Good evening one and all
Just some more sample background information ............
Extracted from historical documents and the like ...........

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21st July 1941

 

…“I expressed the opinion to the A.O.C. that his communications would fail in emergency and he agreed.”……“Far East require:-

 

Transmitters type A.T.13….

ordered from Amalgamated Wireless (A’asia) Ltd. … Qty 20

Transmitters type A.T.14….

ordered from Thom & Smith Pty. Ltd. ………………. Qty 10

with frequency range extended to 20 megacycles…advise frequencies for which crystals are to provided….Crystals will cost approximately 5 pounds each….

Receivers type A.R.7….

ordered from Kingsley Radio Pty. ……………………. Qty 30

Price per receiver with two sets of valves and comprehensive range of spares, approximately 115 pounds…..Extra valves about 3 pound per set.

 

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7th December 1941

 

MALARIA PREVENTION

 

With approval of DDMS Malaya Command, DDMS AIF issued order 7th December 1941:  In areas other than those fully protected against malaria, troops to receive prophylactic quinine. Daily dose of 7.5 or 8 grains according to whether 4 gr. or 5 gr. Tablets are available. Quinine to be used in preference to Atebrin not for medicine or preventive issusses but because of supplies of prophylactic quinine were ample and Actebrine supplies were precarious and are to reserved for the worst malarial season which is expected in the months of April-May-June of 1942.

 

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Tanjong Malim Position – two miles north of Tanjong Malim:

22nd December 1941 order received to reconnoiter and prepare a defensive position …“as far as possible to cover open ground and not in rubber”…

26th December 1941 100 “kulis” (labourers) were working on the task and by the end of December 1941 1,500 “kulis”were working despite being under occasional bombing and strafing attacks.

 

 A similar position was also been constructed in the Rasa area (38th mile).

 

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Emergency Port, Seaward, and River Defences

 

…“booms are to be made from 50 foot long logs, 10-inches in diameter at the small end and fastened together with 3 foot lengths of 1-inch chain. To prevent flat bottom boots from jumping the boom, spikes 1-inch square and 12-inchs long are to be driven into the logs so that they protrude 6-inches. These are to be 6-feet apart and staggered in relation to adjacent spikes in the other rows”…

 

…“for softer sea/river beds, a boom net scheme supported by pile dolphins may be used”……“for hard rock sea/river beds, a boom floating nets scheme with moorings may be used. Very heaving moorings may be necessary depending on the strength of river flows and/or tidal stream”…

 

…“a line of observation mines (i.e. 300 pound depth charges) being laid and connected to an observation post ashore”……“general requirements for a short line of 12 mines: Mines, complete 12; Junction boxes 5; Cable, 2 pair 1,500 yards; Cable 7 pair 1,000; Sinkers, 1.75 hundredweight 80; Dan buoys, complete 6; Battery, 23 12 Volt cells 1; Switch to fuse board 1; Charging generator, complete 1; Control Post structure 1; Power House structure 1; 80 cm range finder 1; Bearing plate 1;”… …“The observation post should be connected to the guard vessel/gate vessel.”… 

 

…“Anti-Submarine nets using wire made and imported from Rylands Wire Works located at Tighes Hill in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Wire rope used for the nets is different to normal wire rope in that it does not have a core. The high tensile wire rope used for boom nets is about 1-inch in diameter, and the rope used for the “jackstay” along the top of the net is about 2-inches in diameter. The individual nets are about 2.5 to 7 tons each. The work is to be carried out by teams each of a Petty Officer in charge and 18 naval ratings. The size and layout of each net is marked on the ground and heavy wooden frames are used in the making each net. The layout and shape of the nets are to be tailored to suit the particular location in which they are to be used. Initially, large shackles are spliced to the top (jackstay) and bottom lines of the nets. This is a difficult task so 3 to 4 men should concentrate on this job. Once the head and bottom ropes are in place, smaller ropes are run crisscross between the two. Then all the intersecting ropes are joined together with specially designed shackles”……“boom net ropes and mine-mooring ropes are to be of high tensile galvanized wire”… 

