The Ford Factory was turned into the headquarters of the commander of the Japanese 25th Army in Southeast Asia, General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
With ruthless determination, the Japanese then moved swiftly to capture Bukit Timah's petrol, oil, and supply depots from the Allies on 11 February 1942.
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– Excerpt from a manual issued to Japanese troops in Southeast Asia. Here is a man whose death will lighten your heart." (Image from National Archives of Singapore) "When you encounter the enemy after landing, think of yourself as an avenger coming face to face at last with his father’s murderer.
The Japanese swiftly repaired the bombed causeway to provide troops with another point of entry into Singapore. The 22nd Australian Brigade guarding the northern coastline was overwhelmed in just two hours. The first Japanese troops crossed the narrow Johor Strait on assault boats and barges, entering Singapore under the cover of darkness. Meanwhile, aware of the weak defences on the northern border, the Japanese planned an invasion from Johor, and the first soldiers set foot on the shores of Singapore exactly two months later, on 8 February 1942. The events of that day shattered Singapore's air of confidence. The British colony was touted as an impregnable fortress, so there was a confidence that even if attacked, it would not be overwhelmed. The flames of war had been raging across Europe and China, but the battle had not been expected to reach the island at the time. On Monday, 8 December 1941, the first bombs were dropped on Singapore. (Image from National Archives of Singapore) The end of an era The first Japanese troops landed in Singapore on 8 February 1942, the day The Battle for Singapore began.