Fall of Singapore
Singapore, Straits Settlements
What happened
British General Arthur Percival, commanding British, Indian, Australian and local troops, fought the Japanese army of General Tomoyuki Yamashita. Singapore was Britain's main military base in Southeast Asia, but the Japanese attacked from the land side, advancing down the Malay Peninsula on bicycles and in light tanks through jungle the British thought could not be crossed. The British blew up the causeway to Singapore island, but on 8 February 1942 the Japanese crossed the Johor Strait. With their defences stretched thin and the water supply threatened, the British surrendered on 15 February.
Why it matters
Result: Japanese victory Surrender of all Commonwealth forces in Singapore End of the Malayan Campaign Start of the Sook Ching massacre. Why it matters: Churchill called it the worst disaster in British military history. The defeat badly damaged British prestige in Asia.
What came next
Japan occupied Singapore, renaming it Syonan-to, until the end of the war. British rule returned on 12 September 1945.
Did you know?
Singapore marks Total Defence Day every year on 15 February, the anniversary of the surrender.
Timeline
- December 1941Japanese forces begin advancing down the Malay Peninsula.
- 8 February 1942Japanese troops cross the Johor Strait.
- 15 February 1942Percival surrenders Singapore.
- 12 September 1945The Japanese surrender in Singapore is signed.