1928 Admiralty Nautical Chart of Maritime Map of the Malacca Strait

This is a 1928 British Admiralty nautical chart or maritime map of the Malacca Strait. The map depicts the region from Sumatra to Singapore Island and from Malaysia to Great Karimun Island (Pulo Karimun). A unique piece, numerous manuscript notations and updates have been added to this chart. A paste-down has been placed near the in the lower right quadrant, creating manuscript updates to the coastline and illustrating several rivers, one of which stretches a decent distance inland. Manuscript half-circles have been added in the strait itself, most likely to depict the distance out into the strait different beacons are discernable by a passing mariner. Not all the beacons feature this notation, creating the presumption that whoever created these notations may have only found certain beacons to be important when they were transiting the strait.

A chart full of detail, myriad depth soundings are noted throughout the strait. Several islands along the length of the strait are labeled, along with numerous locations along the Malaysian (Malay or Malaccan) coastline. Beacons are noted by yellow dots and inland topographical features are shown. Singapore Island is illustrated in detail, with numerous rivers, mountains, and beacons noted. The city of Singapore is labeled, as is Johore Bahru.

The Singapore Strategy

As this map was being printed, Singapore became central to the Singapore Strategy, a naval defense policy instituted by the British Empire between 1919 and 1941.  Following World War I (1914 – 1918), it became apparent that the Royal Navy was facing challenges to its long established supremacy by the rising naval forces of the United States and Imperial Japan.  While the growing U.S. Navy, being a strong ally, was not a serious cause of concern, it quickly became apparent that the Imperial Japanese naval buildup would clash with British interests in the Far East.  

The British determined to establish a 'Gibraltar of the East,' zoning in on Singapore for its exceptionally strategic position.  Starting work in 1919, the British began a series of extensive improvements to the port as an expense of some 500,000 GBP.  Completed over the subsequent 20 years, Singapore was outfitted with largest dry dock in the world, the third largest wet dock, and enough fuel tanks to support the entire Royal Navy for six months.  The island's defenses also included an enormous Royal Air Force base and mounted 15-inch stationary guns.   Despite what appeared to be highly defensible position, when hostilities finally broke out between the British Empire and Imperial Japan, in 1942, Singapore fell to Japanese invaders after just 15 days of fighting, an event described by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the 'worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history.'

This chart was engraved by Davies and Company and published by the Admiralty in 1928.