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The Battle of Malaya was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from December 8, 1941 to January 31, 1942 during the Second World War. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century Throughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation. The Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA was a Resistance movement in Japanese-occupied Malaya during World War II. The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore The British Indian Army III Corps was formed in Mesopotamia during the First World War. The 8th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, who were in turn part The Royal Malay Regiment ( Malay: Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja) is one of two Infantry Regiments in the Malaysian Army. For the First World War unit see British 18th (Eastern Division. The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, noted for its role in the Battle of Malaya and Battle of Singapore. The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family palaces and other imperial properties The was an Infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the. was an Infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the. The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, noted for its role in the Battle of Malaya and Battle of Singapore. Lieutenant General Arthur Ernest Percival CB, DSO and Bar, OBE, MC, OStJ, DL, (26 December 1887 General was a General of the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku For the British, Indian, Australian and Malayan forces defending the colony, the campaign was a disaster. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This article is not to be confused with the Unfederated Malay States.
Contents |
Background
Between the wars, Britain's military strategy in the Far East was undermined by a lack of attention and funding. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. The British government's plans relied primarily on the stationing of a strong fleet at the Singapore Naval Base in the event of any enemy hostility, both to defend Britain's Far Eastern possessions and the route to Australia. The Singapore Naval Base was a cornerstone of British Defence policy in the Far East between the Wars For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. However, the expected arrival time of the Royal Navy, should Malaya or Singapore be threatened, was extended from weeks to months, until finally, by the time war broke out in Europe in 1939, it was evident that no fleet was likely to be forthcoming. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century Singapore Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Once World War II commenced, Britain, the Middle East and the Soviet Union received higher priorities in the allocation of men and material. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The desired Malayan air force strength of 300 to 500 aircraft was never reached. An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service Whereas the Japanese invaded with over two hundred tanks, the British Army in Malaya did not have a single one. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical
The British had plans for a pre-emptive invasion of southern Thailand, named Operation Matador, to forestall Japanese landings, but decided not to use them. History records a number of operations named Matador The British in Malaya Operation Matador was a plan of the British Malaya Command to move
Japan invades
The Battle of Malaya began when the 25th Army invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941. The Japanese Invasion of Malaya, or Battle of Kota Bahru, began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, noted for its role in the Battle of Malaya and Battle of Singapore. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Japanese troops launched an amphibious assault on the northern coast of Malaya at Kota Bharu and started advancing down the eastern coast of Malaya. Kota Bharu ( Jawi:كوت بهارو a City in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. This was made in conjunction with landings at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand, where they then proceeded south overland across the Thailand-Malayan border to attack the western portion of Malaya. The Japanese Invasion of Thailand occurred on December 8, 1941. Pattani ( Thai ปัตตานี is one of the southern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand. Songkhla (สงขลา is a city ( Thesaban nakhon) in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Malaysia-Thailand border consist of both a land boundary across the Malay Peninsula and maritime boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of
The Japanese had already coerced the Thai government into letting them use Thai military bases to launch attacks into Malaya, after having fought Thai troops for eight hours early in the morning.
At 4:00 a. m, seventeen Imperial Japanese Navy bombers attacked Singapore, the first ever air raid aimed at the colony. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( Japanese:" 海軍航空本部 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu) was the air branch of the Imperial Japanese The first air raid on Singapore was an attack on 8 December 1941 by seventeen bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, flying from in Saigon in southern Vietnam It became evident that Japanese aircraft bombers operating in Saigon, were now in range of Singapore.
The Japanese were initially resisted by III Corps of the Indian Army and several British Army battalions. The British Indian Army III Corps was formed in Mesopotamia during the First World War. See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Japanese quickly isolated individual Indian units defending the coastline, before concentrating their forces to surround the defenders and force their surrender.
The Japanese forces held a slight advantage in numbers on the ground in northern Malaya, and were significantly superior in close air support, armour, co-ordination, tactics and experience, with the Japanese units having fought in China. General Officer Commanding ( GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth (and some other nations to a General officer who holds a command In Military tactics, close air support ( CAS) is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical Military tactics ( Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the The Allies had no tanks, which had put them at a severe disadvantage. The Japanese also used bicycle infantry and light tanks, which allowed swift movement of their forces overland through the terrain that was covered with thick tropical rainforest. Bicycle infantry are Infantry Soldiers who maneuver on the battlefield using Bicycles The term dates from the late 19th century when the " Safety Tank classification is a Taxonomy of identifying either the intended role or weight class of Tanks The classification by role was used primarily during Tropical rainforests are generally found near the Equator. They are common in Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central
A replacement for Operation Matador, named Operation Krohcol, was implemented on December 8, but the Indian troops were easily defeated by the Japanese 5th Division, which had already landed in Pattani Province, Thailand. Operation Krohcol, or the Battle for The Ledge, was a British operation in December 1941 to move into southern Thailand following the Japanese The was an Infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the. Pattani ( Thai ปัตตานี is one of the southern provinces ( changwat) of Thailand.
