Singapura em poder dos Japoneses [Singapore in Japanese Hands]

German propaganda celebrating Japan’s invasion of Singapore.

“The British Stronghold in Greater Asia was defeated. Churchill and Roosevelt also lost the game there.” – Text, lower center.

This fascinating and uncommon broadside was published in 1942 by the German Army (Wehrmacht) High Command Propaganda Department. It was designed to celebrate the Japanese capture of Singapore, at the time considered the ‘worst disaster’ in British military history by Winston Churchill. The embarrassing capitulation of Allied forces is presented to a Portuguese audience, traditional allies of the British but a neutral nation during the Second World War.

The poster shows several views of the Japanese strike force, including tanks, infantry, and aerial attacks. An idyllic view of the city (upper left) contrasts sharply with the horrific experiences of its inhabitants. Text on the verso further commemorates the demise of the British defenders, claiming that “England and the USA and all their allies stagger to the precipice of annihilation.” An effective method of encouraging neutrality during a period of increasing military frustration for the Third Reich.

The print is scarce on the market and in institutional collections. As of May 2024, WorldCat notes only two examples in institutions, at the University of Michigan and the National Museum of Singapore.

Sources: OCLC# 923785978; Example at National Museum of Singapore;