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In this week in military history, we explore the sinking of the British warships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea on December 10, 1941.

Prior to the American entry into World War II, the British Navy viewed their fortress in Singapore to be a base from which naval squadrons would defend the Indian Ocean’s shipping lanes. The British Air Force believed that air superiority would provide for the defense of Singapore. The British Army, however, realized that Singapore was vulnerable to a land invasion from the northern jungles as well as by air and sea.

The Japanese military realized they would need oil from the Dutch East Indies to support their war efforts. Thus, the British base in Singapore was an obstacle to the Japanese supply efforts.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, wanted to send a show of force message to the Japanese by dispatching a battleship squadron to Singapore, but British forces were stretched thin by the demands of the war. All that could be spared was the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse. These two ships with their supporting aircraft of fighters and bombers constituted Force Z.

Force Z, commanded by Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, sailed north from Singapore on December 8 with the intention of engaging the Japanese naval covering force and attacking the Japanese transports and supply vessels. Admiral Phillips was counting upon his speed, radar equipment, and long-range gunnery for his ships’ defense.

Japanese submarines spotted Force Z and reported their position. Japanese reconnaissance aircraft took up the search as Japanese "Betty" and "Nell" aircraft were armed with torpedoes and launched. The Japanese bombers conducted a bombing attack at mid-day on December 10, 1941, followed by torpedo attacks. Both British capital ships were struck by four torpedoes out of 49 total launched. The HMS Repulse sank at 12:33 PM on December 10, 1941.

The HMS Prince of Wales sank roughly 45 minutes later. For the first time, air power alone had sunk capital ships.

Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library!

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