Re: [ Way OT but babbling anyway...] Chi-ha

From: "Ryan Gill" <rmgill@mindspring.com>

> >Modern off-road
> >vehicles have thicker panelling in places, based on the one I've seen
in
the
> >Australian War Memorial. Which is rather smaller than my Daihatsu
Charade.
>
> Geeze. The the Boyes would have made short work of one. In one side
> out the back....

2" mortars and Vickers MGs did quite well. Few of the Japanese tanks
got very far.

> If it weren't for the massively inflexible and dunderheaded British
> tactics on the roads leading to Singapore, they'd have never gotten
> very far.

Singapore is still fairly painful for any Australian to discuss in an
objective fashion. Some troops - British, Indian and Australian -
fought very well. But most - British, Indian and Australian - didn't.
Percieval's performance was less than stellar*, but the basic problem
was twofold: his troops and officers were stuck in a quiet sector
away from the action in Europe, and just weren't combat effective.
And the Japnese had massive air superiority, which gave them
Intelligence
superiority. The Allies had no idea what strength the enemy were, nor
where they were. Fears magnified the total, so that they gave up when
they were expected to fight on.
And let's not forget the magnificent performance of the Japanese
Imperial Guard, and their superb generalship. Despite their inferiority
in numbers and a semi-nonexistent supply system, they fought to the
limit of their capabilities. In the process, they got wrecked as
fighting formations.