Remember Pearl Harbor
As I read accounts of combat during WWII....I am always amazed at the gallantry of the ordinary Man....and how once caught up in the action...how ordinary Men do such Extraordinary feats.
One RAAF Hudson, flown by Flight Lieutenant John Leighton-Jones, crashed into a fully laden landing craft after being hit while strafing the beachhead, killing some 60 Japanese soldiers onboard.
... There are several graves of survivors of HMS PoW and Repulse at
Kranji war cemetary on Singapore island - Other survivors were to suffer
years as pow's of the Japanese.
Kranji war cemetary on Singapore island - Other survivors were to suffer
years as pow's of the Japanese.
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SASless, I can only agree with your comments about the common man. If you’re looking for inspiration, look no further than the men of Torpedo 8, the crews of the eight USN Avengers who quite probably changed the course of the Pacific war – and who all died, with the single exception of Ensign Gay, who survived the battle of Midway hiding under his uninflated liferaft in among the Japanese fleet - hiding, as the Japanese had a very different way of dealing with captured aircrew than the allied navies did.
The Japanese admiral, in awe of the way they pressed home their attack, called the American crews of those eight Avengers ‘true samurai’ – not an accolade handed out lightly by a Japanese military man. Their attack, futile (and suicidal) as it was, (not one of them scored a hit on any Japanese carrier or capital ship), a bit like the Greece/Crete campaigns, had a huge effect upon the course of the war: in the Torpedo 8 case, they sucked the Zeros providing top cover to the fleet down to low level – a huge display of lack of discipline by the Japanese pilots, who couldn’t resist the easy pickings of the torpedo bombers. This left the skies clear for the USN dive bombers who just happened along minutes later and whose bombs wreaked havoc on the decks of the Japanese carriers, completely reversing the balance of naval power in the Pacific in four minutes.
The Greece/Crete campaign, which has been mentioned already in this thread, another ill-conceived, Churchill-inspired disaster of truly epic proportions, had similar consequences that truly changed the outcome of the war. It was a disaster for the British – something almost everyone even remotely involved in it knew it would be from the start, but, (not appreciated at the time by the British), it turned out to be an even bigger disaster for the Germans – and incredibly, almost certainly moreso than it would have been had they lost the battle for Crete.
To quote Peter Thompson, from p 433 of his book ‘ANZAC Fury – the bloody battle of Crete 1941’, ISBN9781741669206 (a good read):
If the Germans had decided to call off their attack on Crete at the end of the utterly disastrous first day of the attack – (as they very nearly did, but did not because of a huge tactical error by a NZ colonel in withdrawing his victorious troops from Maleme) – they would not have thrown away the vast majority of the Ju-52 force (which was largely destroyed in landing backup forces over the next few days) nor committed the balance of the paratroopers, who were virtually destroyed by the defenders of Crete over the next week.
Had it not been for Crete, Malta would almost certainly been attacked by the German glider force and paratroopers, and had Malta fallen, it would have changed the course of the war in North Africa. Egypt and the Suez Canal, and possibly Iraq and Iran, would have fallen to the Germans, and who knows what effect that would have had on the outcome, or at the very least the duration, of the war? Needless to say, even the most unimaginative observer could see that the outcome in Russia in 1941 might have been very, very different if the Germans had been able to start Barbarossa on May 15th, as they had planned to do.
The Japanese admiral, in awe of the way they pressed home their attack, called the American crews of those eight Avengers ‘true samurai’ – not an accolade handed out lightly by a Japanese military man. Their attack, futile (and suicidal) as it was, (not one of them scored a hit on any Japanese carrier or capital ship), a bit like the Greece/Crete campaigns, had a huge effect upon the course of the war: in the Torpedo 8 case, they sucked the Zeros providing top cover to the fleet down to low level – a huge display of lack of discipline by the Japanese pilots, who couldn’t resist the easy pickings of the torpedo bombers. This left the skies clear for the USN dive bombers who just happened along minutes later and whose bombs wreaked havoc on the decks of the Japanese carriers, completely reversing the balance of naval power in the Pacific in four minutes.
The Greece/Crete campaign, which has been mentioned already in this thread, another ill-conceived, Churchill-inspired disaster of truly epic proportions, had similar consequences that truly changed the outcome of the war. It was a disaster for the British – something almost everyone even remotely involved in it knew it would be from the start, but, (not appreciated at the time by the British), it turned out to be an even bigger disaster for the Germans – and incredibly, almost certainly moreso than it would have been had they lost the battle for Crete.
