The Fatal Fortress

Book excerpt: The military historian presents a fascinating reassessment of Britain’s Singapore Naval Base and the WWII Battle of Singapore. The Fall of Singapore in February 1942 was arguably the greatest disaster suffered by the British Empire. Between 1923 and 1938, the Singapore naval base had been upgraded with some of the largest coast guns ever installed. But the guns’ design and incorrect siting have since been blamed for the humiliating loss during World War II. In The Fatal Fortress, Bill Clements traces the history of Singapore’s armaments from the city’s founding in 1819 to the demise of coast artillery in the British Army in 1953. He also follows the development of artillery through the Victorian era of muzzleloading guns to the introduction of breechloading guns in the twentieth century. Clements argues that it was not the siting of the guns that brought about the fall of Singapore, but an overall failure in command and control and a lack of suitable ammunition. This volume is illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and plans, and contains a gazetteer describing all the batteries and forts, both existing and demolished. There is also an annex giving the details of the guns that were installed in Singapore.