Why were Brits at the start of WW2 such cowards?

Question

On the 15th of February 1942, about 100,000 British and Australian troops surrendered to Japanese forces on the island fortress of Singapore. The Japanese, despite being massively outnumbered, took good advantage of some appallingly bad command decisions on the part of British generals, and the fact that their planes were superior to those of the RAF, to invade and conquer the island in little more than a week. British commanders seemed incapable, in the weeks before the invasion, to come to terms with the fact that a Japanese invasion of Singapore might ever occur. On the 1st of February the last of the British troops in Malaya retreated into the island fortress, soon after that the RAF withdrew from the airfields and many British commanders were evacuated. Many 'directives' to the troops from commanders and the Prime Minister himself made bold and wholly unrealistic proclamations about 'not giving any ground' in Singapore

Answer 1

Since when was 1942 the start of WW2, WW2 began in 1939, yes the British surrendered unnececarlly but they were tricked by the japanese, thats not cowardise thats damn bad luck.

Answer 2

It was just a matter of better training, superiority in the air and artillery by the Japanese. Also their intelligence efforts, strategy and fighting spirit paid off.
First, It was about 80,000 troops, not 100,000.
The Allied commander, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival had 85,000 soldiers, the equivalent (on paper) of just over four divisions. There were about 70,000 front-line troops in 38 infantry battalions — 17 Indian, 13 British, six Australian, two Malayan — and three machine gun battalions. The newly-arrived British 18th Infantry Division, under Maj. Gen. Merton Beckwith-Smith, was at full strength but lacked experience and training; most of the other units were under-strength as a result of the mainland campaign. The local battalions also had no experience and in some cases no training.
From aerial reconnaissance, scouts, infiltrators and high ground across the straits, such as the Sultan of Johore's palace, the Japanese commander, General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff gained excellent knowledge of the Allied positions. From February 3, the Allies were shelled by Japanese artillery. In spite of a Royal Air Force contingent of 10 Brewster Buffalo fighters, Japanese air attacks also intensified over the next five days. Air and artillery bombardment intensified. This severely disrupted communications between Allied units and their commanders and affected preparations for the defence of the island. The Allies had no bomber force to speak of and limited artillery.
The British troops could not exploit their numbers in the narrow gaps that were under attack. In the northwest of the island, on the other hand, the Japanese exploited gaps in the thinly spread Allied lines such as rivers and creeks.

Answer 3

I certainly think referring to the Brits as "cowards" is a bit over the deep end.

The Japanese were a well diciplined military and used extremely ruthless tactics.

Though I'm not English...I find that we (the US) and the Brits are extremely close by virtue of faith, language, and a multitude of other reasons to include military allies!

To your questions though....

From aerial reconnaissance, scouts, infiltrators and high ground across the straits, such as the Sultan of Johore's palace, the Japanese commander, General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff gained excellent knowledge of the Allied positions. From February 3, the Allies were shelled by Japanese artillery. In spite of a Royal Air Force contingent of 10 Brewster Buffalo fighters, Japanese air attacks also intensified over the next five days. Air and artillery bombardment intensified. This severely disrupted communications between Allied units and their commanders and affected preparations for the defence of the island. The Allies had no bomber force to speak of and limited artillery.

Fierce fighting raged all day but eventually the increasing Japanese numbers — as well as their superiority in artillery, planes and military intelligence — began to take their toll. In the northwest of the island, they exploited gaps in the thinly spread Allied lines such as rivers and creeks. By midnight, the two Australian brigades had lost communications with each other and the 22nd Brigade was forced to retreat. At 1am, further Japanese troops were landed in the northwest of the island and the last Australian reserves went in. Towards dawn on February 9, elements of the 22nd Brigade were overrun or surrounded, and the 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion had lost more than half of its personnel.

On February 13, with the Allies still losing ground, senior officers advised Percival to surrender, in the interests of minimising civilian casualties. Percival refused but unsuccessfully sought authority to surrender from his superiors.

The following day the remaining Allied units fought on; civilian casualties mounted as one million people crowded into the area now held by the Allies and bombing and artillery fire intensified. Civilian authorities began to fear that the water supply would give out.

At about 1pm on February 14, Japanese soldiers approached Alexandra Barracks Hospital. Although no resistance was offered, some of them shot or bayoneted staff members and patients. One British corporal was on the treatment table receiving treatment when Japanese soldiers stormed in and bayoneted him. The following day, about 200 male staff members and patients, many of them unable to walk, were ordered to march about 400 metres. Some were carried and anyone who fell on the way was bayoneted. The men were crowded in a series of small, badly ventilated rooms and were imprisoned overnight, without water. The following morning they were bayoneted.[2] Several other Japanese commanding officers were later charged with war crimes at the Tokyo Trials.

By the morning of Chinese New Year, February 15, the Japanese had broken through the last line of defence and the Allies were running out of food and some kinds of ammunition. The anti-aircraft guns had also run out of ammunition and were unable to repel any further Japanese air attacks which threatened to cause heavy casualties in the city centre. After meeting his unit commanders, Percival contacted the Japanese and formally surrendered the Allied forces to Yamashita at the Ford Motor Factory, shortly after 5.15pm.

Answer 4

Well, if you think about it that could be why they get so pissed off why they see other countries ask for the United States and not theirs. And they didn't think about dropping a bomb on Japan.

And they even say the Americana's are not bright well who fell for the Boston tea party.

So yes you do have some good points I guess it's just because they can't face it and drop it that they needed help during WWII.

Answer 5

What?
Got some history lessons to catch up on.
Let's make it simple.
They were cut off. nowhere to go . no way to get there.
Resourses they had were needed at home to keep the Germans out.
Seem to recall the US had to give it up in the Philipines .
The Brits held out alone for a long time before the US got into it & took a pounding in the meantime.
Cowards?
Dont think so.

Answer 6

Unfortunately there is a huge difference between lacking in intelligence - and lacking in bravery!

And the same can be said about George W. Bush's military career wherein his fulfillment of his military service is highly suspect!

Answer 7

Get a life. The good guys won in the end.