain, Holland, and Australia Commands were established, he became General Wavell's chief of staff.Otherwise, he would have been chosen to carry the burden that fell on General Percival's shoulders. The Third Army (Commander, Admiral Heath) now consists of the British 18th Division (Division Commander Beckwith | Major General Smith), whose main force arrived on January 29, and the 10th Division, which has absorbed the remnants of the 9th Division. It is composed of a British Indian division (Major General Ji, the division commander).The area under the responsibility of this army extends along the north shore of the island to the causeway, but the causeway is not included.The line from the causeway was in charge of the 8th Australian Division (commanded by Major General Gordon Bennett), who commanded the 44th Indian Brigade.This brigade arrived only a few days ago and, like the 45th, is composed of young men and partially trained troops.The south bank was defended by garrison troops, with two brigades of Malayan infantry and a volunteer detachment, all under the command of Major General Simmons.

Among the heavy artillery guarding the coast, those capable of bombarding northwards have limited ammunition, and are of little use against densely forested areas where the enemy is concentrating.Only one fighter squadron remained on the island, and only one airfield remained operational.As a result of casualties and attrition, the final concentration of the garrison has now been reduced from the 106,000 estimated by the War Ministry to about 85,000, including bases, logistics and various non-combat units.About 70,000 of this total were armed. Although a lot of local manpower has been invested in the preparation of the field defense and the arrangement of obstacles, it is not commensurate with the urgent requirements now emerging.There are no permanent defenses on the front lines that are about to be attacked.The morale of the army, after the long retreat and the fierce fighting on the island, had been greatly reduced.

The threatened north and west shores were screened by the Straits of Johor, which varied in width from six hundred to two thousand yards; and the kangaroo swamps at the mouths of several rivers provided considerable protection.The thirty-mile-long front needed to be defended, and the enemy's movements in the jungle on the other side were completely invisible.The interior of the island is also mostly hidden by lush vegetation and plantations, and people cannot see the distance.The area around Bukit Zhima Village is extremely important with large warehouses for military supplies and three reservoirs for water supply.Behind all this was the city of Singapore, which at the time was home to about a million residents of various races, as well as a group of refugees.

At home, we no longer have the illusion of long-term defense of Singapore.The only question is how long to play.The Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces had noticed the sabotage work as early as January 21, and had telegraphed General Percival that if the situation deteriorated to the extreme, it must not be neglected in Singapore.They said: You should make sure that nothing is left out of a general scorched-earth policy that might be of use to the enemy.They also talked about sabotaging munitions.On January 31, I commented on this document: The obvious way is to shoot the enemy with ammunition.Withdrawal is absolutely unacceptable, it must be withdrawn as a last resort, and it will take two or three days to do so.To fire at the enemy and spend all his ammunition was the established and natural course of action when a fortress was about to fall.There should be sufficient time to make arrangements.If the fortresses are well defended, we shall in the end only experience a shortage of ammunition, and no great piles of ammunition will be left behind.

Two days later I sent another instruction: Prime Minister to General Ismay, to the Committee of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services February 2, 1942 1. What must be done: First, the naval bases should be completely destroyed, so that all docks and factories cannot be used again for at least eighteen months; can no longer be used in .In this way, Singapore would lose its value as an effective naval base to the enemy forces.Arranging the above-mentioned sabotage work should not cause panic, because they are all carried out in military areas, and the public is strictly forbidden to enter; the specific work of placing explosives can be performed by engineers.

2. Plans should also be made for the destruction of other valuables, but the preparations must not weaken the strength of the defense; the general has well said that the work of defense must be extended to the last moment.If it can be delayed for a day, it is a good day. Concerning the general situation in the Indian Ocean, I held lengthy meetings with the General Staff and put various questions to them. prime minister to general ismay February 2, 1942 At ten o'clock tonight, I would like to hold a staff meeting with the Chiefs of Staff of the three armed forces to discuss further reinforcements to Malaya and Burma and the defense of the Indian Ocean.

The following points come to my mind: 1. Singapore Why did we learn only last week that two of the three airports on the island have been controlled by artillery fire from the Malay Peninsula?Why wasn't another airport built?What progress has been made in the defense of the North Shore?What have you done with regard to inland traffic, radiation roads, etc.?The causeway was partially damaged, but I presume it was contained especially by artillery and machine-gun fire.As far as the landing is concerned, the enemy seems to be able to do everything, but we can't do anything. So what is the plan for counterattacking the Japanese army's communication line from the sea to Malaya?

