When war struck in Malaya and Singapore, it took the population by surprise. Having been fed the inflated propaganda of British might and supremacy, no one had expected the war and even when the first bombs struck Singapore, many thought it was merely an air drill. The mood of complacency and the sense of false security resulted in inadequate preparations being made for the war. The British strategy and defence plan was based upon a sea-borne attack from the south of Singapore, where fortifications were placed and they depended heavily on the American fleets stationed at Pearl Harbour for the protection of their colonies in the East. So confident were the British that they did not see the need to protect the northern shores of Singapore or to train the local people to fight in case of an invasion. Civil defence was also neglected and this resulted in inadequate numbers of bomb shelters, thus resulting in a high casualty rate when the Japanese aerial strikes and bombing of Singapore began. To boost the confidence of the populace, the British' hyped-up' the invincibility of the Singapore Naval Base with the arrival in Singapore of the battleships, The Prince of Wales and The Repulse. The people did not realise that the naval base had no aircraft carriers or submarines.

The Japanese, on the other hand, had adequately prepared for the invasion. The Japanese soldiers were trained for jungle warfare, they had equipment which were well-suited to the terrain, such as bicycles and tanks. The Japanese knew that swift movement and mobility was essential for the success of their invasion. Furthermore, the Japanese realised the vulnerability of the British in the north, where there were inadequate defences; the British had wrongly thought that the Malayan jungle was impenetrable. The Japanese therefore decided to attack Northern Malaya, capturing vital airfields and continued their onslaught down the Malay Peninsula into Singapore.

The result is a foregone conclusion as history has proved the wisdom of the Japanese strategists. The fall of Singapore is the greatest military disaster in British history. While General Yamashita, conqueror of Malaya and Singapore became known as "The Tiger of Malaya", General Percival in his inadequacy had to live with the nickname "The Rabbit". In the following pages , you will read about the major battles in the attack of Malaya and Singapore and gain a greater understanding of the reasons for the British defeat and the Japanese victory. Click on the links below to view an interactive account of the Battle of Malaya and Singapore.