Churchill wanted Prince of Wales and Repulse at Singapore as a visible deterrent against Japan. He expected two such capital ships to demonstrate the Royal Navy's strength. The Navy preferred to deploy them to Ceylon. It feared that sending only two ships would instead advertise how little Britain could immediately commit.
Notable Point · 2:34:52-2:35:20
Why Churchill sent Force Z to Singapore
Churchill wanted two capital ships at Singapore as a visible deterrent, while the Royal Navy preferred Ceylon and feared that such a small force would advertise British scarcity.