2. Concerning sending convoys to carry reinforcements, troops, planes and food directly to Singapore for rescue, what is the plan now?What arrangements had been made to send heavy bombers from Sumatra and Java to attack Japanese airfields for rescue? Are there any plans to build new air bases on dependent islands?What arrangements have been made for the assignment of voluntary labor to male residents who remain on the island of Singapore?Further efforts must be made to reduce the useless population.Many of these matters are within General Wavell's purview, but we must be fully aware of the situation so that nothing is overlooked.

3. Indian Ocean Bases What are we doing to secure these bases?For example, what about the Trincomalee garrison?How about the cannon?What measures have been taken to protect its entrances and exits?What airports are available nearby?The Navy is responsible for the defense of the Indian Ocean.What reinforcements are planned?When will the three aircraft carriers be ready to sail?What actions does the Wospite intend to take in the future?How are the repairs on the Valiant going?I noticed that a submarine sank a merchant ship with gunfire in the Bay of Bengal.Are merchant ships sailing in these areas armed?Is there an expert gunner on board?What measures are being taken to defend the Bay of Bengal with local forces?Now, we don't seem to have any light or heavy naval forces operating.What kind of destroyers, submarines and cruisers are you going to send to the surface of the Indian Ocean?Hope to send me a schedule of reinforcements every month for the next four months. 4. After the two Australian divisions have been transferred to the US, UK, Netherlands, and Australia theaters, what other reinforcements are they going to make?In view of the fact that the Americans will come (Northern Ireland) in accordance with the Magnet plan, and in view of the postponement of the date of a possible attack by Russia and other reasons, it appears that at least four more divisions of our country will have to be sent.As to whether these divisions will be transferred to Egypt, to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to the Caspian Sea, to India, or to the theaters of the United States, Britain, Holland, and Australia, we must consider it later.The important question is to get them moving.We must be prepared to actually reduce supplies and imports in order to move more troops.The use of smaller merchant ships to carry troops must be considered.What about the West Indian Brigade from Freetown?We need more soldiers east of Suez.The whole war zone has to be checked out. 5. Reinforcing India is a top priority.I am very concerned about the reaction to the Japanese victory throughout Asia.It would be necessary to increase the number of British troops in India.These units did not have to be full divisions, as they were for internal security against mutiny.At this point, consideration should be given to the use of landing divisions, as well as some independent battalions. 6. In other documents, I have mentioned the possibility of the US military entering the Persian Gulf and forming a force on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea | the Caspian Sea line. Please send me the implementation plan of the above sections together with the timetable, and please add the above-listed questions according to your own careful consideration. Things are going from bad to worse for the RSAF. Prime Minister to General Wavell February 2, 1942 I noticed that you have ordered the Tornado, which just arrived in Singapore, to fly to Palembang.At first glance, this new decision expresses disappointment in defending Singapore; please explain why. General Wavell to Prime Minister February 3, 1942 The decision to withdraw most of the fighters to Sumatra was made when Pierce and I visited Singapore on January 29.After the troops retreated into Singapore, three of the island's four airfields were exposed to enemy fire.The air raids on the airfield became more and more serious, and the bombers had to be withdrawn to safer bases in Sumatra.The loss of Malaya illustrated the vital importance of holding southern Sumatra and the need to maintain an airfield on Sumatra for offensive operations to reduce the scale of enemy bombing of Singapore.Defending these airfields with fighter jets is essential. Leaving the fighter jets at Singapore's exposed airfields would invite destruction within days.At the same time we are doing everything in our power to maintain the defense of the fighter jets by retaining a squadron at Karan airfield and using other airfields to refuel fighter jets taking off from Sumatra when the situation permits. I think the above deployment provides the best prospect for Singapore's air defense, showing that the defense of Singapore is determined and hopeful. Prime Minister to General Wavell February 4, 1942 1. It is very gratifying to know that you plan to refuel the Tornado fighter jets that take off from Sumatra, so as to maintain the fighter jets to defend Singapore. 2. But it is a serious disadvantage to waste so much flight time between Sumatra and Singapore that most of your fighters cannot intercept from their respective bases. 