To quote Peter Thompson, from p 433 of his book ‘ANZAC Fury – the bloody battle of Crete 1941’, ISBN9781741669206 (a good read):
Before committing suicide in his Berlin bunker on 30 April (1945), he (Hitler) commented on the Cretan debacle. ‘The Italians had the courage to launch themselves into the useless campaign against Greece without asking for advice and without even warning us,’ he wrote. ‘We were forced, against all our plans, to intervene in the Balkans, delaying in a catastrophic way our attack on Russia. If the war had been conducted only by Germany and not by the Axis we would have been able to attack Russia by 15 May 1941.’
Had it not been for Crete, Malta would almost certainly been attacked by the German glider force and paratroopers, and had Malta fallen, it would have changed the course of the war in North Africa. Egypt and the Suez Canal, and possibly Iraq and Iran, would have fallen to the Germans, and who knows what effect that would have had on the outcome, or at the very least the duration, of the war? Needless to say, even the most unimaginative observer could see that the outcome in Russia in 1941 might have been very, very different if the Germans had been able to start Barbarossa on May 15th, as they had planned to do.
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I'll repeat my usual mantra, "war is won by the one that makes the least/ smallest amount of f#$k ups".
There are so many things in WW11 that could have gone the other way if only. I'm pretty sure Hitler from a tactical view point would have been the toast of many an allied general. And cursed by some of his own
There are so many things in WW11 that could have gone the other way if only. I'm pretty sure Hitler from a tactical view point would have been the toast of many an allied general. And cursed by some of his own
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I was watching a program on Hitler and the Nazis a few weeks agao and it said that exact thing about Hitler and many of his generals wished that he would stay out of the fighting side of things, as well as coming up with grandiose ideas that were militarily stupid.
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Originally Posted by Brian
The Australian government was pressing Churchill to send the ships
What we ended up with was a Prime Minister that chose his favourite, most modern battleship and decided that would fill the role along with the old and perhaps outdated HMS Repulse which had joined the fleet back in 1916!!
Admiral Cunningham criticised Phillips but this Admiral was serving in the Mediterranean and had at his command at least three battleships, 2 Cruiser squadrons with at least three cruisers per squadron, four Destroyer flotillas and also at least one aircraft carrier. It is easy to be critical from a position of strength and when told of his mission Admiral Phillips had very respectfully pointed out that his force was far too small to attempt the task that was demanded of him!! One modern battleship, one relic of a battle cruiser and four destroyers to take on the might of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force was never going to work...
More to the point and I feel VERY RELEVANT is the fact that HMS Prince of Wales was completed and joined the fleet on I believe the 31st MARCH 1941
This is all but April and on the 22nd May of that year she was swapping lead with both the Prince Eugen and the Bismark. Unfortunately within minutes this new ship with her new and untested crew were steaming through the wreckage that was once HMS Hood..
Following a very rapid refit\repair she was tasked with taking Churchill across the Atlantic to meet with President Roosevelt (could this be when Churchill was taken in by the power of this fine ship?)
On returning from the United States in August 1941 this ship was then deployed to the Mediterranean Fleet (yup another battleship goes to Admiral Cunningham)
She arrived in September 1941,
Escorted one convoy from Gibralter to Malta and was immediately back in the thick of the action and was responsible for the shooting down of several Italian bombers. Then it was back to Scapa Flow scotland where she arrived on the 6th October 1941
She then deployed for the Far East on the 25th October 1941
She arrived in Singapore on the 2nd December and at the commencement of hostilities with Japan she set sail on I believe the 8th December 1941
and sadly she met her end on the 10th December 1941 She had been in commission for less than 10 months and I doubt if her service commitments were anything other than routine apart from perhaps that big Home fleet capital ships that seemed to be a part of the scenery at Scapa Flow!!
!!!!! Very much a tongue in cheek comment as most ships were detached on a regular basis to other duties including the awful Russian convoy duty. The reason I have highlighted all this is to very respectfully point out just how busy that ship was and my major point is the lack of time the crew had for training to anything like an acceptable level. Yes her gun crews managed to score hits on the Bismark and yes they managed to shoot down some aircraft but where in that schedule did they have the time to do a thorough 'work-up'? Where each man and boy learned their trade and got that thorough working knowledge of what to do when in any type of emergency? Remember how the board of Inquiry criticised the standard of training this ship had received and hopefully this resume will clarify the situation in a more balanced manner?
