Jungle Warfare
Japan realised the need for preparation and set up The Taiwan Army Research Section in January 1941, Tojo gave Colonel Masanobu Tsuji control over it.
Tsuji was not liked by his fellow officers as he was known to spy for Tojo, but with his background he was well suited for his posting.
Every detail of an assault on Malaya and Singapore was looked into, clothing, hygiene, disease and supplies. In the spring of 1941 after supplying answers to most, he turned his attention to the actual invasion.
Singapore was known to have a good seaward defense but the British had no defence to the Malayan jungle, relying on it as an obstacle, Tsuji had now overcome this with his research. Britain boosted they had a large RAF force protecting Singapore but Tsuji new this was false. The total strength of the British in Malaya was 80,000, half of these were British.
Tsjui had Major Terundo Kunitake, who was attached to the Japanese consulate in Singapore draw up plans of the roads and military positions within Singapore and Malaya. It was found the best defence the British had were the 250 bridges the Japanese would have to cross to reach Singapore. He recommended that a engineer regiment be attached to each infantry division in the front line of the attack. He also made the engineers practice bridge repairs in the Formosan jungle.
The research Tsuji carried out was later to prove he played a major role in the success of the capture of Malaya and Singapore.
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