Yep seen it before
But that circles back to something I was too late to post earlier in the thread. If Percival has more more political backing (eg the Aussies) and so more toys to play with, does he suddenly become competent?
Percivals problem was that he understood what was required to resist a Japanese invasion - and totally understood that the forces he commanded were far below what was required (and of course the Japanese knew all of this because a German Raider captured a ship with a very detailed document detailing exactly how fucked the Malayan situation was)
I think this knowledge and the Knowledge that he was going to be the commander who lost a major colony broke his spirit.
As an officer he had always been very effective at every level of his career given a fairer crack at it I do not see why he would not be successful here!
As I suggested earlier having the Aussies form the principle core of Malayas defence (with 3 Inf Divisions and an Armoured Division) under command of the 'not dead ittl'
General Sir Cyril Brudenell Bingham White, KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO who becomes the ground forces commander leaving Percival as theatre commander
Lastly - not all divisions are created equally
The forces he did have OTL were 3rd Tier. The 2 Indian Divisions (Between them comprising 3 'All Indian' Brigades and 2 Mixed Brigades and light on heavy weapons - AAA and arty - with only 2 Field regts - each with 24x25 pounders although they did have some 4.5 and 3.7" batteries between them rather than the 3 a first tier Division would expect to have ) had been little more than Militia not a year before or very recently formed units so were very green and had yet to complete their full training regime. The 8th AID had 'lost' a Brigade which was split up among the other locations such as Rabaul, Ambon, and Timor (and along with their Parent division would also be totally destroyed in the battles for those locations) and of the 4 Australian Infantry Divisions was the least experienced. The 3 Aussie Divisions (6th AID, 7th AID and 9th AID) on the other hand were Veteran units and arguably some of the best divisions in any army of the war. Indeed each of those 'Vet' Divisions probably has more Artillery than the entire 25th Army!
With those and actual tanks (as well as the Vanguard APCs) not only do I see a vast improvement but options like Operation Matador are very likely to be on the table.
Japan faced with the 2nd AIC is going to have to reinforce the 25th Army units attacking Malaya and these might come from China - possibly the Principle unit intending to attack Hong Kong (Particularly if the British Strip it of its defenders sending those and C-Force to Malaya instead) the 38th Division (leaving the B-Class 66th Infantry Regt to Mask HK) once the withdrawal of the HK |Garrison is realised
It might also rob the PH campaign - possibly reassigning the 16th or 48th First class Divisions leaving the 14th IJA Army with 1 Division and 1 or 2 Infantry Brigades
This of course compounds the already 'sketchy' logistics that the 25th Army managed to muddle through OTL!