JAPANESE LAND IN PANAY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 173, 18 April 1942, Page 7

JAPANESE LAND IN PANAY

Limited Occupation In Philippines CORREGIDOR’S STING (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 10. A Washington communique states that Japanese forces in the Philippines landed early today in Panay Island, at a point near Capiz. They came ashore from eight transports, protected by the fire of naval vessels and air attacks. The forces in Panay are in contact with the enemy, hut no details of the tighting are yet available. [Panay, a mountainous island, is in the central Philippines, and has a population of 775,000. The main town is Iloilo.] The Japanese attacks on Corregidor are continuing, the communique continues. Anti-aircraft fire hit an enemy bomber, which left formation, and was last observed rapidly losing altitude. The fortress’s biff guns have pounded batteries in Batan and at Cavite, which has resulted in a noticeable decrease in enemy’ artillery fire in the past 30 hours. Yesterday hits were registered on troop concentrations and truck columns in Batan. Ammunition dumps were bit and blown up. The enemy casualties are believed to have been numerous. Morale Unimpaired. There have been 206 air-raid alarms on Corregidor since the beginning of the war. Actually there have been more raids than alarms, since there have been occasions when there was an alarm lasting half a day, during which there were four or five air attacks. Since April 9 there have been 65 airraids. In spite of almost constant bombing, the damage to military installations has been relatively slight and the morale of the troops is unimpaired. Aggressive patrol actions are reported at several places in Mindanao Island, causing the enemy substantial losses. On Cebu the'small American force is still ‘holding out against the 12,000 ene,m.v troops which landed there last week. The correspondents who returned to Australia with Brigadier-General Ralph Royce’s forces, say that in Mindinao the enemy has actually been stopped from penetrating into the interior. The Japanese are holding only a small area in Davao, and apart from this small part the whole of the island of Mindanao is in American hands. A Navy Department communique says that the United States minesweeper Finch was sunk during enemy bombing attacks on Corregidor yesterday. There were no casualties to the ship’s personnel.

FIGHTING IN INDIES

Many Strongholds Still Retained z (British Oiiicial Wireless.) RUGBY, April 16. The Netherlands . Minister, Dr. Aerssen, when presenting his credentials to the Goverfior-General of Australia, confirmed the fact that Netherlands forces were still resisting in the Netherlands East Indies, and that the Dutch were holding many strongholds. The Netherlands land, sea and air forces, he said, were determined to continue fighting till victory was achieved. Dr. Van Mook, formerly Lieutenant-Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies, has arrived in San Francisco from Australia with 13 other officials.

INVADERS IN CHINA

Reinforcements Toward North CHUNGKING, April 16. The Chinese military spokesman said today that large Japanese forces and equipment were being moved northward from Nanking, possibly toward the Russian frontier. With the approach of the bombing season, China’s wartime capital is speeding up its air-raid precautions. During the past four years Japanese bombs have killed 20,000 people in Chungking and wounded 9000 others. Four hundred thousand labourers are rushing the construction of the new 600-mile highway between India and China west of the previous supply route across Sikiang Province. SIBERIAN FISHERIES NEW YORK, April 16. Tokio radio stated that Japanese companies have successfully bid for all 14 fishing lots off the Siberian Pacific Coast which were auctioned in Vladivostok yesterday.