031 - The Bicycle Brigade

It was a mere 457 miles from the beaches of Kota Baharu to Singapore, but advancing 5000 men through wild jungle while facing down the Royal British and Australian Armies deployed throughout British Malaya made that an almost insurmountable task.

During WWII, the average troop transport truck weighed over 5 tons and only carried 16 men and their supplies. For the attack force, this meant the Imperial Japanese Army would have to supply over 350 trucks. This did not even take into consideration the necessary fuel for these trucks nor the extra parts and tools in case the trucks broke down. Additionally, British Malaya was just one of many battles that were to occur in December 1941. Because of this, there had to be another way.

The commanders of the IJA decided that their troops would make a beach landing in Kota Baharu and then they would commandeer normal bicycles from the civil population of British Malaya and use them as a light cavalry instead.

Masses of bicycles, ridden by Japanese soldiers, sped quietly along the roads of British Malaya as the Army advanced south. Since bicycles were people-powered, the only fuel the bicycles needed was food for the soldiers. If a bicycle broke down, it was quickly repaired or replaced.

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The strategy of using bicycles as transportation was nothing new. It was used widely in northern Europe by the Germans and extensively during World War I. After all, it was economical and no troop training was necessary to operate a Bicycle Brigade; the soldiers just had to know how to ride a bike. With the help of pedal power, the Japanese Army would be on the shores of Singapore within two months.