It would be naive to suggest they could carry out this very thorough type of training whilst deployed and yes all ships companies will always be carrying out drills but what we have to accept is that in war time as soon as a warship deploys they are either the hunter or the hunted. Sleep or at best rest is a commodity that is way down the priorities of ship's survival. the crew will always work what we term as a defence watch scheme which is normally six hours work, six hours rest. BUT...... The instant the threat level rises be it a suspect U-boat, air or surface incident then the whole crew goes to their action stations and remain there until such time as the threat is over.
Six hours of rest sounds more than ample and indeed it would be BUT.... (here we go again) During that six hour break we have to have the proverbial s**t, shower, shave and shampoo
Then we need to be fed, and then.... we have to carry out any other duties we have that are separate from defence watch duties. Then and only then can you dive into your bunk or hammock and yes you will probably be fully clothed. What usually then happens is the instant your head hits the pillow that horrible alarm will sound and that will be the end of you 'rest period'Apologies for that detailed ramble but as you can see a life on the ocean waves may not be the cushy number some folks try to pretend it is. Incidentally the captain will have even less sleep than the crew and again during war-time it would be VERY RARE for that officer to go his cabin whilst the ship is at sea!!
Just for TankerTrashNav click
This is a work of fiction but by crikey it is a very good read click here and my thoughts are that it lets folks know the tresses and strains that folks had to endure in the King's Navy
I did smile when I read the comments of Fodplod in his excellent post. I was thinking of posting the example of Gloworm but felt I had waffled on for far too long.
It is so very easy to offer alternatives, or the 'easy way out' but being thick skinned, callous and perhaps even realistic then I will very respectfully suggest that:
Originally Posted by 500N
Would it not be better in some instances to tactically withdraw and consolidate your defenses where best used ?
That ethos goes against the history and traditions of what is the Royal Navy. (Should I have said 'was'
) I am certain what you say makes very sound, solid sense, but if the commanding officer, or flag officer in command of a battle group were to turn away from the enemy then they will have to be prepared for at the very least a Board of inquiry, or even a Court Martial and the point of a sword staring at you is not a very nice sight!! It would at the very least mean the end of their career.
Tradition\folklore had it that the last few feet of the main mast on our warships were made of wood just in case the hailyards got shot away, this was to allow a crew member to hammer a few nails through the ship's Battle Ensign to keep the thing flying high and proud.
I am guessing the nearest safe haven for that Battle Group would have been either Australia or South Africa. This admiral had orders to harass the Japanese in a specific area and running away for no reason would definitely have been a career ending move and one that was NOT an option. Remember we are talking with the benefit of hind sight and what is being suggested is this group runs away BEFORE being attacked by aircraft and before the fall of Singapore!! That is something that would NEVER have even been considered at that stage of the operation.
If an admiral were to assess any battle on a cost of lives\ships basis then what about the evacuation of Dunkirk! It does not need much thought to realise that very soon Great Britain would be under siege, Germany would try to put our nation under siege. We would undoubtedly need to keep our shipping lanes open just to survive. was Dunkirk worth the loss of six destroyers and a further nineteen badly damaged? Could the Admiralty have left the defence of the beaches down to both the Army and the RAF? Would those ships have been better deployed hunting down U-boats or defending the much needed convoys?
Another example of this 'never surrender' type attitude would I guess be HMS Amethyst. Under heavy fire. Am aground. Large number of casualtiesThis action was carried out by the British Naval Attache to China who had taken over command of Amethyst following the killing of her commanding officer.
We all sometimes laugh about how differing services or nations tend to allocate medals but on this occasion even the ship's cat got decorated!
I am still chuntering to myself at the very thought of showing my stern to the enemy 
Great posts and this time I make no apologies for going off topic as I am enjoying reading all these excellent contributions. Regarding Singapore and the very nice post by pasir would I be correct when I respectfully suggest that the poorly trained British troops were not prepared for the ferocious style of fighting they had to endure at the hands of the Japanese? too much sport, too many G & T's and NOT enough jungle training was not the best of preparation to take on an enemy that did not want to take prisoners and believed in fighting to the death
One US President for darn sure....LBJ! (Very loud sounds of spitting heard!)
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Greece & Crete
Part of a lecture my grandfather, Bernard Newman gave to the Empire Club of Canada in 1942.
