Having overrun defenses at the northwestern coastline, Japanese troops of the 5th Division reached Tengah Airfield on the morning of 9 February 1942. Remnants of the 22nd Australian Brigade, which had defended the northwestern coastline against the initial Japanese assault, joined the 29th and Special Reserve Battalions in defending Tengah Airfield. However, by afternoon, under increasing pressure from the enemy, the defenders withdrew to the Jurong-Kranji line, where a more effective stand could be made.
By evening of 9 February, Tengah Airfield, which was a strategic point for the capture of Singapore, was firmly in Japanese hands. ^^^
