If you were Lt Gen. Arthur Percival at that time of war, what would you do?

[cheowyonglee]

What would you do if you were Lt Gen. Arthur Percival?Fight but regroup into a new battle formation or surrender to the Japs?

General Percival made the decision to surrender on 15 February 1942. The water supply on Singapore Island had virtually dried up, petrol supplies were almost exhausted, military supplies were running low and the constant bombardments of the city were causing shocking civilian casualties. Percival realised that his only options were to fight to the death or surrender. He personally arranged the ceasefire and signed the surrender document at the Ford factory that same evening. All British Empire soldiers were ordered to lay down their arms at 8.30 that night.

 

[cheowyonglee]

If i am the Commander of Singapore, i will regroup all the last able fighting troops to Sentosa and regroup the troops into a counter attack fighting unit and fight back when the Japs were spreading their troops thinly.

 

[RonRon]

there were 100,000 british troops vs 20,000 Japs in Malaya, even the most retard commander should be able to hold and fight and not rush to the decision of surrender. The british are useless.

 

[Lian9]

With hindsight wisdom, anything is possible. As we all knw nw, even the japs were almost in the verge of collaspe too due to insufficient resources and as well as many were dwn with malaria disease.

I guess everything aside, brits were dwn on their fighting spirits but the japs were still gg strong. So i guess even if after regrouping, its a certain death for them.

But it will be a different story if the locals then all stood up and be armed... And slog it out w g warfare....but brits aint used to such way, onli e commies were....

I have to applaud the japs to come dwn via thailand bypassin all the sea bombardments, and they did it with such speed. Till this day, i wonder why the thais allow this to happen, and tey r knowned fr all their warfare too, esp w neighbouring countries. Even the pinoys fought a fiesty prolonged war....

 

[techiedick]

History had uncovered the mental state of this wimp when he came to Singapore. He thot he came to have a cosy job. Singapore is the pride of the British Empire where the Brits lived a luxurious life like a rajah.

So when it comes to fighting crunch all of them has lost that touch, cannot take hardship anymore.

So if I am that wimp at the time I will be the same cos life has been too comfortable.

So all the talk of him capitulating too early is the build up of the his mental state of mind. Even if SG is fighting now, most will be too soft to take initially set backs, FT and PR will run. All left will be the you and me. Si liao, struggle so hard and we still have to defend every last brick.

 

[zeddy]

Percival should have rallied his troops and fought to the last man... But morale was terribly low among the British and Australian troops.. Deserters and stragglers were aplenty...Even the AIF 8th Div Commander Lt Gen Gordon Bennett fled Spore leaving his men in the mercy of the victorious Japanese army..In fact I feel that the war had already been lost when Johore fell to the Japs..

 

[cheowyonglee]

With hindsight wisdom, anything is possible. As we all knw nw, even the japs were almost in the verge of collaspe too due to insufficient resources and as well as many were dwn with malaria disease.

I guess everything aside, brits were dwn on their fighting spirits but the japs were still gg strong. So i guess even if after regrouping, its a certain death for them.

But it will be a different story if the locals then all stood up and be armed... And slog it out w g warfare....but brits aint used to such way, onli e commies were....

I have to applaud the japs to come dwn via thailand bypassin all the sea bombardments, and they did it with such speed. Till this day, i wonder why the thais allow this to happen, and tey r knowned fr all their warfare too, esp w neighbouring countries. Even the pinoys fought a fiesty prolonged war....

Now i know why the flood fall on the Thais!!!

 

[1sickpuppy II]

Unlike England, Singapore was not their home and to them its just another piece of property and the locals are just slaves to them. So why should they waste their life and effort fighting for something that is not important to them. They have already shipped their best troops and equipment to other more important areas like Europe.

 

[Unrepented]

I am also puzzled. Thailand got so many super magical amulets, fight war sure win, why no fight and let Japs walk pass. They dont like Mutland and Sinjiapo izit

............ Till this day, i wonder why the thais allow this to happen, and tey r knowned fr all their warfare too, esp w neighbouring countries. Even the pinoys fought a fiesty prolonged war....

 

[psy83]

I am also puzzled. Thailand got so many super magical amulets, fight war sure win, why no fight and let Japs walk pass. They dont like Mutland and Sinjiapo izit

They wanted Singapore/malaya cos of its location. The shipping/trade route and taking Sg would mean taking control of the straits.

 

[Ramseth]

I think that Percival was, on the balance, right to save more civilians. The food and water supply was cut as Japan had taken Malaya. 100,000 troops were not assets, they had become liabilities without food and water. The Malay farmers were feeding the Japanese food and water supply lines in case you don't know. That's why the British were so disgusted that they wanted out of here a.s.a.p. After the war, they only remained long enough to ensure Malaya didn't fall into communist hands, and they f.o.a.s.a.p. I'm not blaming the Malayan Malays then. Everybody had to make their own decisions and judgment calls. There's another theory of fight and kill them all or at least as many of them as possible. That was the Chinese Singaporean theory. Die also nevermind. Kill one Japanese break even, kill more we earn.

