Phillips was one of the Royal Navy's youngest admirals and had built his career in destroyers. He arrived at Singapore on 2 December 1941, only six days before the Japanese invasion, and inherited no dependable system for coordinating fighter cover. With the army and air force under pressure, he faced the familiar naval dilemma of whether to intervene with the force available. Radio silence was intended to reduce the chance of detection, while limited aircraft were occupied elsewhere. The larger strategic decision to base major ships at Singapore made a naval response hard to avoid.
Chapter · 25:06-26:40
Why Phillips took Force Z north without air cover
Phillips inherited a crisis with only days to prepare, no dependable air cover, and strong pressure to respond to the Japanese invasion.