3. Although I understand the risk of exposure of aircraft based in Singapore, I still don't understand that while the Japanese army invaded Singapore, the Sumatra base would feel strongly about the need to defend it with fighter jets.Moreover, we would like to send about ninety additional Tornado fighters to you by the end of February on Athena and Intrepid.I therefore wish to take all the necessary risks in supporting Singapore with fighter jets. 4. It is difficult to understand why half of the fighters left on the island are bison-style?If quantity must be limited, it should of course be the best in terms of quality. On the morning of February 8, the patrol reported that enemy forces were concentrating on the plantations in the northwest of the island, and our positions were under heavy shelling.At 10:45 in the afternoon, the 22nd Australian Infantry Brigade, west of the Kelansi River, was attacked by the Japanese 5th and 18th Divisions.The climax of the attack came across the Strait of Johor by means of armored landing craft; it turned out that after a long and careful planning, they had already transported these ships from land to the launching site.The fighting was fierce, and many ships were sunk; but Australian forces were few on the ground, and enemy troops landed at many points.By the time the brigade was regrouped, the enemy had taken the village of Amarkon, where the many roads and byways of the surrounding area intersect.At 8 o'clock in the morning of the second day, they attacked Terenggan Airport.The obvious place where a line of attack could be organized was the relatively narrow isthmus between the upper Kelansi River and the upper Jurong River.The 22nd Australian Brigade and the 44th Indian Brigade were ordered to retreat to this position, supported by two battalions of soldiers from the headquarters reserve. The military report reads as follows: General Percival General Wavell February 9, 1942 The enemy made a strong landing on the west bank last night and has advanced five miles.Terengganu Airport fell into enemy hands.The Australian troops guarding this area suffered heavy casualties.The advance of the enemy has been temporarily halted by the use of the headquarters' reserves; but the situation is undoubtedly serious in view of the enormous length of the coast which our army must defend.Plans had been made to concentrate forces to cover Singapore if necessary. On the night of the 9th a new similar attack was made on the front of the 27th Australian Brigade's line between the Causeway and the Crane Temple. ｜A gap was opened between the Jurong River.Not only that, but the two brigades retreated from the west to this undefended front, overstepped it, and were hesitantly advancing and retreating. The enemy had already crossed this line.A brigade from the 11th Indian Division and a large force of three battalions from the British 18th Division were successively sent to retake positions on Gordon Bennett's line, but by the night of the 10th the Japanese had Approaching Bukit Jima Village, with the cooperation of tanks that night, a lot of progress was made. When the news came, I immediately called: Prime Minister to General Wavell February 10, 1942 I think you should know our view on the situation in Singapore.According to the report of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff to the cabinet, Percival has more than 100,000 people, including 33,000 British and 17,000 Australians.I doubt whether the Japanese army has so many people in the entire Malay Peninsula, that is, whether five divisions are already ahead and the sixth division is about to arrive.Under these circumstances, the defenders must have greatly outnumbered the Japanese troops who had crossed the strait, and they should fight hard to wipe out the enemy.At this stage, there must be no thought of protecting the army or protecting the population.This battle must be fought to the end at any cost.The Eighteenth Division has the opportunity to be famous in history. Commanders and senior officers should live and die with the troops.The honor of the British Empire and the British Army is here.I hope you will show no mercy for any form of weakness. The Russians fought so well, and the Americans were so tenacious in Luzon. The entire reputation of our country and our nation is also closely related to this battle.I look forward to dispatching each unit to fight hand-to-hand with the enemy and fight it out.I am sure that these words also express your own thoughts and feelings, and the reason why I say this is to share the burden with you. Wavell reported on his visit in a downbeat tone. General Wavell Prime Minister February 11, 1942 1. I stayed in Singapore for 24 hours and came back today.Got your telegram just before I left.I met with all the division commanders and the governor, and conveyed to them the policy indicated in the telegram.I left Percival a written instruction with the same content. 2. The battle to defend Singapore did not go well.The Japanese, with their customary infiltration tactics, were advancing farther west than they should have been.I have ordered Percival to counterattack with all the troops available on the line.Some armies are so demoralized that I don't see any that are high.In a place surrounded by water on all sides, there is a vast land facing water that needs to be defended, and the ground conditions are not good for defense.The main troubles, one is that the reinforcements lack sufficient training, and the other is that the Japanese have brave and skilled tactics and air supremacy, which aroused our army's sense of inferiority. 3. Everything possible is being done to inspire fighting spirit and optimism, but I cannot yet say that these efforts have been all successful so far.I have issued the most resolute order that no thought of surrender will be tolerated, and that all armies must continue to fight to the end. 4. I think that the number of troops that Percival can deploy may not be as large as you mentioned.I think he had no more than 60,000 to 70,000 at the most.But if his army can be mobilized to fight with full vigor and determination, he is sufficient to meet the enemy who lands. 5. One of the three airfields to the north is now in enemy hands, the other two are under fire and cannot be used any longer.Under the constant bombing, the remaining airports in the south of the island have been extremely limited in their usefulness. 