ENEMY CONQUEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1942, Page 5

ENEMY CONQUEST

SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC

THE MARCH ON JAVA

RUGBY, February 25,

A sketch of the activities of the Netherlands forces since the war reached the South-west Pacific two and a half months ago underlines the value of this gallant defence to the common cause. At the outbreak of the war in the Far East the Dutch land forces were mainly concentrated in Java, but small garrisons were stationed on the outer possessions to guard strategic points. Other forces, including the Naval Air Service and bombers of the Army Air Service, were concentrated in different areas of the vast archipelago to meet any Japanese advance and harass the enemy on the way south. In the outer possessions the army's tactics have been to meet the Japanese attack by local defence, cover the complete destruction of important installations, and then withdraw inland and continue resistance by guerrilla warfare. LONG-DISTANCE BOMBING. Since December 14 constant bombing raids against many targets in the Netherlands East Indies took place. The first was made on the Anambas Islands, but since then different targets in Sumatra, Borneo, and New Guinea were among the places attacked. These raids, over a distance equal to that from Brussels to Astrakhan, show the great effort which Japan has made in the drive into the Southwest Pacific. On December 30 Japanese naval forces shelled Menado, the capital, and Minahassa, in Celebes. *"' The first Japanese landing in the Netherlands East Indies took place on the rich oil island of Tarakan on January 11. The small defending force did whatever it could, and it was able to complete the demolitions on the island before being overpowered. A small number of the garrison succeed*^ ed in escaping to the mainland and continuing guerrilla warfare.

The Japanese landed on the same day in Minahassa. where, it was re- ; ported, they used parachute troops in addition to naval landing parties. Here, also, the garrison resisted strongly, and guerrilla warfare has continued with great success. BLOW AT BALIK PAPAN. The considerable success gained m the naval and air attacks against the