"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
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"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
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"Cub Driver" wrote in message
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Plus what on earth did the Brits do to Hong Kong except turn it
into the prosperous place of commerce and business it is now?

I suspect the poster was referring to its loss to the Japanese about
Christmas 1941.

Deep down, however, I suspect he was actually thinking of the loss of
Singapore in February 1942. Unlike the situation in indefensible Hong
Kong, the early surrender of Singapore was a rather shameful moment in
British arms.


The surrender occurred only after the Japanese captured the reservoirs
and cut off water to the city. 2 million people without water dont
survive
for very long in a tropical climate. Without air cover Singapore was
simply not defensible but as with the Phillipines it wasnt politically
possible to abandon it.

Come on Keith, Singapore *was* an embarrassment for your side. It happens;

Of course it was.

our first committed units to Korea, before things tightened up around
Pusan,
did not acquit themselves very well either, for a number of reasons. The
leadership in Singapore screwed the pooch in how they laid out their
defenses--just as MacArthur screwed the pooch with his ridiculous "defend
forward" strategy in the PI. What separates the two is that the US and PI
troops fought on to the bitter end, suffering and starving *before* the
survivors went into captivity, while Singapore fell with relatively little
bloodshed (and no delay of the Japanese timetable).


Thats not entirely true, the fighting for Sarimbun beach was bitter
but the result was inevitable as only 2 Aussie battallions were in position
and the Japanese attacked with 2 divisions. The problem for Percival
was that with the Japanese having total air superiority he couldnt move
troops forward to counterattack.

During the The Battle of Pasir Panjang 2 battallions of the Malay
Regiment fought to the last man and at Bukit Timah local
Chinese militia fought hand to hand with the Japanese in
a very bloody and brutal action but once the Japanese seized
the reservoirs the result was inevitable as the people of Singapore
city had no drinking water. In a crowded city in the tropics
this was no joke.

Singapore is a LOT smaller than the Phillipines and contained
2 million civilians who couldnt be supplied with water let alone
be protected from artillery and bombing. Had Percival attempted
to make a last stand in the city the result would have been
another Nanking

Keith