I remember about a year ago meeting two New Zealand soldiers. I met many of them in London, but I found these two men rather down in the mouth. It surprised me immensely. I had always held, and I have not the slightest doubt the old soldiers here will agree with me, that New Zealanders are among the finest soldiers in the world. But these two fellows were definitely down. I began to talk with them. One said, "You don't expect us to feel very cheery, do you? We have been through two disasters. We were in Greece when they knocked Greece out, and then we were in Crete and they bundled us out of there. You don't expect us to be very cocky, surely."
They were very surprised when I refused to accept the description of the campaigns in Greece and Crete as disasters. They were even more surprised when I suggested that the historians in a hundred years time might look on Greece and Crete as victories for the Allied Force. Obviously they were thinking I had gone crackers. I got a map and began to show them what I meant. Hitler marched into the Balkans. (When I say Hitler, of course he wasn't there. I use Hitler as a general term for the whole of the German war machine-just as we use the devil as a general term to include everything evil.) There was Hitler. He went into the Balkans. What for? Certainly not for what he could get out of the Balkans. He could get all that without fighting. No, very obviously, his objective was a swoop to the southeast for oil-the thing that lures him on.
Now, how was he to get to the Near East? One way was by Egypt. Well, that didn't look very promising. Another way was across Turkey. That didn't look very promising either. As some of us found to our cost in the last war, the Turks have a tough country and they are mighty tough fighters. But there was another possibility, and it all depended on rapid timing-conquering Greece quickly, then seizing Crete quickly, then Cyprus, then Syria; and if he could do all these things quickly, then the way would be open to the oil fields of Irak.
Then the timing went wrong in Irak. The balloon went up a bit too soon. If Raschid Ali had seized power in Irak a few weeks later the situation might have been very, very dangerous. He was just a bit too previous. The timing went wrong; while Hitler was attacking Greece, British reinforcements were on their way to Iraq, and while British and Imperial troops were gaining a very valuable fortnight in Greece, British reinforcements arrived in Irak; and while British troops were gaining another fortnight in Crete, the British Army was establishing control of Irak. So you see, control of Irak was established, not in Irak itself, but through the gallant resistance in Greece and Crete.
And now the New Zealanders were smiling again. They saw that they had done something. They had lost territory, but they had gained time, which was just as essential. They knew the value of Irak. They knew what oil meant in a war like this. Even if Hitler had broken through to the Near East, it is not likely that he would get much oil. I don't think he will get much if he ever arrives there. I take it there will be a couple of men and a box of matches somewhere handy to the oil wells.
But once the Germans or their puppets were in control in Irak, the way would be open to the occupation of Syria. It was a very dangerous moment and it was just in time that we got into Syria. The German move to the Near East was blocked-by the resistance in Greece and Crete-six weeks altogether. Six weeks of time gained by those campaigns in the spring of last year.
You remember the next move-Hitler invaded Russia. He attacked Russia-and if it hadn't been for the campaigns in Greece and Crete he would have attacked Russia six weeks earlier. Naturally, by the end of the tremendous summer and fall campaigns the Russians were tremendously strained; then the winter came, when they were better prepared and were able to turn the tide; but not even the Russians themselves would be able to say what the conditions might have been had Hitler had another six weeks of summer on which to operate on Russian soil.
Those two disasters of Greece and Crete, it may turn out, were the real turning point of the whole war.
How Goes The War?: The Empire Club Addresses
I remember about a year ago meeting two New Zealand soldiers. I met many of them in London, but I found these two men rather down in the mouth. It surprised me immensely. I had always held, and I have not the slightest doubt the old soldiers here will agree with me, that New Zealanders are among the finest soldiers in the world. But these two fellows were definitely down. I began to talk with them. One said, "You don't expect us to feel very cheery, do you? We have been through two disasters. We were in Greece when they knocked Greece out, and then we were in Crete and they bundled us out of there. You don't expect us to be very cocky, surely."
They were very surprised when I refused to accept the description of the campaigns in Greece and Crete as disasters. They were even more surprised when I suggested that the historians in a hundred years time might look on Greece and Crete as victories for the Allied Force. Obviously they were thinking I had gone crackers. I got a map and began to show them what I meant. Hitler marched into the Balkans. (When I say Hitler, of course he wasn't there. I use Hitler as a general term for the whole of the German war machine-just as we use the devil as a general term to include everything evil.) There was Hitler. He went into the Balkans. What for? Certainly not for what he could get out of the Balkans. He could get all that without fighting. No, very obviously, his objective was a swoop to the southeast for oil-the thing that lures him on.