The naval Force Z, consisting of the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, together with four destroyers, and commanded by Admiral Tom Phillips had arrived right before the outbreak of hostilities. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were Naming The Admiralty ordered construction of two new ''King George V''-class Battleships on 29 July 1936 (the other became HMS ''King George V'') Service in World War I Repulse first saw action on 17 November 1917 at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Admiral Sir Thomas "Tom" Spencer Vaughan Phillips KCB ( February 19, 1888 &ndash December 10, 1941) had However, Japanese air superiority led to the sinking of the capital ships on December 10 1941, leaving the east coast of Malaya exposed and allowing the Japanese to continue their landings. The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V
Air war
The Allied fighter squadrons in Malaya, equipped with Brewster Buffaloes, were beset with numerous problems, including: poorly-built and ill-equipped planes;[3][4] inadequate supplies of spare parts;[4] inadequate numbers of support staff;[5] airfields that were difficult to defend against air attack;[3] lack of a clear and coherent command structure;[3] antagonism between RAF and Royal Australian Air Force squadrons and personnel,[5] and; inexperienced pilots lacking appropriate training. A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. [3] They suffered severe losses in the first week of the campaign, resulting in the ongoing merger of squadrons and their gradual evacuation to the Dutch East Indies. See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below
Several pilots of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL) stationed in Singapore did see action in Malaya before their withdrawal to Java on 18 January. The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta.
The remaining offensive aircraft were obsolete types — Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson light bombers and Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers — most of these aircraft were quickly destroyed by Japanese fighters in the air and on the ground, and played an insignificant part in the campaign. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of Military Bomber aircraft which was employed mainly before the 1950s Vildebeest redirects here You may be looking for Wildebeest. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Types The torpedo bomber first appeared during the later years of World War I. Nevertheless, one Blenheim pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on December 9. Squadron Leader Arthur Stewart King Scarf VC (14 June 1913 - 9 December 1941 was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since
In addition, recent research showed that the Japanese military intelligence service had managed to recruit a British officer, Captain Patrick Heenan, an Air Liaison Officer with the Indian Army. Military intelligence (abbreviated MI int Commonwealth, or intel Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan ( 29 July 1910 &ndash 13 February 1942) was a Captain in the British Indian Army who was convicted [6] While the effects of Heenan's actions are disputed, the Japanese were able to destroy almost every Allied aircraft in northern Malaya within three days. Heenan was arrested on December 10 and sent to Singapore. However, the Japanese had already achieved air superiority. Air superiority is the dominance in the Air power of one side's air forces over the other side's during a Military campaign.
Advance down the Malayan Peninsula
The defeat of Allied troops at Jitra by Japanese forces, supported by tanks moving south from Thailand on December 11, 1941 and the rapid advance of the Japanese inland from their Kota Bharu beachhead on the north-east coast of Malaya overwhelmed the northern defences. The Battle of Jitra was the first major engagement fought between the invading Japanese and British forces in Malaya Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Without any real naval presence, the British were unable to challenge Japanese naval operations off the Malayan coast, operations which proved invaluable to the invading army. With virtually no remaining Allied planes, the Japanese also had mastery of the skies, leaving the Allied ground troops and civilian population exposed to air attack.
The Malayan island of Penang was bombed daily by the Japanese and Thais from December 8 and abandoned on December 17. Penang (pəˈnæŋ Malay: Pulau Pinang) is a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Arms, boats, supplies and a working radio station were left in haste to the Japanese. The evacuation of Europeans from Penang, with local inhabitants being left to the mercy of the Japanese, caused much embarrassment for the British and alienated them from the local population. Several Malayan colonial soldiers stayed behind to join the Thais.
On December 23 Major-General David Murray-Lyon of the Indian 11th Infantry Division was removed from command to little effect. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Major-General David Murrey Murray-Lyon, DSO & Bar, MC, ( 14 August, 1890 - 4 February, 1975) was an officer By the end of the first week in January, the entire northern region of Malaya had been lost to the Japanese. At the same time, Thailand officially signed a Treaty of Friendship with Imperial Japan, which completed the formation of their loose military alliance. Thailand was then allowed by the Japanese to resume sovereignty over several sultanates in northern Malaya, thus consolidating their occupation. It did not take long for the Japanese army's next objective, the city of Kuala Lumpur, to fall. Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K The Japanese entered and occupied the city unopposed on January 11, 1942. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Singapore Island was now less than 200 miles away for the invading Japanese army.