 

…“for ocean going ships, a gate opening should be 300-feet wide and will require 2 gate vessels. If tugs are used instead of  gate vessels the may only be able to move the gate section with tidal stream, this would mean when closing the gate on the ebb tide the tugs would left outside the net”…

…“stationary guard vessels should be fitted with ‘Gate Vessel’ listening devices and provided with light guns and searchlights”……“nets and booms should be covered by shore based searchlights and light guns, preferably from both ends”…

 

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Cost of Bared Wire, Pickets, Etc including freight Newcastle (Australia) to Singapore

 

Ordered by G.O.C. Singapore, ciphered message No.1116 of 8th July 1940 and forwarded to Officer in Charge, Engineer Store, Malaya, per S.S. “Tegelberg” on 19th September, 1940. 

 

Charges :

Barbed Wire

506 tons, 19 hundredweights, 3 quarter hundredweights & 21 pounds 

@ 24 pounds, 12 shillings & 6 pence per ton = 12,484 pounds, 16 shillings & 10 pence. 

 

Pickets Long (6 feet)

125,000 @ 11 & 1/4 pence each = 5,859 pounds, 7 shillings & 6 pence.

 

Pickets Short (2 feet)

250,000 @ 6 & 1/4 pence each = 6,510 pounds, 8 shillings & 4 pence.

 

Picket Drivers

500 @ 12 shillings each = 300 pounds.

 

Windlass Bars

1000 @ 9 pence each = 37 pounds, 10 shillings.

 

Inspection Charges 5% = 1,259 pounds, 12 shillings & 2 pence;

Rail Freight Newcastle to Sydney = 656 pounds, 15 shillings & 3 pence;

(No ship available Newcastle to Singapore)

Freight Sydney/Singapore = 5,027 pounds, 10 shillings & 8 pence;

 

Total charges of 32,136 pounds & 9 pence Australian Currency

Less Exchange Rate difference of 6,504 pounds, 2 shillings & 1 penny

(@ 125 ponds, 7 shilling & 6 pence Australian to 100 pounds Sterling)

 

Charged to Malaya Command Paymaster = 25,631 pounds 18 shillings & 8 pence Sterling

 

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7th October 1941

RADIO LOCATION (Sh.D.) SYSTEM FOR THE SINGAPORE FIXED DEFENCES

References from preliminary report F.D.No.1296 dated 16/4/41 and Radiophysics Board. – 24th June 1941

Control Facilities:

B.O.P. = Battery Observation Post; F.O.P. = Fortress Observation Post; B.P.R. = Battery Plotting Room; F.P.R. = Fortress Plotting Room;

Control Instruments:

.P.F. = Depression Position Finder; C.D. = Coast Director; C.C. = Co-ordinate Converter (No.10 Dirrectors); T.F.D. = Table Fire Director Type Mk IIB; T.C.C. = ???; P.F. = ? Finder; D.P.F. = ?? Finder; C.A.S.L. = Close(?) Action Search Light;

 

Transmission of data from spotter to C.C. by telephone

Transmission from C.C. to T.F.D by Magslip

Transmission from T.F.D. to guns by Magslip

Range Scales on guns. All employ follow the pointer

 

Radar Plotters

Type 101 – combines rang observations from two Sh.D. sets in order to give the target position in Cartesian co-ordinates (the “rr” system)

Type 102 – uses range and bearing one Sh.D. sets to give target position in grid co-ordinates (the “ro” system)

Type 103 – is not plotter as such. It converts …(it is a displacement converter: it makes the adjustments for rand and bearing allowing for the distance from the radar to the guns)

 

Note:

The below locations are either in coordinates in yards east and north or Map Ref. to nearest one hundred yards using the Johore/Singapore Map Grid. 

