TFSmith121
Banned
Yep.
The field forces under Percival included one corps headquarters, two Indian infantry divisional headquarters, six Indian infantry brigades, one Australian infantry divisional headquarters, two Australian infantry brigades, for a total of eight mobile brigades. The rest of the garrison were fortess troops, army- and corps-level support elements, etc.
The British reinforced with the entire British 18th Infantry Division and two additional Indian infantry brigades; grand total was three full divisions, one division at two-thirds strength, and two separate brigades, or (roughly) four full division equivalents and a separate brigade. Even if all of the above had been in place on 12-8-41, given Japan's command of the sea and air, and the reality they had the equivalent of eight full divisions available and committed to the southern operation (not counting the equivalent of four more committed to the Philippines and points east), and could provide simultaneous lift for 2-4 divisions at a time, and given the size of Malaya, even the entire force outlined above would not have been enough...
Building up the prewar garrison (about two brigade equivalents) to two divisions (9th and 11th Indian) is presumably understandable. Sending the 8th Australian, 18th British, and (IIRC) the separate 44th and 45th Indian brigades was the equivalent of good money after bad.
best,
The field forces under Percival included one corps headquarters, two Indian infantry divisional headquarters, six Indian infantry brigades, one Australian infantry divisional headquarters, two Australian infantry brigades, for a total of eight mobile brigades. The rest of the garrison were fortess troops, army- and corps-level support elements, etc.
The British reinforced with the entire British 18th Infantry Division and two additional Indian infantry brigades; grand total was three full divisions, one division at two-thirds strength, and two separate brigades, or (roughly) four full division equivalents and a separate brigade. Even if all of the above had been in place on 12-8-41, given Japan's command of the sea and air, and the reality they had the equivalent of eight full divisions available and committed to the southern operation (not counting the equivalent of four more committed to the Philippines and points east), and could provide simultaneous lift for 2-4 divisions at a time, and given the size of Malaya, even the entire force outlined above would not have been enough...
Building up the prewar garrison (about two brigade equivalents) to two divisions (9th and 11th Indian) is presumably understandable. Sending the 8th Australian, 18th British, and (IIRC) the separate 44th and 45th Indian brigades was the equivalent of good money after bad.
best,