Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-13
Singapore
Unmasks
Jap Strategy
Fa.ed Defeat in China
Fooled Whole World
BY PAUL MALLON

rf''" btiI@ Nl"h'i WIN " wv ~
Singapore collapsed IS hard 10
explain.
II looks like the British were
trickcd INTO making the wrong
preparations. They had expected
a long siege or a Jap by-paSSing
Of the haStlon.
Instead. they were outwltted
by a smashing blitz so cleverly
conceived and 50 swiftly exc
Cutod that the Japs must have
been working on II for years
The British had no sooner
blasted the CauSeway from the
mainland and settled back on a
7O-mIlc circle of defenSes than
the surprises started.
Five days after the JapS ar
rived on the opposite shore
they opened one OF the most ter
rifle artillery bombardmentS
seen IN this war anywhere How
they GOT 81 many big guns up
through the Jungle and into
position with such speed. no one
Yet knows.
For two days. February ;
and 81 the roads and communl-
cations of the island were
blasted by a continuous hail of
shells one remote road, in par
tlcular, as IL turned out later.
THE JapS then executed a co.
L loSSal feint They encour-
aged the British to believe they
intended 10 storm the island by
direct assault. and seized Ubin
island February Y off the
northeast tip, in obvious con-
Torrance with that purpose.
The Smelling and dive bomb
ing increased next day and the
British began TO notice "menac-
ing troop movements in the rear
OF the Jap positions" but they
were unprepared TO meet the
assault which came that night
across Johore Straits al the OPP
poSltc end Of Singapore the
remote. northwestern marShy
section. whore attack was most
difficult. where the British
thought the marshes protected
them, where they We're least
ready 10 meet strength.
The JapS had trained troops
10 get through those particular
marshes al that particular time.
Only two side roads lead out
TO this marShy section. and when
the blow fell of not before). the
British discovered that the she'll
ing and dive bombing of the
previous days had been aimed at
these roads more than anv
others. British communications
from their main forces in the
center were therefore. difficult
Within few hours. a never
ending stream of JapS had
slipped in the marShy back door
10 Singapore and established a
front 10 miles long.
With no air force TO protect
the British troops against ma
Chinc-gunning from above and
the continuous Smelling from the
big Jap guns. the British were
doomed from that hour.
THESE tactics show how long
l. and well the JapS had pre-
pared for this war. Like the
Hitler generals who spent years
IN detecting and planning TO ex-
plot the defect they discovered
in the Maginot line, the Jap
general staff worked out the
weakness of "impregnable" Sing
aporc. and marShalcd the neCes-
Sary force and material 10 penc-
tratc II.
From the event Of Pearl Har-
Dor 10 Singapore YOU can see
now the palnStakinG fineSSe IN
10 or % years or more Of work,
we'll screened behind broken
naval treaties. and lately. be-
hind An assumed position of
weakness IN China
They let the world believe for
the last three years that they
I'do H!Nl me NhlleS' war. lhoN
plaNrd weak and proverty-
stricken WhlIe they trained
ZOO > IN Npe'lilc detail Tor
greater conquest.
lheIF statesmen talked peace
IuI intentions WhlIe thelr mill
AIRY GOT me scrap IRON and OIL
from Us ana others 10 build the
vast machinery OF conquest
S"arInS OF ShlpS, tanks planes,
hlG guns IheN edged peacefully