What if the British managed to keep the Japanese from taking over Malaya?Losing the area made the Australians feels that the British didn't care and looked to the Americans for protection.
Given the forces at hand, Malaya was doomed from the start. Now, Singapore could have been saved, at least for a considerable time, but that is another story.
What if the British managed to keep the Japanese from taking over Malaya?Losing the area made the Australians feels that the British didn't care and looked to the Americans for protection.
Malaya could have been held if the forces there had been properly equipped and/or decently led. Most definietly if it had received even a decent fraction of the promised modern a/c and a couple of tank battalions.
You are going way OT. The OP did ask What if the British managed to keep the Japanese from taking over Malaya? not Why didn´t the British manage to keep the Japanese from taking over Malaya?
No, it’s relevant.
At the time in mid 1941 when the Malaya/Singapore command was desperately asking for aircraft in anticipation of a Japanese attack and not receiving any, the British were sent 200 Hurricanes to Russia in a single month.
It would be great if someone had written a very detailed time line about something like this.
See, there is your POD. Throw in the destruction of depots and the Japanese logistics would have collapsed before they reached Singapore.
Snip
Yes, I'm kidding.![]()
I've commented on your TL before. Good stuff.