The forgotten role of the bicycle in wartime: How soldiers rode into action on two wheels

Think the Japanese made extensive use of bicycles during their south-east Asia campaign.

In its 1937 invasion of China, Japan employed some 50,000 bicycle troops. Early in World War II their southern campaign through Malaya en route to capturing Singapore in 1941 was largely dependent on bicycle-riding soldiers. In both efforts bicycles allowed quiet and flexible transport of thousands of troops who were then able to surprise and confuse the defenders. Bicycles also made few demands on the Japanese war machine, needing neither trucks, nor ships to transport them, nor precious petroleum. Although the Japanese were under orders not to embark for Malaya with bicycles, for fear of slowing up amphibious landings, they knew from intelligence that bicycles were plentiful in Malaya and moved to systematically confiscate bicycles from civilians and retailers as soon as they landed. Using bicycles, the Japanese troops were able to move faster than the withdrawing Allied Forces, often successfully cutting off their retreat. The speed of Japanese advance, usually along plantation roads, native paths and over improvised bridges, also caught Allied Forces defending the main roads and river crossings by surprise, by attacking them from the rear. However, there were one or two cases of Australian troops turning the tables on the Japanese by isolating cycle troops from their accompanying motorized forces after blowing up bridges over rivers. Another advantage that the Japanese had with using bicycles was that it allowed an individual soldier to carry more without needing to rest and resupply often: British soldiers carried only 18 kilograms of equipment in order to march long distances through the jungles whereas Japanese bicycle soldiers could carry 36 kilograms of equipment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_infantry

Some more nuggets in that article about the Fins btw.

Fun fact; in bike loving Netherlands cyclists had right off way (just like cars) when coming from the right. This law was quickly used by civilians to delay any German transports during our occupation by the Germans. The Germans actually changed the law in 1942 to stop this from happening.

Those damn krauts also stole all our bikes when they got defeated in WW2 so they could get their nazi asses home. "give us back our bicycles" is actually a much used chant by Dutch supporters during football matches versus the Germans

very interesting... I just so happened to have found a well oiled speedbike at my dumpster about 2 hours ago.... someone died a few months ago and a lot of things have a appeared there today. you know bike is just short for Bickle, right?