ENEMY INFILTRATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 88, 24 January 1942, Page 5

ENEMY INFILTRATION.

IN WESTERN JOHORE AREA.

MOVEMENTS IN THE JUNGLE.

LONDON, January 23

The latest Singapore communique says that yesterday in the Mersing area contact with the enemy continued. British’artillery was active in harassing the enemy. On the central front fighting is in progress in the forward area. In Western Johore fighting is .reported in the Batu Pahat area, whore some infiltration has occurred. Heavy fighting is in progress at Bukit Payong. There was considerable enemy air activity against the British forward troops. A small formation of fighters encountered a superior force of enemy bombers in the Layang Layang area. One British fighter is missing.

According to a message from Singapore, the positions of the Imperial troops on the northern and western fronts have undergone little change. Fighting is still proceeding on the western sector and fighting has begun in the east coast area to which the enemy is believed to have filtered from points northwards. The Australians ambushed a Japanese party causing heavy casualties. An Indian force holding a section of the northern front successfully ambushed Japanese bicycle troops and killed 30.

The commander of the Australian forces in Malaya (Majo.-General Gordon Bennett) in an interview, said he was concerned with west coast affairs involving the Australian troops. r l he Japanese infiltration tactics were still proving effective. In some sections they had apparently abandoned attempts to break through in the north and had turned aside, endeavouring to pass down the coast, disappearing in the jungle in small parties anu reappearing behind the lines. An observer in f Singapore states that a disturbing feature of the Japanese'attacks is the fact that they still seem to have a good supply of small craft to enable them to carry out their flanking and infiltration tactics along the coast, to within 50 miles northwest of Singapore.

British county regiments are fighting beside the Australians and Indians in Malaya. Among the British troops are units of the East Surreys, the. Manchester s, the Gordons, and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Other units include detachments of the Royal Marines, the Malayan Regiment, the Sarawak Regiment, and the Hyderabad and Punjab motorised units from India.