DUTCH WRECK OIL REGION

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 40, 17 February 1942, Page 5

DUTCH WRECK OIL REGION

LONDON, February 16. In Sumatra the Japanese have now occupied the great oil centre of Palembang, but the Dutch have destroyed all the oil installations. The Japanese took the town after fierce fighting, in which they suffered heavy losses. The Japanese naval craft bringing these invading forces Were heavily1 attacked. British, American, and Netherlands bombers hit five transports and two cruisers, setting one cruiser on fire. The Japanese transferred their troops to all kinds of small craft and these sailed into the various rivers and creeks on the coast. .Our fighters and bombers/at once attacked. Some of Our eight-gun Hurricanes niade as many as six sorties during the day. Blenheims assisted in doing tremendous damage to troopladen badges proceeding up the river to Palembang. Batavia tonight denied Axis reports that the Japanese , have landed on Java. In the Timor Sea Allied shipping has been unsuccessfully attacked by Japanese planes. Other Japanese raiderg bombed one small place in New Guinea for an hour, dding much material damage and causing a few Civilian casualties.