Now, how was he to get to the Near East? One way was by Egypt. Well, that didn't look very promising. Another way was across Turkey. That didn't look very promising either. As some of us found to our cost in the last war, the Turks have a tough country and they are mighty tough fighters. But there was another possibility, and it all depended on rapid timing-conquering Greece quickly, then seizing Crete quickly, then Cyprus, then Syria; and if he could do all these things quickly, then the way would be open to the oil fields of Irak.
Then the timing went wrong in Irak. The balloon went up a bit too soon. If Raschid Ali had seized power in Irak a few weeks later the situation might have been very, very dangerous. He was just a bit too previous. The timing went wrong; while Hitler was attacking Greece, British reinforcements were on their way to Iraq, and while British and Imperial troops were gaining a very valuable fortnight in Greece, British reinforcements arrived in Irak; and while British troops were gaining another fortnight in Crete, the British Army was establishing control of Irak. So you see, control of Irak was established, not in Irak itself, but through the gallant resistance in Greece and Crete.
And now the New Zealanders were smiling again. They saw that they had done something. They had lost territory, but they had gained time, which was just as essential. They knew the value of Irak. They knew what oil meant in a war like this. Even if Hitler had broken through to the Near East, it is not likely that he would get much oil. I don't think he will get much if he ever arrives there. I take it there will be a couple of men and a box of matches somewhere handy to the oil wells.
But once the Germans or their puppets were in control in Irak, the way would be open to the occupation of Syria. It was a very dangerous moment and it was just in time that we got into Syria. The German move to the Near East was blocked-by the resistance in Greece and Crete-six weeks altogether. Six weeks of time gained by those campaigns in the spring of last year.
You remember the next move-Hitler invaded Russia. He attacked Russia-and if it hadn't been for the campaigns in Greece and Crete he would have attacked Russia six weeks earlier. Naturally, by the end of the tremendous summer and fall campaigns the Russians were tremendously strained; then the winter came, when they were better prepared and were able to turn the tide; but not even the Russians themselves would be able to say what the conditions might have been had Hitler had another six weeks of summer on which to operate on Russian soil.
Those two disasters of Greece and Crete, it may turn out, were the real turning point of the whole war.
How Goes The War?: The Empire Club Addresses
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He attacked Russia-and if it hadn't been for the campaigns in Greece and Crete he would have attacked Russia six weeks earlier.
The effects of Pearl Harbour were wide-ranging in December 1941, including indicating to the Soviet Union that a Japanese attack on Siberia was unlikely.
I can't imagine that invading Russia six weeks earlier would have made much difference to the outcome. Moscow might have fallen (though capturing a city that size would have been even harder than Stalingrad was a year later), but the loss of the city wouldn't have meant the end of Russian resistance. Even at their greatest extent of their advance into Russia, the Wehrmacht had penetrated barely one-seventh of the way across Russia, and that was one spearhead, not a uniform front.
The Thousand Year Reich was doomed as soon as Barbarossa was launched, because the whole premise was wrong. As Hitler had said in the run-up to it:
We have only to kick in the front door and the whole rotten Russian edifice will come tumbling down
Yet the Soviet Union held together just fine, and (despite some impressive early successes) the Germans and their allies were drawn into a duel with the Red Army which they could never win.
The Thousand Year Reich was doomed as soon as Barbarossa was launched, because the whole premise was wrong. As Hitler had said in the run-up to it:
We have only to kick in the front door and the whole rotten Russian edifice will come tumbling down
Yet the Soviet Union held together just fine, and (despite some impressive early successes) the Germans and their allies were drawn into a duel with the Red Army which they could never win.
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Admiral Phillips was in an impossible situation. No-one thought the Japanese would strike so soon (certainly not the Americans........) and so what were the UK Govt to do?
To send troops to the (quiet) Far East while we were still under threat of invasion and just hanging on in N Africa??? Send aircraft when we needed every fighter and strike aircraft in NW Europe and the Med???
What good would it do to hold Singapore if the Germans captured Egypt??
So Churchill sent a couple of Battleships - by that stage it was clear that the chances of a major fleet action in the West were close to zero. We'd sunk the Bismark and the Tirpitz would have faced even larger forces - so we could spare a couple of ships to "show the flag".
