Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Japan Advances in Southeast Asia

The raid on Pearl Harbor was part of a coordinated plan for attack on U.S., British and Dutch bases across a wide area. Japan's opponents were over-extended and ill-prepared, and the Japanese initially met with stunning success, snatching Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong from the British, taking the American commonwealth of the Philippines and swamping the Dutch East Indies.

Indian troops (above) manning a coast defense gun at Hong Kong. Both Hong Kong and Singapore were well-provided with guns to face a naval threat, but lacked the resources to deal with an invasion from inland.

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