HEAVY FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25247, 28 July 1947, Page 7

HEAVY FIGHTING ON ALL FRONTS

Indonesian Resistance To Dutch Forces

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) BATAVIA, July 26. Heavy fighting is continuing on all fronts in Indonesia, and the Dutch are intensifying their air attacks in East Java and Sumatra, according to a bulletin from the Antara (Indonesia) news service. The Republican resistance to the Dutch land forpes is stiffening.

To-day’s Dutch communique says that in its drive to occupy the 200-mile stretch of North Java coastline east of Batavia, the Dutch Army has now taken the port of Indramaju, and has reached Losari, half-way to Tegal.

Indramaju is about 40 miles northwest of Cheribon, which was captured two days ago by the Dutch forces. It completes the mopping-up of all important places north of Bandoeng to the coast between Batavia and Cheribon. * The communique says that Dutch forces have taken Lawang, south of the Dutch Surabaya front, where, in the west sector at Modjokerto, Republican activity is increasing. Lawang was a Republican divisional headquarters, and is on the direct road to Malang. The communique reports that the clearing of obstructions and road blocks has temporarily slowed down the Dutch advance inland from Palembang towards Sumatra’s big open-cut coalmines Land mines and obstructions have also delayed columns moving on the southern oilfields. The communique again emphasises that the Dutch forces have met little resistance or enmity. Casualties were only nine wounded in the last 24 hours hours. Dutch casualties in Java and Sumatra are now 32 dead, 50 wounded and seven missing.

Republican Communique A Republican Army communique says that street fighting is continuing in Samarang, where Javanese and Mdluccans in the Dutch Army have revolted.. The main hostilities in Central Java are around Samarang. Republican forces, attacking Samarang from the east, captured large supplies of war material.

Scorched earth tactics have been effectively applied in East Java, where Republican troops are successfully conducting guerrilla warfare around Dutch-occupied places. An Antara correspondent says that the Dutch have occupied the greater part of West Java in Northern Sumatra, Republican forces recaptured the greater part of Medan, and the Dutch position in this sector may be described as untenable. Damage to Plantations An aerial reconnaissance over the vast tract of British-owned freehold land in West Java belonging to the Anglo-Dutch Plantation Company indicates that the Republican scorched earth policy has caused millions of pounds’ worth of damage. Sabang, in the centre of the Anglo-Dutch Company’s properties, has been completely destroyed. Installations razed included the power stations. The Netherlands East Indies Government has given 1,000,000 guilders in immediate relief to those whose homes and properties have been destroyed by the retreating Republicans.