The Battle of Kuala Lumpur was a battle between
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
invasion forces and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
forces in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
, in the then capital of the
Federated Malay States, a British protectorate.
Background
Japanese naval aircraft launched the first air raid over Kuala Lumpur on 21 and 22 December 1941. British
anti-aircraft guns
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
and
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
aircraft intercepted the attack and shot down one Japanese aircraft and damaged another. More raids followed on the 25th and 27th. The last bombing was on 10 January 1942, after
Port Swettenham fell.
By 7 January, the northern part of
Malaya, including
Perlis
Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces ...
,
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainland ...
,
Kelantan
Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode").
Kelantan is located in th ...
,
Terengganu
Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith" ...
and the
Straits Settlement of
Penang had fallen into Japanese hands.
After the
Battle of Slim River
The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the west coast of Malaya.
Background
Japanese forces had invaded north-west Malaya from southern Th ...
, the Japanese troops' next military objective was
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
. Being the capital of the
Federated Malay States it was of utmost importance to the Japanese. Kuala Lumpur by then was also the capital of the
State of Selangor. The city was also home to
RAF Kuala Lumpur
Royal Air Force Kuala Lumpur or more simply RAF Kuala Lumpur is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station in the Federation of Malaya and saw extensive use during the Malayan Emergency.
It was built and opened by the RAF in 1931.
Military
The a ...
.
Prelude
On 7 January, it was decided to abandon
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
and
Negeri Sembilan to the Japanese, and British forces began a quick retreat to
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime ...
then to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
. The city, now abandoned, quickly descended into a state of anarchy and chaos. Looting was widespread; the
Robinsons and Whiteaway and Laidlaw department stores at
Java Street were sacked by panicked KLites. Cinemas such as
Cathay and
Odeon at
Batu Road were closed, and the
Malay Mail
The ''Malay Mail'' is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published on 1 December 1896 when Kuala Lumpur was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily newspaper to appear in the FMS. As of May 2014 ...
published its last pre-war issue. The
FMS administration is no longer in place.
As the British retreated, they continued the
scorched earth policy they had used in
Perak - tin mines, rubber plantations and munitions were simply torched. Fires continued to burn for days even after the Japanese took over Kuala Lumpur.
Japanese entry
On 10 January the Japanese reached
Serendah
Serendah is a town and mukim in Hulu Selangor District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is 26 km north of Kuala Lumpur.
History
The area developed due to the tin mines. One of the popular tourist spot in Serendah iPerigi Tujuh Serendah It was built to r ...
, about 26 km from Kuala Lumpur.
The following day the Japanese entered Kuala Lumpur without much resistance, besides small skirmishes. The British troops had left the city. The Japanese troops quickly took control of government and institutional buildings, such as the
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building ( Malay: Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad) is a late-nineteenth century building located along Jalan Raja in front of the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The ...
,
the railway station and the
Pudu Jail
The Pudu Prison ( ms, Penjara Pudu, ), also known as Pudu Jail, was a prison in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in phases by the British colonial government between 1891 and 1895, it stood on Jalan Shaw (now Jalan Hang Tuah). The construction began ...
.
After the battle, the Japanese used
Pudu Jail
The Pudu Prison ( ms, Penjara Pudu, ), also known as Pudu Jail, was a prison in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in phases by the British colonial government between 1891 and 1895, it stood on Jalan Shaw (now Jalan Hang Tuah). The construction began ...
as a
POW detention centre. Many Allied POWs were tortured to death.
Aftermath
Japanese troops continued their advance southward along
highway 1.
Kajang
Kajang is a town in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded ...
was bombed on 12 January; the bombs, intended for the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
, missed, and landed on a nearby church instead.
Kuala Lumpur, with the rest of
the peninsula,
remained under Japanese occupation until
September 1945, when the Japanese home islands surrendered unconditionally after
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by American forces in August 1945. The
British Military Administration took over thereafter.
Little is known about the battle, since it did not bear much significance when compared to greater battles in British Malaya such as the
Battle of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...
.
See also
*
Battle of Slim River
The Battle of Slim River occurred during the Malayan campaign in January 1942 between the Imperial Japanese Army and the British Indian Army on the west coast of Malaya.
Background
Japanese forces had invaded north-west Malaya from southern Th ...
*
Battle of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...
*
Bombing of Kuala Lumpur (1945)
United States Army Air Forces B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers made two air raids on railway facilities in Japanese-occupied Kuala Lumpur during February and March 1945. The first of these attacks took place on 18 February, and involved 48 or 49 B ...
*
Operation Tiderace (1945)
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuala Lumpur, Battle of
Battles of World War II involving Japan
Battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom
January 1947 events in Asia
1942 in British Malaya
20th century in Kuala Lumpur