83年前の１９４２年２月１５日、日本がシンガポールを陥落させた。
英軍パーシバル中将への山下奉文中将の「YES or NO!」は（誇張されていますが）有名。
シンガポールの軍人＆弁護士のSureshという畏友が、歴史トリビアをFacebookで書いていたので備忘のため転記。
チャーチルがシンガポール死守を切望していたこと、日本軍は英軍の３分の１しかいなかったことなどを書いています。
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Today is Total Defence Day. It marks 83 years exactly, from the British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese during World War Two.
Some points to remember:
1. Many of us were told as children that the British had guns at Sentosa to repel a sea attack but they were surprised when the Japanese attacked from Malaysia, from the north. That’s wrong. The British always knew that with their guns in the south, a sea attack would not succeed so a northern attack from Malaysia was more likely. That’s why the guns at the south could pivot almost 180 degrees to fire into Johore if necessary. However, they had the wrong type of ammunition. They had only armour piercing (AP) rounds, which were great against ships at sea but useless when firing at armies in Johore becos the rounds would bury in the soft ground without exploding. The British didn’t stock enough high explosive (HE) rounds.
2. On 19 Jan 1942 (during the Japanese invasion of Malaysia) British PM Sir Winston Churchill instructed his Chiefs of Staff on a ten point plan for Singapore’s defence, which included: “(i) Not only must the defence of Singapore Island be maintained by every means, but the whole island must be fought for until every single unit and every single strong point has been separately destroyed. (j) Finally, the city of Singapore must be converted into a citadel and defended to the death. No surrender can be contemplated, and the Commander, Staffs and principal officers are expected to perish at their posts.” In other words, no surrender. Every soldier, WOSE & Officer is to fight to his death to defend Singapore.
3. During the battle of Singapore, Churchill reiterated his position to General Wavell (Allied Forces Commander & Percival’s boss) on 10 Feb 1942 as follows: “I think you ought to realise the way we view the situation in Singapore. It was reported to Cabinet by the [Chief of the Imperial General Staff] that Percival has over 100,000 [sic] men, of whom 33,000 are British and 17,000 Australian. It is doubtful whether the Japanese have as many in the whole Malay Peninsula ... In these circumstances the defenders must greatly outnumber Japanese forces who have crossed the straits, and in a well-contested battle they should destroy them. There must at this stage be no thought of saving the troops or sparing the population. The battle must be fought to the bitter end at all costs. The 18th Division has a chance to make its name in history. Commanders and senior officers should die with their troops. The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake. I rely on you to show no mercy to weakness in any form ... the whole reputation of our country and our race is involved. It is expected that every unit will be brought into close contact with the enemy and fight it out.”
4. Nevertheless, on 15 February 1942, which was the first day of the Chinese New Year, LG Arthur Percival surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.
5. Historians now agree that had Percival fought on, there was a reasonable chance he would have held Singapore because the Japanese were at the limits of their logistical supplies after the long Malaya campaign. Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita said “My attack on Singapore was a bluff – a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.”
6. To Churchill’s shock, among those taken prisoner were 16,000 British, 14,000 Australian, and 32,000 Indian soldiers. About 30,000 had already surrendered in Malaya from December 1941 to February 1942. Churchill called the shameful fall of Singapore to the Japanese the “worst disaster” and “largest capitulation” in British military history. Lord Moran, Churchill’s physician, wrote: “The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister.” In particular, the surrender of the British troops bewildered him. “How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? Though his mind had been gradually prepared for its fall, the surrender of the fortress stunned him,” wrote Moran. “He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: ‘I cannot get over Singapore,’ he said sadly.”
7. The lasting consequence for us is that we learned no foreigner should govern us. They can’t protect us and they are no better than us. Only Singaporeans will defend Singapore to the last man and that’s why Singapore needed to be independent. 15 February is our Total Defence Day for a very good reason.
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