The 11th Indian Division managed to delay the Japanese advance at Kampar for a few days, which was followed by the disastrous Slim River battle, in which two Indian brigades were practically annihilated. The Battle of Kampar was an engagement of World War II between the 11th Indian Division and the Japanese 5th Division. The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the Another Indian brigade would also suffer close annihilation at Muar.
Defence of Johore
 Royal Engineers preparing to blow up a bridge near Kuala Lumpur during the retreat. The Battle of Muar was the last major battle of the Malayan campaign. South East Asia whose strategic sea-lane position brought trade and foreign influences that fundamentally influenced its history Prehistoric Malaysia may be traced back as far as 60000 years ago from stone tools found at Kota Tampan, an archaeological site in Lenggong Perak Gangga Negara is believed to be a lost Hindu kingdom mentioned in the Malay Annals that covered present day Beruas, Dinding and Manjung Langkasuka (- langkha Sanskrit for "resplendent land" - sukkha of "bliss" was an ancient Hindu Malay kingdom located Pan Pan is a lost small Hindu Kingdom believed to have existed around 3rd-7th Century CE Srivijaya or Sriwijaya was an ancient Malay kingdom on the island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia which influenced much of the Malay Archipelago. The Sultanate of Kedah was the earliest Sultanate in the Malay Peninsula and arguably the earliest in Southeast Asia founded in year 1136 The Sultanate of Malacca was founded by Parameswara in 1402 and later married the princess of Pasai in 1409. For the province see Sulu. The Sultanate of Sulu was a Muslim State that ruled over many of the islands of the This article concerns the Sultanate of Johor For office of the sultan see Sultan of Johor. Jementah Civil War happened in 1879 in Jementah, Sultanate of Johor when Tengku Alam the heir of Sultan Ali of Muar refused to give the Portuguese Malacca was the territory of Malacca that for more than a century was a Portuguese colony. Dutch Malacca (1641 - 1824 was the longest period of Malacca under foreign control The Kingdom of Sarawak was a state established by Sir James Brooke in 1842 by gaining independence from the Sultanate of Brunei. British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century History The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 designed to solve many of the issues that had arisen due to the British occupation of Dutch properties during the Napoleonic Wars, as The Burney Treaty was a treaty signed between Siam and the British in 1826 The Straits Settlements were a collection of territories of the British East India Company in Southeast Asia, which were given collective administration in 1826 Larut War was a series of four wars started in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874. The Klang War or Selangor Civil War took place in the Malay state of Selangor and was fought between Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, the administrator The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between the British and the Sultan of Perak. This article is not to be confused with the Unfederated Malay States. This article should not be confused with the Federated Malay States. The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a Treaty between the United Kingdom and Thailand signed on March 10[[ The Battle of Penang occurred on 28 October 1914, during World War I. North Borneo was an independent state and British Protectorate under the sovereign British North Borneo Company from 1882-1946 and subsequently a Mat Salleh Rebellion was a series of major disturbances in North Borneo, now Malaysian state of Sabah, from 1894 to 1900 Throughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation. On January 23, 1942, the Parit Sulong Massacre was committed against Allied soldiers by members of the Imperial Guards Division The Battle of Muar was the last major battle of the Malayan campaign. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold Saiburi (SriBuri Thai: ไทรบุรี is the name for the Malay state of Kedah returned to Thailand when the Japanese occupied British The Battle of North Borneo was fought in June-August 1945 between Australian and Japanese forces in North Borneo (later known as Sabah) The Sandakan Death Marches were a series of forced marches from Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of more than 3600 Indonesian The Malayan Union was a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements excluding Singapore. The Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu was a federation of 11 states formed on January 31 1948 from the nine Malay states and the British The Malayan Emergency was a State of emergency declared by the British colonial government of Malaya in 1948 and lifted in 1960 as well as an insurrection and Bukit Kepong Incident was an armed encounter which took place on February 23, 1950 between the police and the Malayan Communists in pre-independence Hari Merdeka ( Independence Day) is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Operation Coldstore (sometimes spelled Operation Cold Store) was a security operation conducted by the Government of Singapore in February 1963 in which The Brunei Revolt broke out on December 8, 1962 and was led by Yassin Affandi and his armed rebels On 16 September 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya together with Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia The 1964 Race Riots were a series of Riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay The Communist Insurgency War, or Second