Description
Book SynopsisA history and analysis of one of the most dramatic moments in both air power and naval history. With the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse, no battleship was safe on the open ocean, and the aircraft took its crown as the most powerful maritime weaponIn late 1941, war was looming with Japan, and Britain''s empire in southeast Asia was at risk. The British government decided to send Force Z, which included the state-of-the-art battleship
Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser
Repulse, to bolster the naval defences of Singapore, and provide a mighty naval deterrent to Japanese aggression. These two powerful ships arrived in Singapore on 2 December - five days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But crucially, they lacked air cover. On 9 December Japanese scout planes detected Force Z''s approach in the Gulf of Thailand. Unlike at Pearl Harbor, battleships at sea could manoeuvre, and their anti-aircraft defences were ready. But it did no g
Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHRONOLOGY ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES The new rulers of the sea DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES The Royal Navy’s mission to Singapore CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES The imperial rivals THE CAMPAIGN The last day of the big-gun battleship ANALYSIS FURTHER READING INDEX
