The Grand Alliance (129 page)

Prime

Minister

to

21 Dec. 41

Governor,

Hong

Kong

We were greatly concerned to hear of the landings
on Hong Kong Island which have been effected by the
Japanese. We cannot judge from here the conditions
which rendered these landings possible or prevented
effective counter-attacks upon the intruders. There
must however be no thought of surrender. Every part of
the island must be fought and the enemy resisted with
the utmost stubbornness.

The enemy should be compelled to expend the
utmost life and equipment. There must be vigorous
fighting in the inner defences, and, if the need be, from
house to house. Every day that you are able to
maintain your resistance you help the Allied cause all
over the world, and by a prolonged resistance you and
your men can win the lasting honour which we are sure
will be your due.

These orders were obeyed in spirit and to the letter. Among many acts of devotion one may be recorded here. On December 19 the Canadian Brigadier Lawson reported that his headquarters were overrun; fighting was taking place at point-blank range; he was going outside to fight it out. He did so, and he and those with him were killed. For a week the garrison held out. Every man who could bear arms, including some from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force,

The Grand Alliance

776

took part in a desperate resistance. Their tenacity was matched by the fortitude of the British civilian population.

On Christmas Day the limit of endurance was reached and capitulation became inevitable. Under their resolute Governor, Sir Mark Young, the colony had fought a good fight. They had won indeed the “lasting honour” which is their due.

Another set of disasters loomed upon us in Malaya. The Japanese landings on the peninsula on December 8 were accompanied by damaging raids on our airfields which seriously crippled our already weak air forces and soon made the northerly aerodromes unusable. At Kota Bharu, where the beach defences were manned by an infantry brigade extended over a front of thirty miles, the Japanese succeeded in landing the greater part of a division, though not without heavy casualties inflicted both by our troops on shore and from the air. After three days of stiff fighting the enemy were firmly established on land, the near-by airfields were in their hands, and the brigade, which had lost heavily, was ordered to withdraw southward.

Farther north on that same December 8 the Japanese had made unopposed landings at Patani and Singora. Dutch submarines, boldly handled, sank several of their ships.

There was no serious fighting until December 12, when the enemy with one of their finest divisions made a successful attack on the 11th Indian Division north of Alor Star, inflicting severe losses.

Before leaving I had telegraphed to General Wavell, Commander-in-Chief India:

The Grand Alliance

777

Prime

Minister

to

12 Dec. 41

General Wavell

You must now look east. Burma is placed under
your command. You must resist the Japanese advance
towards Burma and India and try to cut their communications down the Malay Peninsula. We are diverting the
18th Division, now rounding the Cape, to Bombay,
together with four fighter squadrons of the R.A.F., now
en route for Caucasus and Caspian theatre. We are
also sending you a special hamper of A.A. and A.T.

guns, some of which are already en route. You should
retain 17th Indian Division for defence against the
Japanese. Marry these forces as you think best and
work them into the eastern fighting front to the highest
advantage.

2. It is proposed, at a convenient moment in the
near future by arrangement between you and Auchinleck, to transfer Iraq and Persia to the Cairo Command.

The Russian victories and Auchinleck’s Libyan advance
have for the time being relieved danger of German
irruption into the Syrian-Iraq-Persian theatre. The
danger may revive, but we have other more urgent
dangers to meet.

3. I hope these new dispositions arising from the
vast changes in the world situation of the last four days
will commend themselves to you. I shall endeavour to
feed you with armour, aircraft, and British personnel to
the utmost possible, having regard to the great strain
we are under. Pray cable me fully your views and
needs.

And also:

Prime

Minister

to

13 Dec. 41

Lord Privy Seal, and

to General Ismay for

C.O.S. Committee

Pray do all in your power to get men and materials
moving into India, and reinforce with air from the Middle

The Grand Alliance

778

East as soon as the battle in Libya is decided in our
favour. An effort should be made to send armoured
vehicles at the earliest moment after a Libyan decision.

Prime

Minister

to

13 Dec. 41

Governor of Burma

Wavell has been placed in charge of military and air
defence of Burma. We have diverted 18th Division, four
fighter squadrons, and A.A. and A.T. guns, which were
rounding the Cape, to Bombay for him to use as he
thinks best. The battle in Libya goes well, but I cannot
move any air from there till decision [in the battle] is
definitely reached. All preparations are being made to
transfer four to six bomber squadrons to your theatre
the moment battle is won.

Every good wish.

A grave strategic choice was involved in the tactical defence of the Malay Peninsula. I had clear convictions which I regret it was not in my power to enforce from mid-ocean.

Prime

Minister

to

15 Dec. 41

General Ismay, for C.

O.S. Committee

Beware lest [that] troops required for ultimate
defence Singapore Island and fortress are not used up
or cut off in Malay Peninsula. Nothing compares in
importance with the fortress. Are you sure we shall
have enough troops for prolonged defence? Consider
with Auchinleck and Commonwealth Government
moving 1st Australian Division from Palestine to Singapore. Report action.

The Grand Alliance

779

The Grand Alliance

780

I was glad to find that our Minister of State, Mr. Duff Cooper, had independently reached the same conclusion.

Prime

Minister

to

19 Dec. 41

General Ismay, for C.

O.S. Committee

Duff Cooper expresses the same anxieties as I
conveyed to you in my message beginning “Beware.”

Duff Cooper’s proposal to concentrate on defence of
Johore for the purpose of holding Singapore conforms
exactly to view taken by Dill there.

2. After naval disasters to British and American sea
power in Pacific and Indian Oceans we have no means
of preventing continuous landings by Japanese in great
strength in Siam and the Malay Peninsula. It is
therefore impossible to defend, other than by demolitions and delaying action, anything north of the defensive line in Johore, and this line itself can only be
defended as part of the final defence of Singapore
Island fortress and the naval base.

3. The Commander-in-Chief should now be told to
confine himself to defence of Johore and Singapore,
and that nothing must compete with maximum defence
of Singapore. This should not preclude his employing
delaying tactics and demolitions on the way south and
making an orderly retreat.

4. You do not say who is now Commander-in-Chief
Far East. Has Pownall got there? If not, where is he?

He should fly there at earliest moment.

5. It was always intended that all reinforcements
diverted from the Cape to India should be used by
Wavell for the defence of Burma or sent forward to Far
East Command as situation requires. Your action in
diverting the anti-aircraft guns and fighter squadrons is
fully approved.

6. Eighteenth Division can similarly be used by
Wavell either for his own needs or to help Far East
Command. But why stop there? If 18th Division is sent
eastward it would seem wise to get at least one Australian division moving into India to replace it.