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10 Dec. 1941: Land-based Japanese bombers and torpedo bombers sank battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse in the South China Sea while they were en route to Singapore.
This calamity resulted in driving home what aviators had been saying since the end of WWI: that large capital ships were vulnerable to airpower and thus made aircraft carriers more valuable to navies.
The loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse cost 840 sailors' lives compared to Japanese losses of 4 aircraft destroyed, 28 damaged, and 2 seaplanes missing. Only 18 aviators lost their lives.
For details, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) Spitfires pass over the HMS Repulse shortly before it was attacked by Japanese land-based aircraft. (2) HMS Repulse tries to outrun an attack by Type 96 bombers and nearly escapes before being hit with a bomb astern. (3) A G4M1 Betty launches a torpedo at HMS Repulse. (4) A G4M1 Betty releases its bombs above the HMS Prince of Wales. (5) Betty bombers release their torpedoes just 500 meters from the HMS Prince of Wales and quickly sink it.
This calamity resulted in driving home what aviators had been saying since the end of WWI: that large capital ships were vulnerable to airpower and thus made aircraft carriers more valuable to navies.
The loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse cost 840 sailors' lives compared to Japanese losses of 4 aircraft destroyed, 28 damaged, and 2 seaplanes missing. Only 18 aviators lost their lives.
For details, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse
ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) Spitfires pass over the HMS Repulse shortly before it was attacked by Japanese land-based aircraft. (2) HMS Repulse tries to outrun an attack by Type 96 bombers and nearly escapes before being hit with a bomb astern. (3) A G4M1 Betty launches a torpedo at HMS Repulse. (4) A G4M1 Betty releases its bombs above the HMS Prince of Wales. (5) Betty bombers release their torpedoes just 500 meters from the HMS Prince of Wales and quickly sink it.
Posted in these groups: 
WWII World War Two
Naval/Maritime History
WWII World War Two Naval/Maritime History
Edited 6 mo ago
Posted 6 mo ago
Responses: 3
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This was long overshadowed by events of Dec 7th. The world was now quickly waking up to the threat of the Japanese.
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The HMS Prince of Wales was sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941 by the Japanese. The ship was also nicknamed “HMS Unsinkable” because she was dressed with the most advanced protective armor of the time.
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