6. When I came back from Singapore, I fell on the pier in the dark and broke two small bones in my back.The injuries are not serious, but they will need to be hospitalized for several days, and may be completely disabled within two or three weeks. February 11th was a day of melee across the board.A mixed force was drawn from the reserve army to fill the gap between the MacRitchie Reservoir and the Bukit Jimah Highway.The causeway near the enemy had been breached, and they could repair it as soon as our covering force had withdrawn.That night, the Japanese Guards Brigade crossed the Causeway and marched forward, approaching Yishun Village.The next day, the 12th, the Third Army was ordered to retreat to a circular position extending from the Bukit Jimah Highway to the two reservoirs held by the 53rd Division, and then extended to Paya Lebar Village and Karan.The fortress troops transferred from Cape Zhangyi shrunk behind this line.In the south of the Bukit Zhima Highway, fierce fighting took place on the 12th. The 22nd Australian Division still held its position south of the village of Bukit Jima, from which the enemy had been attacking for forty-eight hours without being able to divert them.They are now isolated and ordered to retreat to Tanglin.From here the 44th Indian Brigade and the 1st Malayan Brigade extended their front south. On the thirteenth, the Japanese army made little progress.The Malayan regiment stationed at the Pasir Panjang Mountains stubbornly repelled the Japanese 18th Division, which came after two hours of heavy artillery bombardment. On the 13th, the planned evacuation of 3,000 designated personnel from Kaido to Java began.Those ordered to evacuate included dignitaries, technicians, redundant staff officers, nurses, and others of particular value to the conduct of the war.He was accompanied by Rear Admiral Pulford and Rear Admiral Spooner, who commanded the Air Force and Navy from the fort.This is their last sea trip.A Japanese naval unit escorting the invading Sumatran army attacked them.Nearly all of the eighty or so small boats of various descriptions that set sail from Singapore that day and the next were sunk or captured by the enemy.The whereabouts of Pulford and Spooner were not known until after the war.On February 15, their ship was attacked by an enemy destroyer and driven to the beach of a small island.They landed with about forty-five persons in the same boat without hindrance. One of them, a young New Zealand officer, set off immediately in a native boat, and, after many perils, arrived safely in Batavia on the 27th of February.By then, Java itself was in disarray, but arrangements were made to send a plane to rescue those who survived.Unfortunately this effort failed.On the small island, this group of suffering people, now infected with malaria, lingered on, with less and less hope, but they were not disturbed by the enemy.Pulford and fourteen died before the end of March; Spooner and four died by April.Air Lieutenant Colonel Atkins, the senior surviving officer on May 14, realized that the end was near.He and seven others sailed to Sumatra in a local boat and surrendered to the Japanese, who then sent men to the island to take away the few remaining men who were later tortured in a prison camp in Singapore. The main battle on the 14th was fought on both sides of the Bukit Jimah Highway in the southern section, and our army was forced to retreat to what had become the last line of defense.The situation in Singapore at the moment is appalling.The laborers were dispersed, the water supply was on the verge of being cut off, and the military stores of food and ammunition were depleted as the warehouses fell into enemy hands.By this time, an organized plan of sabotage had begun.The artillery of the fixed fortifications and almost all field and anti-aircraft guns were destroyed, along with secret equipment and documents.All aviation gasoline and aerial bombs were burned or blown up. Regarding the destruction of the naval base, the situation is somewhat confusing.The order went down, the floating dock was sunk, the iron floating doors of the dry dock and the pumping machinery were destroyed, but there were still many items in the overall plan that were not completed. The Governor of the Straits Settlements reported to the Colonial Office that day: February 14, 1942 The commander reported to me that the city of Singapore is now under intense siege.There are now a million people within a three-mile radius.The water supply was severely disrupted and could hardly be maintained for more than twenty-four hours.The streets are full of dead people who cannot be buried.We are faced with the threat of water shortages, and as a result we are not immune to epidemics.I feel it is my duty to inform the Commander of this situation. The following telegram was sent back and forth between General Wavell and General Percival, but was not received in London at my request until some weeks later. General Wavell to General Percival February 13, 1942 You must fight to the end, as you are doing now.But after exhausting all possible human resources, some brave and resolute men had to escape in small boats, and traveled southward, through the islands, to Sumatra.Such small boats, if protected with sandbags and equipped with machine guns or small guns, such as two-pounders, can also play a role in defending the Sumatra sea surface. General Percival to General Wavell February 13, 1942 The enemy was now less than five thousand yards from the shore, and the whole city of Singapore was within range of his field guns.We are still in danger of running out of water and food.According to the opinions of the various commanders, the troops engaged in the battle were very tired, and could neither resist the stubborn attack nor launch a counter-offensive.We are eager for an opportunity to take the offensive, which is merely a posturing, but even