The British Reinforce Singapore
The British were aware of the growing Japanese threat in the Far East and had begun reinforcing its most important military base in the region, Singapore. The Naval base and garrison was protected by huge 15 inch guns capable of taking on any attacking naval force that came within their twenty-four mile range. During the last few months of 1941 thousands more troops were arriving from Britain, India and Australia.
Singapore was very much still part of the British Empire and there were long-standing attitudes to how military affairs should be conducted.