WI: Kota Bharu Invasion Force Annihilated

Hyperion

Banned
Hyperion

Now there's an idea. Possibly doesn't need coastal defence guns if there was an artillery unit in the area and the commander was successful or lucky in having them at the right place at the right time.

I know Britain was worried about the large convoy moving down from FIC but not sure if they knew it would be landing there or further north in Thailand, or as it happened in both places.

Steve

There where artillery units, but AFAIK, they didn't have anything heavy enough to damage ships.
 
In a different TL those guns would have effectively closed the Singapore Straight, or protected the rear of a surface force operating in the area.
 
There where artillery units, but AFAIK, they didn't have anything heavy enough to damage ships.

Hyperion

I suspect even normal field artillery would make a nasty mess of an unarmoured merchant ship, let alone any landing boats, if it was in the right place and ready. However the problem with this would be the covering fire that could come from the escorting naval units.

Steve
 

Hyperion

Banned
Shame that, as people are oft to repeat, the big guns were in Singapore.

http://niehorster.orbat.com/014_japan/41-12-08_ops_01/so_unit-kotabharu_01.html

10-12 5 or 6 inch guns and even second rates teams to operate them would have been more than enough to hurt the Japanese landings.

Aside from the three large transports, the only warships with the landing force where an old light cruiser, four destroyers, and three small patrol craft that wouldn't make a difference one way or the other.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Invasion_of_Malaya

All it would take for the British to throw the Japanese back would be to get a Japanese version of Wake Island, make the enemy think they aren't going to have opposition, and once the ships are close enough, fire everything you have at them.
 
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