Poor Command of History - A Singaporean plight?

[LonewolfAlfa]

When Jap Gen. Yamashita arrived at what he'd call Syonanto, he was very surprised and disappointed. Ford Motor factory actually manufactured fishing rod gears only. So he banged table at Brit Gen. Percival and told him to FO. Then he hired one LKY to fix things up to civilisation standards. When he left and the Japs lost the war and Brits came back, they saw not bad, so left it to LKY to fix it and run it, happily ever after. That's concise history of Singapore.

now that u mention Ford. when i was talking to an old mechanic about Ford, he mentioned about about this guy called George Lee, something to do with Ford in the 60s and how he started Gay World stadium and some other nanyang newspaper. It was in hokkien so i could not really understand fully what he was talking.

anyone know who this guy was?

 

[Papsmearer]

The victors always writethe history, this has gone on time imemorial. Old Goat won, so he gets to write the history, hence we have what we have today.

 

[Ramseth]

The victors always writethe history, this has gone on time imemorial. Old Goat won, so he gets to write the history, hence we have what we have today.

LKY seized the moment and went on diluting the story into British not defending Singapore and Singapore was a fishing village. The British knew that but didn't mind that for political expediency as they were preparing to leave anyway. Between LKY and LCS, they'd choose to back LKY anytime. British PM Anthony Eden didn't call LKY the best bloody Englishman east of the Suez for nothing.

As for Percival v. Yamashita, it was unambiguous that Percival lost, whatever the post mortem, lessons learned and stories told. But it was a military defeat, could have happened to any general. Yamashita won fair and square as a general too.

LKY liked to propagandise that only NS can defend Singapore. I ask you frankly, if British Commonwealth troops lost to Japan, do you think NSmen can defend Singapore? If a British wartime general was cornered into surrendering, what do you think about your BGs and RAs? Frankly if you ask me, I think they'll evacuate themselves first.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

LKY liked to propagandise that only NS can defend Singapore. I ask you frankly, if British Commonwealth troops lost to Japan, do you think NSmen can defend Singapore? If a British wartime general was cornered into surrendering, what do you think about your BGs and RAs? Frankly if you ask me, I think they'll evacuate themselves first.

You're oversimplifying. The brits were stretched on multiple war fronts and the infrastructure existing in singapore was totally different compared to today.

But your point is still valid. Our NS look strong on the outside, inside its very weak.

 

[kingrant]

The Brits were out-intelligenced. If they had gritted their teeth and hung on for another two weeks, the Japs would have surrendered - because the Japs were down to their last bullets due to over-stretching their logistics train!

LKY seized the moment and went on diluting the story into British not defending Singapore and Singapore was a fishing village. The British knew that but didn't mind that for political expediency as they were preparing to leave anyway. Between LKY and LCS, they'd choose to back LKY anytime. British PM Anthony Eden didn't call LKY the best bloody Englishman east of the Suez for nothing.

As for Percival v. Yamashita, it was unambiguous that Percival lost, whatever the post mortem, lessons learned and stories told. But it was a military defeat, could have happened to any general. Yamashita won fair and square as a general too.

LKY liked to propagandise that only NS can defend Singapore. I ask you frankly, if British Commonwealth troops lost to Japan, do you think NSmen can defend Singapore? If a British wartime general was cornered into surrendering, what do you think about your BGs and RAs? Frankly if you ask me, I think they'll evacuate themselves first.

 

[Papsmearer]

The Brits were out-intelligenced. If they had gritted their teeth and hung on for another two weeks, the Japs would have surrendered - because the Japs were down to their last bullets due to over-stretching their logistics train!

Yes, this is true. When they met at the Bridgestone tire factory in Bukit Timah, Yamashita thought that he would be asked to surrender. He was really at the end of his rope, but he bluffed Percival with a fierce act.

 

[Ramseth]

Yes, this is true. When they met at the Bridgestone tire factory in Bukit Timah, Yamashita thought that he would be asked to surrender. He was really at the end of his rope, but he bluffed Percival with a fierce act.

That's not possible. How could a general with control from Indochina, Phillipines, Thailand to Malaya come to Singapore be expected to surrender? He didn't bluff. He was fierce, yes. That was both in character, his job and the favourable circumstances on his side.

However, let's look at what'd happen if Singapore didn't surrender. Percival was cut off from all supply lines already. They must defeat the Japanese within weeks, not months. The Japanese holding Malaya had at least one year's time before RN and USN recovered.

I blame neither Yamashita nor Percival. They were just soldiers doing their jobs.

 

[Papsmearer]

That's not possible. How could a general with control from Indochina, Phillipines, Thailand to Malaya come to Singapore be expected to surrender? He didn't bluff. He was fierce, yes. That was both in character, his job and the favourable circumstances on his side.

QUOTE]

He was bluffing all the way. DO some research into this. Read the book "Life and Death of a Japanese General" by JD Potter. In it, Yamashita admitted

"My attack on Singapore was a bluff, a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered by more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight 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

Also Yamashita aide Major Kunitake was also quoted as saying

the extreme fatigue of the Japanese troops [on 15 February] and the feeling that the Japanese might be on the brink of surrender

Like I said he was at the end of his rope. He had expected SIngapore to surrender after the fall of the malay penisula. He miscalculated.