Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Misfire: British Empire Special Forces and Defeat in Malaya in World War II

Misfire: British Empire Special Forces and Defeat in Malaya in World War II

Farrell, Brian P.

Hardcover

Series: Modern War Studies

General Military History

ISBN10: 0700639950
ISBN13: 9780700639953
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Published: Nov 4 2025
Pages: 334
Weight: 1.33
Height: 0.88 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English

Second Runner Up: Templer Medal

Of all the Allied strategic defensive campaigns in the first half of World War II, the fight to defend Malaya and Singapore provided perhaps the best chance to use special forces to wider effect.

In December 1941, the issue in the East during World War II was whether or not the Japanese could drive the Western Allies out of Southeast Asia before the Allies could reinforce strongly enough to prevent it. Consequently, the British Army organized, trained, and specifically equipped special forces combat units to operate independently, for long periods of time if necessary, physically separated from the main forces in the field. British Army special forces units were usually directed to carry out two broad but often closely related missions: provide direct assistance to main force operations and harass enemy movements, lines of supply, and communications. Special forces were also frequently used to destroy specific targets, sometimes in completely independent operations with no main force in the field, and especially to act as the eyes and ears of the main force, gathering intelligence on enemy movements and/or screening those of friendly forces.

Also from

Farrell, Brian P.

View All

Also in

General Military History

View All