What military history did the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse create?

Answer 1

The HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse were two British warships stationed off the east coast of Malaya in December 10, 1941. The two warships were sunk that day by land-based airplanes of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This engagement was called the Battle of Malaya. The battle was a decisive victory for the Japanese, and allowed the Japanese to take Singapore from the British.

The Battle of Malaya, as well as the Battle of Pearl Harbor that took place only 3 days prior, demonstrated how effective airplanes could be in sinking warships. These two battles, along with the Battle of Midway only a few months afterward, showed that the battleship was no longer the key weapon that would determine naval victory. Airplanes, stationed on land bases or on aircraft carriers, became the true weapons that would decide naval battles in the years to come.