Malayan Emergency was an Insurgency and guerrilla war, conducted by the Malayan Communist Party For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The May 13 Incident is a term for the Sino - Malay Race riots in Kuala Lumpur (then part of the state of Selangor For the Soviet New Economic Policy see New Economic Policy. The Malaysian New Economic Policy ( NEP or DEB for Dasar Operation Lalang ( Weeding Operation; also referred to as Ops Lalang) was carried out on October 27, 1987 by the Malaysian The 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis was a series of events that began with United Malays National Organisation (UMNO general election in 1987 and ended with the suspension The Asian Financial Crisis was a period of Financial crisis that gripped much of Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown ( The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps Kuala Lumpur (ˈkwɑːləlʊmˈpʊər Malay /kwɑlɑlʊmpʊ/ and locally /kwɑləlʊmpɔ/ or even /kɔlɔmpɔ/ or often abbreviated as K |
 Australian anti-tank gunners firing on Japanese tanks at Point-blank range on the Muar-Parit Sulong Road. In External ballistics, point-blank range is the distance between a Firearm and a target of a given size such that the bullet in flight is expected to strike the target |
 A display at the Malaysian National History Museum, showing the uniform worn by Japanese soldiers and a bicycle that they used. The National History Museum or Muzium Sejarah Nasional is the second national museum in Malaysia after Muzium Negara (National Museum |
By mid-January the Japanese had reached the southern Malayan state of Johore where, on 14 January, they encountered troops from the Australian 8th Division, commanded by Major-General Gordon Bennett, for the first time in the campaign. Johor (alt English spelling Johore, Jawi scriptجوهر is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. The 8th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, who were in turn part Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Lieutenant General Henry Gordon Bennett CB, CMG, DSO ( April 16, 1887 &ndash August 1, 1962) During engagements with the Australians, the Japanese experienced their first major tactical setback, due to the stubborn resistance put up by the Australians at Gemas. Gemas is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, just near the Negeri Sembilan- Johor state border The battle, centred around the Gemensah Bridge, proved costly for the Japanese, who suffered up to 600 casualties but the bridge itself, which had been demolished during the fighting, was repaired within six hours. Gemas is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, just near the Negeri Sembilan- Johor state border
As the Japanese attempted to outflank the Australians to the west of Gemas, one of the bloodiest battles of the campaign began on January 15 on the peninsula's West coast near the Muar River. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign The Muar River is a river which flows through the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor in Malaysia. Bennett allocated the weak 45th Indian Brigade (a new and half trained formation) to defend the river's South bank but the unit was outflanked by Japanese units landing from the sea and the Brigade was effectively destroyed with its commander, Brigadier H. C. Duncan, and all three of his battalion commanders killed. This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Brigadier General Herbert Cecil Duncan (19 August 1895 - 16 January 1942 commanded the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade during the Battle of Malaya.
Led by Australian Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson, the retreating Indian troops, supported by Australians, formed Muar Force and fought a desperate four day withdrawal, to allow remnants of the Commonwealth troops withdrawing from northern Malaya to avoid being cut off and to withdraw past the Japanese to safety. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies Charles Groves Wright Anderson VC, MC (12 February 1897 – 11 November 1988 was a South African born Australian recipient of the Victoria When Muar Force reached the bridge at Parit Sulong and found it to be firmly in enemy hands, Anderson, with mounting numbers of dead and wounded, ordered "every man for himself". Parit Sulong is a small village in Johor, Malaysia on the Simpang Kiri River 30 km east of Muar. Those that could took to the jungles, swamps and rubber plantations in search of their battalion headquarters at Yong Peng. Yong Peng (永平 is a town in Malaysia located in the southern state of Johor. The wounded were left to the mercy of the Japanese and all but two out of 135 were tortured and killed in the Parit Sulong Massacre. On January 23, 1942, the Parit Sulong Massacre was committed against Allied soldiers by members of the Imperial Guards Division Anderson was awarded a Victoria Cross for his fighting withdrawal. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since
On January 20, further Japanese landings took place at Endau, in spite of an air attack by Vildebeest bombers. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Endau is a small town in Malaysia. It lies on the northern tip of east Johor and the southern tip of Pahang. The final Commonwealth defensive line in Johore of Batu Pahat-Kluang-Mersing was now being attacked along its full length. Batu Pahat district lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian, and south of Segamat and the new Ledang district Kluang is a town and district located roughly in the middle of the state of Johor in Malaysia. Mersing is the name of a town and district in the northeast corner in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Unfortunately Percival had resisted the construction of fixed defences in Johore , as on the North shore of Singapore, dismissing them in the face of repeated requests to start construction from his Chief Engineer, Brigadier Ivan Simson, with the comment "Defences are bad for morale". Brigadier Ivan Simson (1890-1971 was the Chief Engineer in Malaya before its surrender to the Japanese in 1942
