A British warship being refitted in a floating dock at Singapore naval base, 1940s

In 1919 Singapore, which is strategically located in the Strait of Malacca between the Pacific and Indian oceans, was chosen as the site of a major British naval base. The British anticipated that in the event of a Pacific war, they would relocate a large fleet of Royal Navy vessels from Britain to Singapore. In 1923 construction began on the massive 54-square-kilometre base. Australia and New Zealand both invested in the construction of the facility.