Labrador battery - a scene of unusual serenity in the midst of war. Its 6" guns stood silent as Singapore was attacked by the Japanese.
It was one of the batteries of 6", 9.2" and 15" guns, scattered primarily about the south and east of Singapore, which stood ready to defend Singapore from any seaward attack. Many of the guns were not put into action against the Japanese as they faced "the wrong way." Many of the smaller guns could not rotate sufficiently in order to face the threat of the invaders. Some of the 9.2" and 15" guns were used but to a limited effect.
The fortification of Singapore hinged on the assumption that any external attack would come from the seaward face of the island, since Malaya was perceived as an insurmountable obstacle on the landward side. When the attack did come, it was from the least expected quarter of the island, and the "fixed defenses" of the Gibraltar of the East, of which so much had been written and said, were unable to prevent the Fall of Singapore. ^^^
