Operation Jurist
| Operation Jurist | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second World War | |||||||||
Imperial Japanese Navy Rear Admiral Jisaku Uozumi signs the surrender of Penang aboard HMS Nelson on 2 September 1945. He fainted shortly afterwards and was rushed to hospital. | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| British Empire | Empire of Japan | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Harold Walker | Jisaku Uozumi (POW) | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
3 Commando Brigade Task Force 11 | 7th Area Army | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
42,651 infantry 2 escort carriers 1 battleship 1 light cruiser 3 destroyers 3 landing craft | 26,000 infantry | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| None | 26,000 captured | ||||||||
Operation Jurist referred to the British recapture of Penang following Japan's surrender in 1945. Jurist was launched as part of Operation Zipper, the overall British plan to liberate Malaya, including Singapore.
While a larger Allied fleet sailed on to Singapore through the Malacca Strait under Operation Tiderace, a detachment of Royal Navy warships, led by Vice Admiral Harold Walker, moved towards Penang Island, arriving off the island on 28 August 1945. The Japanese garrison in Penang surrendered on 2 September and a party of Royal Marine commandos landed on Penang Island the following day, thus returning Penang to British rule.
Consequently, Penang became the first state in Malaya to be liberated by the British; Singapore would only be formally surrendered to the British on 12 September, while the rest of Malaya was subsequently liberated in the following weeks.