On January 27, 1942 Percival received permission from the commander of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, General Archibald Wavell, to order a retreat across the Johore Strait to the island of Singapore. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA Command, code name ABDACOM, was a short-lived supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC (5 May 1883 – 24 May The Straits of Johor (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Johor Strait, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach) is a Strait Singapore
Retreat to Singapore
On January 31 the last organised Allied forces left Malaya, and Allied engineers blew a hole, 70 feet (20 metres) wide, in the causeway that linked Johore and Singapore (a few stragglers would wade across over the next few days). Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes The Johor-Singapore Causeway (Tambak Johor is a 1056-metre Causeway that links the city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia across the Straits of Johor Johor (alt English spelling Johore, Jawi scriptجوهر is a state of Malaysia between 1°20"N and 2°35"N Japanese raiders and infiltrators, often disguised as Singaporean civilians, began to cross the Straits of Johor in inflatable boats soon afterwards. The Straits of Johor (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Johor Strait, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach) is a Strait
In less than two months, the Battle for Malaya had ended in comprehensive defeat for the Commonwealth forces and their retreat from the Malay Peninsula. The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (คาบสมุทรมลายู is a major Peninsula located in Southeast Nearly 50,000 Commonwealth troops had been captured or killed during the battle.
By the end of January, Patrick Heenan - British Indian Army Captain convicted of treason, after spying for Japan - had been court-martialled and sentenced to death. Patrick Heenan may refer to Patrick Edward William George Heenan, born 1960 author Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan, 1910-42 British Indian See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post- partition) army of the Republic of India. In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku [6] On February 13, five days after the invasion of Singapore Island, and with Japanese forces approaching the city centre, Heenan was taken by military police to the waterside and was hastily executed. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold His body was thrown into the sea.
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Altogether allied forces lost 7,500 killed, 10,000 wounded and about 120,000 captured for the entire Malayan Campaign
- ^ Smith, Colin (2006). The Japanese Invasion of Thailand occurred on December 8, 1941. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore History records a number of operations named Matador The British in Malaya Operation Matador was a plan of the British Malaya Command to move The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between Singapore Burning. Penguin Books, p. Penguin Books is a British Publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane. 547. ISBN 0-141-01036-3.
- ^ a b c d Squadron Leader W.J. Harper, 1946, "REPORT ON NO. 21 AND NO. 453 RAAF SQUADRONS" (UK Air Ministry), p. 1 (Source: UK Public Records Office, ref. AIR 20/5578; transcribed by Dan Ford for Warbird's Forum. ) Access date: September 8, 2007
- ^ a b Harper report, p.2
- ^ a b Harper report, p. 1-2
- ^ a b Peter Elphick, 2001, "Cover-ups and the Singapore Traitor Affair" Access date: March 5, 2007.
References
- Dixon, Norman F, On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, London, 1976
- Bose, Romen, "SECRETS OF THE BATTLEBOX:The Role and history of Britain's Command HQ during the Malayan Campaign", MArshall Cavendish, Singapore, 2005
- Burton, John (2006). Fortnight of Infamy: The Collapse of Allied Airpower West of Pearl Harbor. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 159114096X.
- Seki, Eiji. (2006). Mrs. Ferguson's Tea-Set, Japan and the Second World War: The Global Consequences Following Germany's Sinking of the SS Automedon in 1940. London: Global Oriental. Global Oriental is an independent trade publishing company in Dorset, United Kingdom. 10-ISBN 1-905-24628-5; 13- ISBN 978-1-905-24628-1 (cloth) [reprinted by University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 2007 -- previously announced as Sinking of the SS Automedon and the Role of the Japanese Navy: A New Interpretation. The University of Hawaii Press is a University press that is part of the University of Hawai{{okina}}i. ]
- Smyth, John George Smyth, Percival and the Tragedy of Singapore, MacDonald and Company, 1971
- Thompson, Peter, The Battle for Singapore, London, 2005, ISBN 0-7499-5068-4 (HB)
External links
- Campaign in Malaya on The Children (& Families) of the Far East Prisoners of War
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and the Second World War - the Far East
- Australia's War 1939-1945: Battle of Malaya
- Animated History of the Fall of Malaya and Singapore
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