How was the main fleet to Singapore strategy effective in protecting Singapore?

Answer 1

There was no such fleet to Singapore. The HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk on 10 December 1941 by Japanese warplanes near the coast of Kuantan in Malaya. The British battleships should have been accompanied by the carrier Indomitable but she was damaged and without the air cover provided by the carrier, the 2 warships were nothing but useless metal that had slow reaction against the bombarding by the Japanese warplanes. The strategies that the British had were of little use in protecting Singapore. The British had control over Malaysia and Singapore. They thought that no one stood a chance in attacking Singapore from Johore, Malaysia simply because they had lots of land troops in Malaysia to fend off any enemy attacks. Hence, they stored warships on the nothern coast of Singapore, which they thought would be protected from any invaders on land. They had ample units in Malaysia and thought they simply cannot lose. Instead, the British build up cannons at the southern coast of Singapore, in Fort Canning and Sentosa. To them, the only way enemies can pose threat to Singapore was to attack by the sea, explaining their actions.