1. British’s Efforts
to Defend
Singapore

2. Why is Singapore known as an
impregnable fortress?
• An impregnable fortress is a place that has
very strong barriers that it is a problem to
break through the barriers.
• Singapore a natural barriers so it was known
as an impregnable fortress
• Singapore was a military base which protects
the British’s valuable things in the Far East
• The British recognized Singapore as ‘the
bastion of the East’, ‘the key to the Pacific or
‘the Gibraltar of the Orient’

3. • The locals are very confident in using the
British’s defense system. They thought
that the British will never defeat them

4. Factors making Singapore an
impregnable fortress
• British’s Effort
– The British used the ‘main fleet strategy' to
bring warship from Europe to Asia when they
needed it
– In 1938, they built a naval base which can
serve the British fleet
– Provide support for military aircraft by building
military airfield in Tengah and Sembawang
– Protect the people from falling bombs or other
attacks by building underground bunkers in
Fort Canning, Labrador and Sembawang

5. – Set a 15-inch gun which was facing the ocean
so that it can kill the Japanese coming from
the ocean
– More troops were sent from India, Britain and
Australia to defend Malaya and Singapore
from a Japanese’s attack
• Geography of the Malaya
– The coastal areas were mostly mangrove
swamps and the Malay Peninsula had
mountains with forests from the North to the
South which made it hard for the Japanese to
pass through

6. – There were less roads and they were guarded
which would make it hard for the Japanese to
invade Singapore