this is impossible now, because there are no troops capable of carrying out such an offensive mission.Under these circumstances, resistance may not last for a day or two.My subordinate commanders agreed that it was not worth the candle to gain time and cause huge losses and heavy casualties in the city of Singapore.Because of the concerns of the overseas empires, I felt compelled to convey their opinion.There will be a point in the future when there is no point in continuing to shed blood in the interests of both the military and the civilian population.Your order of February 10 is being implemented, but under the above circumstances, please consider whether you can give me greater freedom of action? General Wavell to General Percival February 14, 1942 You must continue to inflict maximum losses on the enemy for as long as possible, engaging in street fighting when necessary.Your actions to contain the enemy, causing them casualties, may have significant ramifications in other theaters.Fully aware of your situation, but continuing to fight is necessary. At this time Wavell sent me the following telegram, which seems to be the conclusion. General Wavell to Prime Minister February 14, 1942 After receiving a call from Percival, the enemy army was approaching the city, and his troops could no longer counterattack.He had been ordered to continue inflicting maximum losses on the enemy, engaging in street fighting if necessary.I'm afraid the resistance won't last long. The reader will also recall my memorandum to the Chiefs of Staff of January 21 concerning the abandonment of the defense of Singapore and the diversion of reinforcements to Rangoon;At that time, we were all determined to fight it out in Singapore, and the only chance of success (in fact, the time we all hoped for) was to issue a stern order calling for a desperate fight to the end. General Wavell accepted these orders with assurances that, as can be seen from the telegram, he was exerting the utmost pressure on General Percival.Regardless of the misgivings of the supreme leader in command of the war situation, the generals in the field need not understand these, but should only accept simple and clear instructions. This is a principle that is always correct.But at this moment, there is indeed no hope for Singapore. If unnecessary sacrifices are demanded, there is no hope of victory, but instead, this densely populated, bewildered and panic-stricken city is plunged into the horror of street fighting. Incorrect.I communicated my opinion to General Brooke, who also felt that General Wavell should no longer be under domestic pressure, but should be empowered to make the inevitable decision; and I sent a telegram that we were jointly responsible for it . Prime Minister to General Wavell February 14, 1942 Once no further results can be obtained in Singapore, you are of course the sole decision maker and should spiritually instruct Percival accordingly.The Reich Chief of Staff agreed. The Commander-in-Chief then issued an order to General Percival, the full text of which is enclosed in his telegram to me: General Wavell to Prime Minister February 15, 1942 Two telegrams had been received from Percival in the last forty-eight hours, stating that his resistance was now much weakened by water shortages and other difficulties in the city.Both replies ordered him to fight to the end.I have now sent him the following telegram: General Wavell to General Percival February 15, 1942 You must fight on as long as you can inflict casualties and losses on the enemy, and as long as your troops are strong enough to support.Gaining time and inflicting losses on the enemy is extremely important at this critical juncture.When you have a clear idea and think that it is impossible to do this, I promise you to act accordingly and stop resisting.In taking this action, all weapons, equipment and means of transport useful to the enemy must, of course, be destroyed.A determined group or individual should be given the opportunity to escape by all possible means before the fighting is finally stopped.They must be armed.Hope to inform (your) intention.Regardless of the circumstances, I thank you and all troops for your heroic efforts in the last few days. Sunday, February 15th, was the day of surrender.The reserve of military rations is only enough for two or three days, there is not much ammunition left for guns and ammunition, and there is almost no gasoline for vehicles.Worst of all, the water supply will only last another twenty-four hours at most.The senior commander advised General Percival that he could either counterattack or surrender, the first of which was beyond the reach of an exhausted army.He decided to surrender, and sent his last tragic telegram to General Wavell. February 15, 1942 Water, gasoline, food and ammunition were all exhausted due to the losses suffered by the enemy attack.Therefore, the battle could no longer be continued.Soldiers at all levels have done their best and thank you for your support. The Japanese demanded unconditional surrender and finally got it.At 8.30 pm the hostilities were declared over. In this dark hour, it is comforting to hear from our greatest ally: President Roosevelt's Message to Former Navy Personnel February 19, 1942 I understand how the fall of Singapore will affect you and the British people.It would make for a proud day for the famous overseer in the back row, but our setbacks, no matter how serious, I would never underestimate them for a single moment, and we must always look forward to the next step necessary to strike the enemy.I hope you can rest easy during these difficult weeks, knowing that you have the confidence of the British people.I want you to know that I miss you often, and I also know that if there is anything you think I can do, you must tell me without hesitation.Eager to hear back.