Bali And Timor Attacked
HEAVY BLOWS BY DEFENCE
The southward driving forces of Japan have opened up two new fronts with thrusts at Timor, stopping place of the Australian air link with the west, and Bali, favourite island of tourists.
A Reuter message from Batavia says that a considerable Japanese expeditionary force has attempted to occupy Bali, which is east of Java, and about 150 miles from Surabaya.
Tokio official radio stated that the Japanese had also made landings at dawn today in both Dutch and Portuguese Timor. It was added that the Cabinet Information Board announced that the Government had decided to expel the British and Dutch troops from Timor Island.
Nevertheless, Tokio radio said, it was intended "to guarantee the territorial integrity of the Portuguese Far Eastern possessions and withdraw the Japanese forces as soon as their objectives are achieved."
With today's, reports of this attempted Japanese landir.g on the island of Bali it would seem that an all-out attack on Java can be expected at any moment. Bali is divided from east Java only by a narrow strait and the Japanese have already gained a footing ir. Sumatra, to the west of Java. Communiques from Netherlands headquarters describe vigorous counter-attacks by the Allies against the latest Japanese acts of aggression. Submarines and surface craft went out last night to attack the Japanese forces off Bali arid details of the action are awaited. SUCCESSES OF DEFENCE. Allied aircraft had successes which may prove to be even greater than is estimated at the moment. They shot down four Japanese fighters without loss to themselves and scored the following successes with bombs: three direct hits on one or more Japanese cruisers, two direct hits on transports, md eight near misses on destroyers. In addition a Japanese cruiser and a transport were, hit with lighter bombs. Japanese excuses for the invasion of Timor are regarded in London as particularly unconvincing. Tokio de-
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19420221.2.39.1
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1942, Page 7
Word Count
321Bali And Timor Attacked Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1942, Page 7
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.