There was no poiont in sending them in secret - they were meant to be a visible deterrent. And you can't hide them when they have to enter civilian ports at peace.
Once the balloon went up they were in serious trouble - no doubt Phillips knew what had happened to the navy in Norway, Greece and Crete -without aircover you were a sitting duck but what could he do? Everyone knew the administration in Malaya was worse than useless - if he saved his ships the Japanese would get ashore and the game would be up & the Navy would have done nothing.
there was a small chance that he might catch the invasion fleet and do it sufficient damage to allow the Army a chance of defending Malaya - the alternative was to basically set sail for Perth on 7th December. No option really.
To send troops to the (quiet) Far East while we were still under threat of invasion and just hanging on in N Africa??? Send aircraft when we needed every fighter and strike aircraft in NW Europe and the Med???
What good would it do to hold Singapore if the Germans captured Egypt??
So Churchill sent a couple of Battleships - by that stage it was clear that the chances of a major fleet action in the West were close to zero. We'd sunk the Bismark and the Tirpitz would have faced even larger forces - so we could spare a couple of ships to "show the flag".
There was no poiont in sending them in secret - they were meant to be a visible deterrent. And you can't hide them when they have to enter civilian ports at peace.
Once the balloon went up they were in serious trouble - no doubt Phillips knew what had happened to the navy in Norway, Greece and Crete -without aircover you were a sitting duck but what could he do? Everyone knew the administration in Malaya was worse than useless - if he saved his ships the Japanese would get ashore and the game would be up & the Navy would have done nothing.
there was a small chance that he might catch the invasion fleet and do it sufficient damage to allow the Army a chance of defending Malaya - the alternative was to basically set sail for Perth on 7th December. No option really.
Notwithstanding any of that, please remember this thread was started to remember the events of 8 December 1941, and all that flowed from that act.
The day that will live in infamy.
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...The date that Japan commenced hostilities in SE Asia and the Pacific
in WW2 depends on which side of the international date line events were
experienced. For the British Japan invaded Malaya soon after midnight - in the early hours of December 8th. - within an hour or two of their
attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7th.
I am not absolutely certain but seem to have read somewhere that
Malaya or Singapore was attacked 'prior' to the Pearl Harbour attack - but I leave it to greater knowledge to clarify that aspect.
...
in WW2 depends on which side of the international date line events were
experienced. For the British Japan invaded Malaya soon after midnight - in the early hours of December 8th. - within an hour or two of their
attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7th.
I am not absolutely certain but seem to have read somewhere that
Malaya or Singapore was attacked 'prior' to the Pearl Harbour attack - but I leave it to greater knowledge to clarify that aspect.
...
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You are correct, pasir. The Japanese landed north of Kota Bahru (I think it was about an hour) before the attack on Pearl Harbour commenced, just after midnight on Monday, Dec 8th.
A lot of Americans still have trouble getting their heads around the fact that, thanks to the international date line, the Dec 8th attack on Malaya started before (what to the Japanese, was the secondary) Dec 7th attack on Pearl Harbour.
A lot of Americans still have trouble getting their heads around the fact that, thanks to the international date line, the Dec 8th attack on Malaya started before (what to the Japanese, was the secondary) Dec 7th attack on Pearl Harbour.
However the "early" attack was due to the landings being made ahead of schedule....thus they pre-empted the Pearl attack by mistake and not on purpose.
Not that it would matter....news did not travel that fast anyway!
Not that it would matter....news did not travel that fast anyway!
To send troops to the (quiet) Far East while we were still under threat of invasion and just hanging on in N Africa??? Send aircraft when we needed every fighter and strike aircraft in NW Europe and the Med???
What good would it do to hold Singapore if the Germans captured Egypt??
So Churchill sent a couple of Battleships - by that stage it was clear that the chances of a major fleet action in the West were close to zero. We'd sunk the Bismark and the Tirpitz would have faced even larger forces - so we could spare a couple of ships to "show the flag".
What good would it do to hold Singapore if the Germans captured Egypt??
So Churchill sent a couple of Battleships - by that stage it was clear that the chances of a major fleet action in the West were close to zero. We'd sunk the Bismark and the Tirpitz would have faced even larger forces - so we could spare a couple of ships to "show the flag".
Malaya/Singapore wasn't indefensible. Or, it should have come at a greater cost to the Japanese.