Singapore’s Naval Base
Before the war, Despite its limited defences, the political leaders and media at the time contributed to the impression that Singapore was secure against any attack. Newspapers referred to Singapore as being a “Gibraltar of the East”, a “fortress” that was “impregnable”, suggesting that the island was virtually impossible to conquer. Singapore was thought to be an impregnable fortress with the strongest naval base in Southeast Asia, and huge coastal defense guns protecting it from a sea attack.
During the war, when the British were defeated after they were claiming to be the strongest nation in the world , you question , ” why is this superior , strongest nation in the world being beaten , but beaten within two weeks, with all of Singapore gone ? ” you asked yourself why .
– adapted from an account of Lee Kip Lin as a teenager at the time of the British surrender.
After the war, British forces retook Singapore in the fall of 1945, much to the relief of residents who underwent such harsh conditions under their captors. Even though the British were once again part of the empire, their confidence in the British as the protectors of Singapore was irreversibly shaken after seeing how easily they were defeated by the Japanese. Thus began Singapore’s road to independence.
Sources : http://celineackerman.blogspot.sg/
http://www.singapore-discovery-guide.com/battle-of-singapore.html
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