Stats: Malay war dead = 0

 

[psy83]

During the war.. Singaporeans minded their own business.. We didnt fight together.. The japs left the malays alone cos the malays couldnt be bothered.. The japs wanted the blood of the chinese population, As for the Indians the japs managed to recruit lots of them cos India it-self was fighting with Brits for Independence, Those indians who didnt want to join the Japs was taken in as P.O.W and send to work on rail lines etc.... Those chinese who were anti-japs joined etc force 136 was fighting the Japs not for Singapore but for China, Those who fought, fought for China, But the no. was very little, The only people who were genuine to fight for Malaya was the Malays(Small no. etc..Lt Adnan) Majority was just living at home in fear.. My grand-mother told me her family used to house a Chinese family(Kids) in her home in Jalan something something during that period.. The Chinese family was my Great-grand father's Boss children..

Basically the Japs didnt care about the Malays, Local Indians, but only towards the local Chinese and British Indian Soldiers who were left here, together with the small no. of Australian/British troops.. But also during that period there was a few japs who handed out Passes to the Chinese commune so they would not be killed/jailed.

 

[Ramseth]

I agree. The mentality then was fighting for China and Chinese since Singapore was only a colony then.

Compare that to the mentality British was boss or Japanese was boss, nevermind.

 

[psy83]

What would you do if you were Lt Gen. Arthur Percival?Fight but regroup into a new battle formation or surrender to the Japs?

General Percival made the decision to surrender on 15 February 1942. The water supply on Singapore Island had virtually dried up, petrol supplies were almost exhausted, military supplies were running low and the constant bombardments of the city were causing shocking civilian casualties. Percival realised that his only options were to fight to the death or surrender. He personally arranged the ceasefire and signed the surrender document at the Ford factory that same evening. All British Empire soldiers were ordered to lay down their arms at 8.30 that night.

Moral was low and many in Singapore just couldnt be bothered. The Cannons was placed wrongly, The troops were all stationed at the wrong side of the Island and the japs came in Swift and fast, Bombs dropped and while it was dropping they entered Singapore via Bicycle. So the entire strategy of the British had failed badly.(Plus they held back, waiting for the Allie Fleet to come but never came, They did a mistake of Waiting) Further more when the Japs entered, There was no resistance and to make matters worst, There was a very large no. of Indian soldiers who joined the Japs. The British was pinned to one corner and had to surrender. There was no resistance by the Local/foreign population. The only fighting was Gorilla warfare in the jungle that failed to do anything to the Japs, In-fact for all their troubles they were brutally killed.

 

[vamjok]

Moral was low and many in Singapore just couldnt be bothered. The Cannons was placed wrongly, The troops were all stationed at the wrong side of the Island and the japs came in Swift and fast, Bombs dropped and while it was dropping they entered Singapore via Bicycle. So the entire strategy of the British had failed badly.(Plus they held back, waiting for the Allie Fleet to come but never came, They did a mistake of Waiting) Further more when the Japs entered, There was no resistance and to make matters worst, There was a very large no. of Indian soldiers who joined the Japs. The British was pinned to one corner and had to surrender. There was no resistance by the Local/foreign population. The only fighting was Gorilla warfare in the jungle that failed to do anything to the Japs, In-fact for all their troubles they were brutally killed.

history has already shown we cannot trust indian. QED

 

[psy83]

history has already shown we cannot trust indian. QED

Well it is political driven, And the japs gave the option of fighting the British, who were fucking up their country, while they were mercenaries for the Brits. I would join the Japs without blicking my eyes too. And you would if thats the case, but just remember that less then 10 to 15% Joined the japs.. India was never a united country/ it was a land that was diveded with different Race/Culture/religion Kingdoms.

How bout LKY and the Rich chinese Elites who was working for the Japs, who is now Dictating everything in your life.

 

[chonburifc]

I think that Percival was, on the balance, right to save more civilians. The food and water supply was cut as Japan had taken Malaya. 100,000 troops were not assets, they had become liabilities without food and water. The Malay farmers were feeding the Japanese food and water supply lines in case you don't know. That's why the British were so disgusted that they wanted out of here a.s.a.p. After the war, they only remained long enough to ensure Malaya didn't fall into communist hands, and they f.o.a.s.a.p. I'm not blaming the Malayan Malays then. Everybody had to make their own decisions and judgment calls. There's another theory of fight and kill them all or at least as many of them as possible. That was the Chinese Singaporean theory. Die also nevermind. Kill one Japanese break even, kill more we earn.

Stats: Malay war dead = 0

Lieutenant Adnan Saidi is not Malay?

 

[Conqueror]

You Are Right !

there were 100,000 british troops vs 20,000 Japs in Malaya, even the most retard commander should be able to hold and fight and not rush to the decision of surrender. The british are useless.

I can say that all Brit commanders were too lazy (not tenacious enough), but the lack of training had already eroded their ability to think practically and to fight a long drawn out war. With that skinny buck tooth in-charge, it's the end of daylight for Sinkingland.

Do not put all your men in one place ! Sigh ! If only I was a Commander-in-Chief at that time, I would have asked them not to enter Sinkingland but as smaller and agile troops in the jungle pockets of Malaya. Laced the main road with ambushes. Ranks of strategic firing positions should the assaulting troop retreat into the jungle and kill the pursuing enemies. Put, some 30 to 40 % men in Sinkingland. Siege ? I still couldn't believe it. Buckayrow ! Useless !

 

[Ramseth]

Lieutenant Adnan Saidi is not Malay?

Update: Malay war dead = 1

 

[Conqueror]

Sam Leong Could Have Attacked This

The only fighting was Gorilla warfare in the jungle that failed to do anything to the Japs, In-fact for all their troubles they were brutally killed.

Spelling mistake.