Published in 1960, the author of this book is one of the planners of the Imperial Japanese Army’s invasion of Malaya and the capture of Singapore—Colonel Masanobu Tsuji himself. In it, he “unreservedly attributes Japan’s victory in Malaya to the patriotic fervour and self-sacrifice of the frontline officers and men of her 25th Army, which, in advancing six hundred miles and capturing Singapore in seventy days, achieved one of the decisive victories of World War II and accomplished a feat unparalleled in military history. […] For the first time in history an army carried out “a blitzkrieg on bicycles”, astounding the world by the sureness and rapidity of its advance, and exploding the myth of the impregnability of Singapore—which, as Colonel Tsuji emphasizes, had no rear defences, a fact he states was unknown to Winston Churchill at the time. […] Colonel Tsuji’s career proves him a master planner and an outstanding field officer. He now appears as an excellent writer and is to be congratulated upon his book, and also upon the motives which led to his escape from the Allied forces after the national surrender […].”
English language accounts of the Fall of Singapore and the occupation of Malaya, war, from the Japanese viewpoint are rare and this study surely carries the weight of authority as Colonel Tsuji led the small group of officers who prepared the plans, at short notice, for the occupation of Malaya and Singapore. Following the planning stages he was director of operations of the Japanese 25th Army which was pivotal in implementing the invasion, carried out in only 70 days. Translated from the author’s original Japanese text, which followed as closely as possible to his “phraseology.” First English language edition of 1960
xxv, 358 p., [32] p. of plates : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm. #110222 Shingapōru. English World War, 1939-1945 — Personal narratives, Japanese. | World War, 1939-1945 — Campaigns — Singapore.
18th Division 5th Division advance aerodrome Air Force Alor Star ammunition Ando Detachment Army Headquarters artillery Asaeda Asia assault attack battalion battle battlefield bicycles boats bridge Brigade British Army Bukit Timah capture carried co-operation coast Colonel crossing defence disembarkation divisional commander East enemy line enemy position enemy’s engineers fighting fire fortified position fortress front line frontier Gemas guns heavy hostilities hundred Imperial Guards Division infantry Japan Japanese Army Jitra Johore Strait jungle Kedah Province kilometres Konoe Division Kota Bharu Kuala Lumpur Kuantan landing at Singora Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant-General machine-guns main forces Malaya Malayan campaign manoeuvres military operations motor moved movement naval Navy night one’s Patani Perak River planes preparations rear reconnaissance resistance road rubber-trees Saeki Detachment Saigon seize shellfire shells ships Singapore Singapore Island Singora soldiers southern Staff Officer Takumi Detachment tanks Thailand Tomoyuki Yamashita troops tropical unit whole Army