This defense counterfactual concerns a force Britain did not deploy. Small gunboats and torpedo boats would have been well suited to contest the narrow-water crossings into Singapore. Their speed, shallow draft, and concentrated short-range weapons could have harassed troop movements where major warships were unnecessary or unavailable. Such a force would still have depended on bases, maintenance, air protection, and warning. Coastal craft might therefore have converted local geography into a defensive obstacle.
Notable Point · 59:58-1:00:13
A gunboat screen for Singapore's crossings
Locally based gunboats and torpedo boats could have made the Japanese water crossings into Singapore much more difficult.