 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Hong Kong yakakumikidzwa kuvaJapan pana December 25. MuMalaya vaJapan vakakurira hondo yeAllied yakaumbwa nemauto eBritain, India, Australia neMalaya. VaJapan vakakurumidza kukwanisa kupfuurira vachienda kuMalayan Peninsula, vachimanikidza mauto eAllied kuti adzokere kuSingapore. MaAllies akanga asina dziviriro yemhepo uye matangi; vaJapan vakanga vane simba remhepo. Kunyura kweHMS Prince of Wales neHMS Repulsemusi waDecember 10, 1941, kwakatungamirira kumhenderekedzo yokumabvazuva yeMalaya kuva yakazarurirwa kumhara kweJapan nokubviswa kwesimba rengarava reBritain munharaunda yacho. Pakupera kwaJanuary 1942, mauto okupedzisira eAllied akayambuka strait yeJohore ndokupinda muSingapore. MuPhilippines, vaJapan vakasundira mauto akabatanidzwa echiPhilippine neAmerica kuBataan Peninsula uye gare gare chitsuwa cheCorregidor. Pakazosvika January 1942, General Douglas MacArthur naPurezidhendi Manuel L. Quezon vakamanikidzwa kutiza mukutarisana nokufambira mberi kweJapan. Ikoku kwakaratidzira kumwe kwokukundwa kwakaipisisa kwakatambudzwa navaAmerica, kuchisiya vanopfuura vasungwa vehondo veAmerica navaPhilippine 70 000 vari muchengeti wechiJapan. 