Singapore’s War Heritage
Part 2: Invasion & Battle
Recap: This series sets the stage for the Battle of Singapore by detailing the British colonial strategy of building a strong naval base, falsely believing it impenetrable, and underestimating the speed and innovative tactics of the Japanese forces who ultimately invaded via land and air in December 1941. The British defenses quickly crumbled, leading to a rapid retreat and the fall of Malaya.
6/26: Fall of Sarimbun
February 8, 1942, 10:30 PM – Japanese forces crossed the Johor Strait and landed, attacking Sarimbun Beach on the northwestern shore of Singapore. They used collapsible (foldable) boats to cross the strait. Approximately 13,000 Japanese personnel landed in Singapore as the first wave.
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d80406.17570133097!2d103.67649954373698!3d1.385683513236459!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x31da0d0030fc1f9d%3A0x2bfa7b3a40fc280f!2sSarimbun%20Beach%20Landing!5e0!3m2!1sen!2ssg!4v1775345878575!5m2!1sen!2ssg&w=600&h=450]Japanese commander Yamashita employed a deception tactic, leading the British to believe he would attack the northeastern side of Singapore (near Pulau Ubin island).
Northeast Singapore was home to the island’s first zoo, Punggol Zoo, run by a Singapore Indian real estate owner William Lawrence Soma Basapa. One of its visitors was scientist Albert Einstein, who was in Singapore in 1922 to raise funds for the Hebrew University. When the British anticipated a Japanese attack from the northeast, they ordered Basapa to relocate his animals and birds within 24 hours.
Unable to comply with the short notice, the British took matters into their own hands, shooting and killing all the animals and reptiles and releasing the birds. Basapa, heartbroken, passed away in 1943. I haven’t been able to verify if this occurred during Yamashita’s deception, only that it happened in 1942, though the exact month and date of the zoo’s clearance remain unknown to me at the time of writing this. Regardless, when Allied forces took the Japanese bait, the main attack occurred at the unexpected Sarimbun Beach – a moment of complete surprise.
Sarimbun was defended by the 22nd Australian Brigade, but they were outnumbered by the Japanese. Insufficient searchlights hampered their efforts to defend their lines.
The capture of Sarimbun Beach gave the Japanese a foothold on Singapore Island. They advanced south and captured Tengah Airfield, effectively crippling Singapore’s air defense.
This successful capture of Sarimbun Beach marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Singapore, culminating in the British surrender just seven days later.
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This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026 http://www.theblogchatter.com/
This 26-post series for the 2026 A2Z challenge explores Singapore’s WWII heritage, from the initial invasion to the liberation of Changi Prison. Using concise storytelling, I try to connect historical lessons of sacrifice and the need for peace all around the world.
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Very detailed description again…what are collapsible boats? I am hearing of that for the first time….
These boats could be transported overland by truck and assembled quickly at the water’s edge. basically foldable. This allowed the Japanese to launch attacks from unexpected points along the coastline. The 5th and 18th Divisions used these to transport troops across the unexpected parts of the Straits in the night in low profile.
Thank you for your encouragement in this series, without which I can’t take it forward.
Wow…any pictures of the same?
Unfortunately no. There are some online resources provide the pictures. But I could not verify their authenticity. I’m still learning, as LLM says 🙂 If I get to know, I’ll update this post.