Akaba and Singapore

In viewing the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, Singapore 1941 can come to mind.

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...the attack on Aqaba) were heavily fictionalized...

In his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom
A Project Gutenberg of Australia eBook
T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935) wrote:
Chapter XXVIII
I told him that I knew Akaba from before the war, and felt that his scheme was technically impossible. We could take the beach of the gulf; but our forces there, as unfavourably placed as on a Gallipoli beach, would be under observation and gun-fire from the coastal hills: and these granite hills, thousands of feet high, were impracticable for heavy troops: the passes through them being formidable defiles, very costly to assault or to cover. In my opinion, Akaba, whose importance was all and more than he said, would be best taken by Arab irregulars descending from the interior without naval help.


While later we read:


Churchill reflected: "So there were no permanent fortifications covering the landward side of the naval base and the city!
Now, suddenly, all this vanished away, and I saw before me the hideous spectacle of the almost naked island and of the wearied, if not exhausted, troops retreating upon it." 2
2 Churchill, The Second World War, Vol IV, p. 43.


And a later account: Of the numerous reasons for the campaign's success, four primary factors stand out above the rest. First, Japan recognized the need for, and obtained, accurate and timely intelligence concerning the defenders and the battlefield. Second, Japan was able to exploit the fortress mentality of the British and residents of Singapore, who mistakenly placed their confidence in the illusion of the city's invincibility. Third, planning and preparation by the Japanese proved far superior to that of the Allied defenders. Finally, the ingenuity and flexibility displayed by Japanese commanders and staff personnel resulted in force multiplication through successful deceptions, and ultimately, rapid victory.