MOVE AGAINST SIBERIA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23747, 19 September 1942, Page 5

MOVE AGAINST SIBERIA

SIGNS OF JAPANESE INTENTION

VIEW IN WASHINGTON (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 2 a.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 18. The Washington correspondent of the New York “Herald-Tribune” says: “Fear is mounting in official circles tonight that the Japanese are preparing to attack Siberia. Diplomats point out that the following factors suggest that an attack is to be expected; “(1) The appointment of Tane, who has been long associated with the military group in Manchukuo favouring war against Russia, as Japanese Foreign Minister. “(2) An Axis broadcast yesterday quoting General Hata. commander of the Japanese forces in China as saying; ‘The East Asia war is about to take an important step in co-opera-tion with the European war.’ “<3) Confidential information received in Washington indicating that the Japanese are holding back from the Russian campaign until Stalingrad is captured.

“<4) General j.amashita is reported to have assumed command of the Japanese forces in Manchukuo. “ ( 5) Lieutenant-General J. Stilwell, Allied commander in China, recently reported that the defensive attitude of the Japanese in China could be logically explained by concentrations for an attack on Siberia. “(6) Reliable reports that the Japanese are withdrawing troops from China and sending them to Manchukuo, where at present they have more than 750,000 troops, including ski and sled regiments.”

EGYPTIAN FRONT NOTHING TO REPORT ON LAND (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 18. To-day's Cairo communique says: “Our pa(rols engaged and dispersed enemy working parties in the northern sector. Yesterday there was nothing to report from the land forces and air activity was restricted by sandstorms.” All the time British fighters are patrolling the battle area and on Wednesday an offensive patrol shot down two enemy aircraft and damaged several more.

Benghazi was raided in daylight, and direct hits were scored on two vessels, one of which was left burning. Over Malta, a German fighter was shot down when British aircraft carried out an offensive patrol.

ACTION AGAINST TOBRUK

DARING SEABORNE RAID

ENEMY POSITIONS BATTERED LONDON, Sept. 17. Details of the seaborne action against Tobruk on Sunday night have been compiled from various agency messages and dispatches from correspondents who were with the Mediterx'anean Fleet during the action. British and American bombers started the attack at 9.30 p.m., and continued for five and a half hours in the heaviest battering Tobruk has ever had. Tons of high explosives were dropped aqd the flashes of the explosions were visible to watchers on the ships miles out to sea. At 3 a.m. the bombing ceased and the aircraft departed, their work done. Then British torpedo boats and motor launches crammed with troops approached the harbour and took up the attack. Raiding parties and explosives were landed from these craft. The destroyers Sikh and Zulu swept into the harbour full of troops. The marines were first ashore, and while the destroyers took up the shelling of thi enemy positions, the marines blew up oil and store dumps. The explosions from these oil dumps burst with bright flashes which flickered against the darkness and mingled with the light of heavier shells from the warships and the whitish trails of tracer bullets. It was an attack by only a few hundred British troops against a town held by many thousands of Germans and Italians. The British soldiers went ashore v earing khaki shirts and shorts, tin hats, and boots with heavy crepe rubber soles. They > ere armed to the teeth with tommy guns. Bren guns, machine-guns, and rifles. Each man also carried jrenades, a quantity of guncotton, and stick bombs. Then came the news that the Sikh had been hit by shore batteries and disabled. A signal was received that she was able to steam at only 10 knots, but she was deluged with shells, and at 6,50 a.m. the situation was too dangerous, and it was decided to abandon attempts to tow her clear. The naval officer in charge of the operations signalled the party to withdraw and the ship was sunk. "Good-bye, and God bless you,” was signalled as the Sikh sank. Even in her last moments the destroyer replied shell for shell to the shore batteries. A correspondent aboard the Zulu said that after the Sikh sank, the full fury of 70 German bombers was turned against them. Finally, the Zulu was hit, and all aboard her were transferred to another ship. Nearly 1500 Allied aeroplanes participated in the Tobruk operations. Discussing this, a correspondent, broadcasting from Egypt, added that Sunday night’s big raid was a continuation of weeks of intensive night bombing. “Persistently, night after night, and with increasing strength we have hammered Tobruk," he said. “There was only one night out of the 31 last month that our bombers were not over Tobruk. The town must now be a dreadful wreck. It is easily the most bombed town in North Africa.”

ALLIED ATTACKS ON

BURMA NEW YORK, Sept, 17. “The increasing Allied air attacks on Burmese bases with the end of the monsoon' have forced the Japanese to hastily improve their defences,” states the correspondent of the North American Newspapez 1 Alliance, "Experts do not believe that a major Japanese air offensive against India is imminent. On the contrary, reports received indicate that the Japanese fear that the Allies have selected Akyab as the base for the early recapture of Burma in a combined counter-offensive by land, sea, and ail. "Furthermore, experts agree that the Allies at present are holding the most strategic cards in air warfare on the Assam-Burma front, while the Japanese are probably unable to maintain the runways and other installations needed tor operating heavy bombers against India.” A New Delhi communique states that the Royal Air Force yesterday again raided Mandalay. Japanese river craft were attacked and bombs fell in the area of the quay. A direct hit was scored on a barge, but other results could not be observed. All the British machines returned.

Air Transport Auxiliary Record.— The Air Transport Auxiliary celebrated its third birthday this week with this record: 100,009 aeroplanes delivered. 223,000 hours flown, 30.000.000 miles covered. The pilots have handled 117 types of aircraft, and about a quarter could fly them all-London, September 17.