Malaya, 8 December 1941

It was 8 December 1941 in Malaya and Singapore when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. It was slightly after four o'clock in   the morning that day when the first bombs were dropped at Singapore. The people in Singapore were awakened by the sounds of explosions. Bombs fell on Raffles Place and the airfields in Tengah and Seletar. After the air raids on Malaya and Singapore on 8 December 1941, the Japanese left Singapore alone. they began their invasion of Malaya.
8 December 1941
Many Japanese soldiers landed on the east coast of southern Thailand. The Japanese soldiers also landed at the Kota Bahru in the Nothern Malaya. By evening that same day, the Kota Bahru airfield was in the hands of the Japanese.
10 December 1941
Two British warships were bombed and sunk by the Japanese warplanes off the east coast of Kuantan. These ships, the Prince of Wales and the Repulse were sent by the British from the Singapore Naval Base to fight the Japanese. After these ships sunk, the British no longer had warships to stop the Japanese soldiers from landing along the coast of Malaya.
11-12 December 1911
At Jitrah in Kedah, the Japanese used tanks  to move quickly through the jungle. The British did not have any tanks there. The Japanese soldiers are also well trained in the jungles. Many British soldiers were kill and the rest were forced to retreat.
17 December 1941
In Penang, bombs fell in the crowded streets. Half the city was on fire and hundreds of people were  killed or injured. The Japanese took some boats from Penang and use them to land on the west coast of Malaya.
11 January 1942
The British abandon Kuala Lumpur to defend Johor.  Japanese soldiers captured Kuala Lumpur easily.
31 January 1942
Johor Bahru was captured by the Japanese. Within 55 days, Malaya was captured by the Japanese. The British soldiers then moved back to Singapore. They blew up the Causeway that linked Malaya and Singapore. They hoped to slow down the Japanese entering the Singapore.


Adapted from:
Interacting with our world, Singapore under foreign rule, Marshall Cavendish Education.