FALL OF SINGAPORE

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 December 1947, Page 5

FALL OF SINGAPORE

FORECAST OF COMMANDING GENERAL’S BOCK Recd. 6 p.m London, Dec. 23. A forecast of what General Sir A. E. Percival, the British Commander at Singapoic at the time of its fall, is going to say in his report explaining the fortress’s collapse, is given by the “Daily Mail’s” military reporter and correspondent, with his own comments in brackets. He says the General declares the surrender was inevitable because: ■’Firstly, meteorological experts misled him by saying, there could be no attack between December 1, 1941, and March, 1942, because of the monsoon (the Japanese attacked Malaya on December 8, 1941). ‘Secondly, the British Cabinet refused to allow forward troops to advance into neutral Siam to hold key positions. This decision was later revoked when too late (the Japanese got there first). “Thirdly, the Australian artillery barrage was late when the enemy struck. Troops on the north-west beaches did not get the order to turn on lights—which was the agreed signal that the landings had begun (it was never found out why). “Fourthly, the Anglo-Australian force in Malaya had no tanks, no central reserve troops, and only 159 obsolete planes (the Japanese had complete aircover).”