 

Detailed Site Reconnaissance

Proposed locations of Radar Installations in order of priority;

a)     Pengerang ‘B’ Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast – 515,688 yards East, 219,390 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 510 ft; Normal Sh.D.Range – 41,000 yards (This is the safe working range to a medium cruiser, the range to a battleship would be considerably greater); operating arc 90 to 270 degrees

b)    Bukit Sesop Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast – 465,852.0 yards East, 211,464.5 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 200 ft approx; Normal Sh.D.Range – 25,000 yards; operating arc 110 to 280 degrees

c)     Pengerang ‘A’ Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast – 515,644.4 yards East, 219,551.2 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 609 ft; Normal Sh.D.Range – 45,000 yards; operating arc 90 to 290 degrees

d)    Alligator Island (Pulo Pawar) Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast – 469,560.3 yards East, 196,182.6 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 170 ft; Normal Sh.D.Range – 23,000 yards; operating arc of full 360 degrees possible, primary search 100 to 310 degrees

e)     Serapong Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast – 485,166.3 yards East, 204,209.9 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 290 ft; Normal Sh.D.Range – 31,000 yards; operating arc 60 to 285 degrees

f)      “Powder” Site – Co-ordinates of Sh.D.Mast (encroachment onto Malay burial ground dependent on location of graves) – 467,384.5 yards East, 212445.8 yards North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 60 ft; (a 180 ft steel tower required) Height of aerial 260 ft; Normal Sh.D.Range – 28,000 yards; operating arc 40 to 240 degrees

g)     Hill 270, Pasir Paryang Site – Co-ordinates of O.P. instrument (final location of mast on final selection from two alternate proposals) – 476,246.6 yards East, 209,646.0 yard North; Height of Sh.D.Building – 260 ft approx; Normal Sh.D.Range – 30,000 yards; operating arc 130 to 270 degrees

 

Proposed locations of Radar Installations for Close Defence Batteries

1)    Pasir Laba Battery – Height of site – 146 ft; Sh.D.Range – 22,000 yards

2)    Siloso Battery Site (i) at Imbeah Hill with a displacement from the guns of 500 yards, thus requiring a displacement corrector – Height of site – 200 ft; Sh.D.Range – 26,000 yards or Site (ii) at Siloso Hill – Height of site – 160 ft; Sh.D.Range – 23,000 yards

3)    Serapong Battery – Height of site – 244 ft; Sh.D.Range – 28,000 yards

4)    Changi Battery – Height of site at Changi Hill – 130 ft; Sh.D.Range – 22,000 yards

5)    Pengerang Battery – ?

 

6)    Labrador Battery – ? (Can be served by Siloso Sh.D.set)

 

7)    Silingsing Battery – (can be served by Serapong 6-inch Battery Siloso Sh.D.set)

 

    Beting Busah – (might be served by the Changi Sh.D.set if a displacement corrector is used. The displacement is 2688 yards)

 

9)    Sphnix – (can be served by Penggergang Sh.D.set from the grid system)

 

At the time of the report (7th October 1941) it was proposed that Australia allocate 2 sets from its production and to place 9 more sets on order.

 

 

Fall of Shot Observation

The below estimates are probably rather conservative.

Heights of shell splashes; 9.2-inch shells – 100 feet, 15-inch – 160 feet

Range of spashes from the various Singapore Sh.D. Sets would be;-

Pengerang ‘A’ ...9.2-inch splash/24,000 yards …15-inch splash/30,000 yards

Pengerang ‘B’ ...9.2-inch splash/22,000 yards …15-inch splash/28,000 yards

“Powder”……...9.2-inch splash/14,000 yards …15-inch splash/17,000 yards

Serapong …...…9.2-inch splash/16,000 yards …15-inch splash/20,000 yards

Hill 270 …….....9.2-inch splash/15,000 yards …15-inch splash/19,000 yards

Bukit Sesop…...9.2-inch splash/13,000 yards …15-inch splash/16,000 yards

Alligator Island .9.2-inch splash/12,000 yards …15-inch splash/15,000 yards

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Historically things were be done and problems and deficiencies
 being address but the race against time was to be lost.

Cheers
Geoff