CITY CAPTURED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 205, 12 June 1945, Page 3

CITY CAPTURED

AUSTRALIANS IN BORNEO. JAPANESE TAKEN BY SURPRISE ONLY LIGHT CASUALTIES. (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, June 11. Elements of the 9th Australian Division who landed simultaneously at Labuan Island and at Brooketon and Muara, in Brunei Bay, on the west coast of Borneo, on Sunday, have already captured the city and airfield at Labuan, says a correspondent with the forces in Brunei. They have advanced more than two miles inland on the mainland from Brooketon toward the town of Brunei. The naval and air bombardment levelled the beach defences and the assault troops went ashore meeting only scattered opposition. Warships of the United States 7th Fleet and the Royal Australian and the 13th Air Forces are supporting the operation. This landing, 800 miles north of Singapore, and 600 miles east of the shore of Indo-China, follows the seizure of Tarakan, 600 miles away, on the opposite side of Borneo. The Japanese were taken by surprise and consequently our casualties were light. , The Brunei area is rich in oil, rubber, coal, lumber, iron and other resources and in the 500 square miles of its sheltered bay numberless ships of any size can ride at anchor. The establishment of air and naval facilities at Brunei Bay, combined with those in the Philippines, will complete the chain of mutually-supporting strategic bases, 1500 miles long, from which air and naval forces are within continuous effective range of the Asiatic coast from Singapore to Shanghai. At Brunei and Tarakan the Allies are at the strategic centre of the Celebes, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Malaya, and Indo-China.