Admiral Philips still convinced that the Fleet’s guns could ward off an
air attack and satisfied that if he remained more than 200 miles from the coast
of Indo-China he would be beyond range of Japanese aircraft, Phillips went
ahead. According to one officer, Phillips told the assembled meeting: ‘I feel
we have got to do something.’ Another recalled: ‘Admiral Phillips summed up in
words something like this – “We can stay in Singapore. We can sail away to the
East – Australia. Or we can go out and fight. Gentlemen, we sail at five
o’clock.”’
The Prince of Wales and Repulse, escorted by the destroyers Express,
Electra, Vampire (RAN) and Tenedos, cleared the dockyard boom at 1735 that
evening and slowly increased speed to a steady 17 knots. Now identified by the
code-name Force Z the squadron was headed by the flagship with the Repulse
following 4 cables astern, and the ruddy glow of a spectacular tropical sunset
painted a lurid backcloth above the port horizon as the ships altered course
north-eastwards.
