3. Battle of Singapore
On February 8, 1942, when the Japanese invaded Singapore, the city-state was a British stronghold, protected by about 90,000 Commonwealth forces. The then commander Arthur Percival expected the attack but still left the landward side of Singapore virtually unguarded. His argument was that the invaders would approach the island from the sea, and was convinced that the mangrove swamp on the Malay Peninsula and thick jungle were impassable. Well, that was a major blunder. The Japanese troops chose the very same jungle and mangrove swamp that was supposedly impenetrable.
The British forces were ambushed and in just seven days of fighting, they surrendered, and about 60,000 troops including their commander were captured and became prisoners of war.
Also known as the Fall of Singapore, the capture of Singapore by the Japanese and the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history was termed by Winston Churchill as the “worst disaster” and “largest capitulation” in British military history