Malayan Campaign - Air War

Air War

The Allied fighter squadrons in Malaya—equipped with Brewster Buffaloes—were beset with numerous problems, including poorly-built and ill-equipped planes; inadequate supplies of spare parts; inadequate numbers of support staff; airfields that were difficult to defend against air attack; lack of a clear and coherent command structure; antagonism between RAF and Royal Australian Air Force squadrons and personnel; and inexperienced pilots lacking appropriate training.

Commonwealth fighters were swept off the sky by the Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar of Sentai (groups) 59 & 64, and the Nakajima Ki-27 Nate of other three Sentai. Despite being slower, undergunned, underpowered in comparison (Ki-27's even had fixed main landing gear) as well as having absolutely no protection for pilot, engine or fuel tanks, japanese fighters managed to get absolute air superiority in Malaya thanks to their superior agility and training. Because of this, allied air forces suffered severe losses in the first week of the campaign, resulting in the ongoing merger of squadrons and their gradual evacuation to the Dutch East Indies. One pilot—Sergeant Malcolm Neville Read of 453 Squadron RAAF—sacrificed himself by ramming his Buffalo into a Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar of 64th Sentai over Kuala Lumpur on 22 December.

One squadron of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL) — 2-VLG-V — was deployed to Singapore, contributing to the Allied cause before being recalled to Java on 18 January. Several Dutch pilots—including Jacob van Helsdingen and August Deibel—responded to a number of air raids over Singapore while stationed at Kallang Airport. They claimed a total of six aircraft, particularly the Nakajima Ki-27 Nate, which fared poorly in Malaya. Their involvement in Malaya, however, did little to weaken the Japanese air force.

The remaining offensive aircraft—the Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson light bombers and very specially the Vickers Vildebeest torpedo bombers—were considered obsolete for the European theater of operations. Most were quickly destroyed by Japanese aircraft and played an insignificant part in the campaign. One Blenheim pilot—Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf—was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on 9 December.

In addition, the Japanese military intelligence service had managed to recruit a British officer, Captain Patrick Heenan, an Air Liaison Officer with the Indian Army. While the effects of Heenan's actions are disputed, the Japanese were able to destroy almost every Allied aircraft in northern Malaya within three days. Heenan was arrested on 10 December and sent to Singapore. However, the Japanese had already achieved air superiority.