1927 Admiralty Nautical Chart / Map of Singapore Strait East

This is a first edition 1927 British Admiralty nautical chart or maritime map of the eastern portion of the Singapore Strait. The map was issued during the Interwar Period, when British naval hegemony was waning and the 'Singapore Strategy' attempted to turn the island colony into a 'Gibraltar of the East'.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from Singapore Island to Pulo Bintan (Pulau Bintan) and from Johore and the Johore Strait to Pulo Batam (Pulau Batam). Depth soundings, measured in fathoms, populate the map. Various reefs, shoals, and other nautical hazards appear as well, along with some coastal landmarks. Yellow dots mark the few lights present in the region. A profile view of the coastline between Carter Shoal and South Ledge appears along the upper border in Johore. A table of tidal information is situated in the lower right corner.

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), 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 exceptional strategic position. Starting work in 1919, the British began a series of extensive improvements to the port at an expense of some 500,000 GBP. Completed over the subsequent twenty 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, in 1942 when hostilities finally broke out between the British Empire and Imperial Japan, Singapore fell to Japanese invaders after just fifteen days of fighting, an event described by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the 'worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history.'

Publication History and Census

This chart was published by the Admiralty in 1927 as Admiralty chart 3834. We note a single cataloged example, which is part of the collection at the British Library.