ACCOUNTS OF WARFARE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 7

ACCOUNTS OF WARFARE

Dutch “Clearing Sweeps” LITTLE FIGHTING REPORTED

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) BATAVIA, July 29. Except for Republican military activity developing in the Tjermee sector, west of ■ Surabaya, and clearing sweeps in other Dutch«occupied areas, the Dutch communique to-day reports little fighting in Java and Sumatra. It says that Republican Army attacks on Dutch posts at Tjermee were beaten off. . At Tegal, on the north coast of'Java, 50 per cent, of the harbour electric power station and the bank building were destroyed. Round Samarang there is a noticeable return to normal economic conditions. There is, however, a certain amount of sabotage taking place, for instance, on telephone lines. Four oilfields belonging to the Standard Oil Company at Pendopo, southern Sumatra, are ablaze. Two of the wells were set alight by sabotage and the others by fires in the long grass, apparently caused by the fighting. The company said the fires were of little consequence, as they were on the outskirts of the maiq oilfields.

In the Padang valley, on the west coast of Sumatra, and on the east coast, the Dutch report that “conditions are developing satisfactorily in the newly occupied areas.” The Dutch give their total casualties as 50 killed, 86 wounded, and nine missing.

Indonesian Communique “Indonesian irregulars have crossed the Tjisedane river west of Batavia at several places in an attempt to infiltrate the city,” said a Republican Army communique to-day. ‘‘There are no indications of unrest in Batavia, but unconfirmed reports from Tanggerang, on the perimeter 20 miles to the west, say there has been some fighting. “A submarine has been sighted off Labuan on the west coast of Java. In East Java one Indonesian was killed and four wounded when two Dutch aircraft bombed and machine-gunned Kepandjeng and Malang, seat of the Republican provisional parliament.” The communique claims that several other places north-west of Surabaya were raided yesterday by six aircraft. Kqndangan, on the road between Malang and Kediri, fell into Indonesian hands, according to the communique. It also claims that Losari was recaptured. An Antara (Indonesian) news agency correspondent says: “The Dutch drivg eastward from Cheribon has split into two wings, one pushing past Tegal in the direction of Samarang and the other branching off to the south-east to threaten Poerwokoerto, a strategic road and rail crossing connecting Jogjakarta with West Java. “The appearance of a Dutch naval vessel off Tjilatjap on Sunday would indicate that the enemy is considering a landing there for a drive eastward against Jogjakarta. “In spite of their advantage in mechanised units and air force, the Dutch after a week of fighting have failed in their objective of occupying Jogjakarta. The Republicans have halted the enemy spearheads at Salatiga and Ambarawa and divided the enemy forces into pockets between Salatiga, Oengaran (15 miles to the north-west) and Ambarawa.” Dutch Casualties Claimed “Reports indicate that Dutch casualties in the Indonesian mass attack on Modjokerto, in East Java, last Wednesday night were 403 killed and wounded,” said an Antara (Indonesian) news agency report broadcast by the Jogjakarta radio pesterday. “Chinese civilians who fired on Indonesian troops when the Dutch forces attacked Salatiga last Tuesday had to be protected from the vengeance of the local population when the Indonesian troops repulsed the attack after five hours’ street fighting,” reports Reuters correspondent from Jogjakarta by radio. “Senior officers placed all Chinese in the area in a special camp for their own safety. “As a consequence of the ‘unhappy’ event at Salatiga, Indonesian police at Purwodadi, 30 miles east of Samarang, concentrated 500 Chinese in another protection camp. “Witnesses say that Chinese agents, during the fighting for Cheribon machine-gunned the Indonesians, who suffered heavy losses, at least 500 being killed or wounded.” Reuters correspondent reports that the Republicans halted the Dutch drive on Poerwokoerto (50 miles east of Batavia) at Bumiaja, 20 miles north-west of the town. Bumiaja is on the main road from Poerwokoerto linking up with the northern coastal road between Cheribon and Tegal. Republican successes reported in a communique heard over the Jogjakarta radio last night included the recapture of Tjiparaj, 12 miles southeast of Bandoeng, the penetration of the southern section of Bandoeng city, wher? street fighting is raging, and the capture in West Java yesterday of 763 men of a Dutch force who surrendered to the Indonesians with all their weapons,, in the Coekaboez area. The communique said that Indonesian coastal batteries on Sunday afternoon, after a gun duel, scored a direct hit on a Dutch naval vessel which approached Tjilatjap, on the south coast.

The Republican communique claimed that Indonesian forces ambushed a Dutch convoy of trucks and motorcycles at Loasri. East Java, on Saturday. killing 25 Dutch troops and destroying four trucks. The Republicans cut the Dutch line of communication between Salatiga and Ambarawa. Dutch paratroops were drooped yesterday at Lamadjanp. near Bandoeng, said the communique. Indonesian troops and the population attacked the paratroops, exterminating one section.

ALLIED FORCES IN JAPAN

DIRECTIVE ON TRAIN ' FARES

(Rec. 10 p.m.) *"tOKYO, July 29. The British force stationed in the Kure area of southern Honshu will suffer chiefly under a directive by the Supreme Command requiring all Allied troops on unofficial trips to pay train fares at the rate of one United States cent a mile. The return fare for a private travelling from Kure to Tokyo on leave will be near £NZ4, an amount which may preclude any but officers taking advantage of weekly leaves. The regulation will come into force on August 15, and fares will be payable in the currency normally used by the troops. . Thus British occupation troops will pay in occupation sterling and Americans in occupation dollars. In addition to the fares, extra charges will be made for sleeping accommodation at the rate of one United States dollar a berth in a standard sleeper and two dollars a berth in a compartment sleeper. As the journey from Kure to Tokyo takes nearly 20 hours, sleepers are essential in both the acute summer heat and the intense winter cold.

British Warships in Blank Sea.—The cruiser Liverpool, flying the flag of Admiral Sir Algernon WjlUs, Commander -in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, accompanied by the destroyers Chequers and Chaplet, is expected at the Black Sea port of Sebastopol on the first official visit paid by units of the Royal Na\y to Soviet ports since the end of the war. The Liverpool and her escorting destroyers have been visiting Istanbul. They sailed from there for Sebastopol during the weekend.—London, July 28. ,