Terror left Britain in October 1933 and did not reach Singapore until January 1934. The monitor and the auxiliary vessels accompanying her struggled in Atlantic and Mediterranean storms, while Fastnet required repeated repairs before completing the journey. Terror then swung broadside across the Suez Canal after a tow line was released too early, touching both banks before being refloated without damage. The episode turns a comic mishap into a concrete lesson about the mobility and support limitations of a ship designed primarily to fight close to a coast.
Notable Point · 27:40-29:21
Terror's difficult passage to Singapore
The three-month passage to Singapore exposed the poor seakeeping and handling costs that accompanied a monitor's shallow draft and heavy armament.