Against the British in Malaya
The defeat of the British in Malaya (present-day Malaysia) and then Singapore
showed that even the British's fortress could fall in the hands of the Japanese.
Malaya
The main British defence line was in Kedah, one of the northern states on the west coast of Malaya. The well-trained and tough Japanese troops cut through this defence after 15 hours of heavy fighting and there were no anti-aircraft guns on the island to shoot down Japanese fighters.
At the Slim River battle, the British incurred heavy losses in Gukhas as well as their own men. From there, the British retreated to Johor, leaving the states empty to the Japanese.
Only at another place -- the airfield in Kuantan -- did real fighting
take place. There, the Japanese wiped out all the British troops and seized
the airfield.
At Johor, the Australian soldiers fought very bravely. Though the Japanese won in the end, their respect for the Australian soldiers made them put up a huge wooden cross as a mark of respect.
Reasons for Defeating British
The British had the misconception that tanks could not go through the
Jungle. In fact, the Japanese tanks had high mobility in the Jungle as
the Japanese were well trained in jungle warfare. Therefore there were
not enough anti-tank guns.
Coastal strength was also another contributing factor. Japanese often
make coastal landings in coastal streamers of motor boats. This enabled
the Japanese to be fast and to appear almost everywhere as well as to
attack the British troops from behind to cut off their retreat.
