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Japan’s Invasion of the Malay Peninsula​

When did Japan declare war to the UK?

​Within hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese forces bombed Singapore. Emperor Hirohito declared war on both Great Britain and the United States following the surprise attacks. On December 8, 1941, Japanese fighter planes began bombing Singapore’s two air bases, Seletar and Tengah, along with the coast near the harbor. On the same day, the Imperial Japanese Army began their march through the treacherous Malayan jungle with their military troops to launch a sneak attack by land. The only thing that stood between Singapore and the surrounding Japanese troops was a group of Allied forces spread out too thin across the island.

The British Plan to Defend Singapore

Operation Matador was the British plan to destroy the invasion force before or during its landing. It was a strategy which hinged on the expectation that the Japanese would attack from the north. There was also an expectation that they would be able to foresee where the Japanese were going to land and be there before they could strike. However, Japanese troops had never proceeded as the plan expected, in which they chose a 10 mile stretch along the coastline as landing site in Malaya, and Operation Matador was never put into action.

The Conquest of the Malay

British Lieutenant General Percival and the other commanders stationed in Malaya could not come to a consensus on their next strategy. At the Battle of Jitra in Malaya, the Japanese soldiers were ordered not to take prisoners as it would slow their advance on Singapore. As a result, they indiscriminately captured and killed any Allied soldiers on sight, as well as the civilians, whether they pleaded to surrender or not. By December 17th, the Japanese seized Penang, on December 22nd, Taiping, and on January 7th, they went through the Slim River, eventually capturing Kuala Lumpar by January 11th. The Japanese finally crossed the Muar River on January 15th. After crossing the Muar River, they set their sights on Johor, the entry place of Singapore.

The Fall of Fortress Singapore

Picture
British Surrender on February 15th, 1942
The Allied troops in Singapore were unprepared for the speed and deception accomplished by Japan’s initial attack. The majority of the British soldiers there had never seen combat before and were unprepared for the overwhelming intensity of the Japanese style of fighting. The final battle began on February 11th. As General Yamashita chose a better military tactic than Lieutenant General Percival, the Japanese Imperial Army officially conquered Singapore and the surrounding Malaya countries on February 15th, 1942. When the British surrendered, Japan renamed Singapore to Syonan-to, meaning "Light of the South."

The Dalforce

Picture
Dalforce in WWII (image by britishempire.co)
One group of civilians in Singapore organized 4,000 volunteer guerrilla fighters to counter the Japanese invasion. This volunteer guerrilla force was referred to by British command as Dalforce, after its chief instructor and commanding officer, John Dalley. Formed on December 25th, 1941, the group fought ferociously, despite being ill-equipped for battle. Their ferocity earned them the nickname Dalley's Desperadoes, and they aided the Allied front by patrolling mangrove swamps, where enemy landings were often made.

Related Book

Book cover of Fall of Singapore
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Fall of Singapore: 
The Undefeatable British Fortress Conquered

The fall of Singapore is the greatest defeat of the British empire in the Pacific.
​On February 15, 1942, the British surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army and handed over Singapore and surrounding Malaya countries. The conflict began on December 8, 1941 when Japanese forces bombed Singapore and continued to make their way through the treacherous Malayan jungle. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated during the attack, “the worst disaster and the largest capitulation in British history”. Singaporeans were immediately ordered to come in for questioning after the Imperial Japanese Army took over. During the interview, their homes were looted and destroyed by the Kempeitai, the secret Japanese police. 
During the occupation, there were many tragedies. An example is the Sook Ching Massacre. Sook Ching Massacre, literally meaning “purge through cleansing”, began on February 21, 1942. The mass murder of Singapore residents ages 18 to 50, was targeted at eradicating anti-Japanese sentiments. Victims of the massacre were either Chinese, suspected of being pro-Chinese, anti-Japanese, or Communist. Men and women were questioned and if found guilty, they were taken to one of Singapore’s beaches and murdered. The death toll shows less than 5,000 according to the official Japanese record, while Singaporean officials claim the number of victims was at least 50,000.​

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​Sook Ching Massacre

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  • Home
    • About >
      • FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
    • 5-Year Visionary Plan >
      • Research
      • Inspire
      • Publication
      • Engage
    • Support Us >
      • Giving Tuesday
      • Buy Us a Coffee
      • Projects you can support! >
        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
    • Contact
  • Stories
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
  • Internship
    • 2021 Summer Internship
    • Fall 2020- Spring 2021 Internship
    • Summer 2020 Internship
    • Fall 2019 Internship
    • Summer 2019 Internship >
      • Public History Night
    • School Year 2018-2019 Internship
    • Summer 2018 Internship >
      • 2018 Summer Showcase + Fundraiser
    • Fall 2017 Internship
    • Summer 2017 Internship >
      • 2017 Summer Showcase & Fundraiser
  • Books
  • Archives
  • Resource Page
    • Supplementary Research Guides >
      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute