Japanese Invasion of Malaya

Part of Battle of Malaya, Second World War

Bachok Beach, Kota Bharu, July 1941, possibly one of the Japanese landing points.

Date	8 December 1941
Location	Malaya
Result	Japanese victory

Belligerents

British Empire:

Australia

Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

Units involved

British India:
III Indian Corps
9th Indian Division
11th Indian Division
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 36 Squadron RAF
No. 62 Squadron RAF
No. 205 Squadron RAF
Australia:
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 8 Squadron RAAF
No. 21 Squadron RAAF
No. 453 Squadron RAAF

Twenty-Fifth Army:
5th Division
18th Division
Imperial Japanese Navy

Strength

N/A

1 light cruiser
4 destroyers
2 minesweepers
1 submarine chaser
3 troopships
5,300 infantry

Casualties and losses

68 killed
360 wounded
37 missing

3 troopships damaged
320 killed
538 wounded

British Empire:

The Japanese Invasion of Malaya began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 (local time) before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was the first major battle of the Pacific War, and was fought between ground forces of the British Indian Army and the Empire of Japan.

Kota Bharu, capital of Kelantan State on Malaysia's northeast coast, was, in 1941, the Royal Air Force's (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) base of operations in Northern Malaya. There was an airstrip at Kota Bharu and two more at Gong Kedak and Machang. Japanese losses were significant because of sporadic Australian air attacks, Indian coastal defences, and artillery fire.

The Japanese invasion plan involved landing troops from the 5th Division at Pattani and Songkhla on Thailand's east coast, and troops from the 18th Division at Kota Bharu Malaya's northeast coast. The forces in Thailand were to push through to the west coast and invade Malaya from the northwestern province of Kedah, while the eastern forces would attack down the east coast and into the interior of Malaya from Kota Bharu.

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