OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore /
When Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942, Churchill called it the “largest capitulation in British history.” Till today, the myth persists that this was due to the British forces’ being caught off-guard, with their guns facing the wrong direction—towards the sea. This book offers an alte...
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| Format: | text |
| Language: | eng |
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Singapore : Marshall Cavendish,
2011
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| _version_ | 1826472694238937088 |
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| author | Ong, Chit Chung, 1949-2008. 650641 |
| author_facet | Ong, Chit Chung, 1949-2008. 650641 |
| author_sort | Ong, Chit Chung, 1949-2008. 650641 |
| collection | OCEAN |
| description | When Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942, Churchill called it the “largest capitulation in British history.” Till today, the myth persists that this was due to the British forces’ being caught off-guard, with their guns facing the wrong direction—towards the sea. This book offers an alternative insight into why Malaya and Singapore were captured by the Japanese. The question of the landward defence of Singapore and Malaya was first raised as early as 1918, eventually taking the form of Operation Matador, the elaborate planning and preparations for which amply demonstrate that the British fully expected the Japanese to attack Singapore from the rear, and had formulated a plan to stop the Japanese at the Kra Isthmus. Yet, when the Japanese forces landed, they found Malaya and Singapore defended by an emasculated fleet, obsolescent aircraft, inadequate artillery and no tanks. The battle for Malaya and Singapore was lost even before the first shot was fired—in the corridors of power at Whitehall. Churchill’s half-hearted support for Operation Matador meant that Malaya was starved of the necessary reinforcements, and the commanders on the spot were expected to “make bricks without straw.” The question that remains: If implemented, might Operation Matador have stopped the Japanese?. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-05T17:22:13Z |
| format | text |
| id | KOHA-OAI-TEST:607225 |
| institution | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia - OCEAN |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-13T10:01:38Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Singapore : Marshall Cavendish, |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | KOHA-OAI-TEST:6072252025-02-28T08:25:23ZOPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / Ong, Chit Chung, 1949-2008. 650641 textSingapore : Marshall Cavendish,©20112011engWhen Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942, Churchill called it the “largest capitulation in British history.” Till today, the myth persists that this was due to the British forces’ being caught off-guard, with their guns facing the wrong direction—towards the sea. This book offers an alternative insight into why Malaya and Singapore were captured by the Japanese. The question of the landward defence of Singapore and Malaya was first raised as early as 1918, eventually taking the form of Operation Matador, the elaborate planning and preparations for which amply demonstrate that the British fully expected the Japanese to attack Singapore from the rear, and had formulated a plan to stop the Japanese at the Kra Isthmus. Yet, when the Japanese forces landed, they found Malaya and Singapore defended by an emasculated fleet, obsolescent aircraft, inadequate artillery and no tanks. The battle for Malaya and Singapore was lost even before the first shot was fired—in the corridors of power at Whitehall. Churchill’s half-hearted support for Operation Matador meant that Malaya was starved of the necessary reinforcements, and the commanders on the spot were expected to “make bricks without straw.” The question that remains: If implemented, might Operation Matador have stopped the Japanese?.Includes bibliographical references and index.List of Abbreviations; List of Maps; Foreword; Preface; Introduction -- 1. The Singapore Strategy -- 2. The Defence of Singapore -- 3. The Defence of Malaya -- 4. Forward Defence at the Kra Isthmus -- 5. The Rise of Matador -- 6. Matador: Reinforcements & Preparations -- 7. Matador: Authorization -- 8. Matador: To Be or Not To Be; Conclusion; Maps and Photographs.When Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942, Churchill called it the “largest capitulation in British history.” Till today, the myth persists that this was due to the British forces’ being caught off-guard, with their guns facing the wrong direction—towards the sea. This book offers an alternative insight into why Malaya and Singapore were captured by the Japanese. The question of the landward defence of Singapore and Malaya was first raised as early as 1918, eventually taking the form of Operation Matador, the elaborate planning and preparations for which amply demonstrate that the British fully expected the Japanese to attack Singapore from the rear, and had formulated a plan to stop the Japanese at the Kra Isthmus. Yet, when the Japanese forces landed, they found Malaya and Singapore defended by an emasculated fleet, obsolescent aircraft, inadequate artillery and no tanks. The battle for Malaya and Singapore was lost even before the first shot was fired—in the corridors of power at Whitehall. Churchill’s half-hearted support for Operation Matador meant that Malaya was starved of the necessary reinforcements, and the commanders on the spot were expected to “make bricks without straw.” The question that remains: If implemented, might Operation Matador have stopped the Japanese?.World War, 1939-1945World War, 1939-1945URN:ISBN:9789814328470 |
| spellingShingle | World War, 1939-1945 World War, 1939-1945 Ong, Chit Chung, 1949-2008. 650641 OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title | OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title_full | OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title_fullStr | OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title_full_unstemmed | OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title_short | OPERATION MATADOR : WORLD WAR II : Britain's Attempt to Foil the Japanese Invasion of Malaya and Singapore / |
| title_sort | operation matador world war ii britain s attempt to foil the japanese invasion of malaya and singapore |
| topic | World War, 1939-1945 World War, 1939-1945 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ongchitchung19492008650641 operationmatadorworldwariibritainsattempttofoilthejapaneseinvasionofmalayaandsingapore |