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Was Singapore Really an "Impregnable Fortress"?Chapter 5 · Video 3 of 10

Was Singapore Really an "Impregnable Fortress"?

Was Singapore Really an "Impregnable Fortress"?

Japan wanted Singapore for Malaya's resources, for control of the Straits of Melaka, as a base for further attacks and as a boost to national pride. These notes explain three ways the British built Singapore up as an " ": a naval base, , and big guns and . However, the whole "Singapore " depended on a fleet from Britain that might never come, a flaw that tied the defence of Singapore to the defence of Malaya.

Why Japan Wanted Singapore

  • Resources: Malaya's tin and rubber would support Japan's industries and war production.
  • A shipping route: holding Singapore would give Japan control of the vital Straits of Melaka.
  • A base: Singapore's port and location made it ideal for attacks on the Dutch East Indies, and possibly Australia.
  • Pride: conquering Britain's stronghold would be a great boost to Japan's national pride.

The "Singapore Strategy"

A warship sitting in a huge floating dock at a naval base
A British warship in the floating dock at the Singapore naval base, 1941. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Strategy: a broad, long-term plan to reach a goal.
  • The problem: Britain was exhausted by World War I and its people did not want to keep spending on the military, so it could not keep a large army in Asia.
  • The plan: build a large, modern naval base in Singapore and, if war came, send a fleet from Britain to protect the empire.
  • Until then: Singapore would rely on its own defences while the fleet was on its way.

Was Singapore Really an "Impregnable Fortress"?

Way 1: The Naval Base
  1. PointOne way the British built up Singapore's defences was by building a large, modern naval base.
  2. EvidenceIn 1921 the British decided to build the base at Sembawang in northern Singapore. It opened in 1938, and by 1941 the base and its defences were complete.
  3. ElaborationSingapore was chosen for its location and its importance as a port. The base was where the fleet from Britain would be stationed if war came, which allowed Britain to plan to defend its eastern empire without keeping a large force there all the time.
  4. LinkHence, the naval base was the heart of the Singapore strategy, but it was only useful if the fleet actually came.
Way 2: The Airfields
  1. PointAnother way the British built up Singapore's defences was by building military airfields.
  2. EvidenceBy 1941 there were military airfields at Tengah, Sembawang and Seletar. Kallang Airport, opened in 1937 for ordinary flights, was used by the military when the Japanese invaded.
  3. ElaborationFighter planes based on the island could attack enemy ships and planes before they got close, adding air power to the naval defences.
  4. LinkThus, the airfields strengthened the fortress, but only if there were enough modern planes, and enough troops to guard them.
Way 3: Guns and Bunkers
  1. PointA third way the British built up Singapore's defences was with big coastal guns and underground bunkers.
  2. EvidenceGun positions faced attacks from the sea, and the biggest guns fired 15-inch shells. Bunkers were hidden all over the island; one of the biggest networks, the Battlebox, was at Fort Canning, the British headquarters.
  3. ElaborationTogether with the naval base, the airfields and Malaya's thick jungles, these defences made Singapore look so strong that an attack seemed hopeless.
  4. LinkTherefore, by the late 1930s many people believed Singapore was an impregnable fortress, a belief that hid how much it depended on the fleet.

The Flaw: Waiting for the Fleet

A huge coastal gun pointing up at the sky, with men standing beside it
One of Singapore's 15-inch coastal defence guns, 1941. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • 1921: the fleet would take 42 days to reach Singapore, with 20 ships.
  • 1938: it would take 70 days, with 8 ships.
  • 1939: when war broke out in Europe, it would take 180 days, and the number of ships was unknown.
  • The mistake: the plan assumed Europe would stay peaceful; once war came, Britain needed its ships at home.
  • The impact: Singapore would have to hold out alone for longer and longer, which made the defence of Malaya vital (Video 4).

Comparing Sources

  1. Understand the question, for example: was Singapore really a fortress?
  2. Identify the criterion for comparison: what both sources say about whether Singapore was a fortress.
  3. Make an inference from each source. A clerk in the 1930s saw "a lot of big guns"; a British official after the war said Singapore was not "fortified" in any way.
  4. Match the inferences: are the sources similar or different? Here, they disagree.

In One Sentence

  • Japan wanted Singapore for resources, a shipping route, a base and national pride, while the British built a naval base, airfields, and guns and bunkers, but their whole "Singapore strategy" depended on a fleet that might never come.

Think About It

  1. The "Singapore strategy" depended on a fleet arriving from Britain. What could go wrong with a plan like that?
  2. The fleet's journey grew from 42 days to 70, then 180, while the number of ships fell. What does this pattern tell you?
  3. A clerk thought the defences were "quite good", but a British official said Singapore was not "fortified" at all. Why might two people see the same defences so differently?