MALAYA BATTLE

Evening Star, Issue 24096, 17 January 1942, Page 7

MALAYA BATTLE

Harrying Japanese Advance SUCCESS IN MALACCA SECTOR Autralians In Picture (British Official Wireless.l Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright (Rec. noon.) RUGBY, January 16. The latest news of operations in Malaya is contained in this morning’s Singapore communique, which stales that during the latter stages of the local engagement reported yesterday in the eastern part of Negri province, lying between Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, our troops destroyed six enemy tanks and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Enemy troops, supported by fighters and bombers, attacked our forward troops. Our own casualties were comparatively light. Some contact with the enemy is reported in the western part of the front, but the general situation remains unchanged. Bomber aircraft of the Far East. Command attacked and sank a number of barges at Sungei Linzi, and damaged several others. Other bombers attacked targets at Sungei Patani, but the results were not observed owing to bad weather. This morning a large force of our aircraft attacked concentrations of enemy transports and rolling stock on the roads and railways in the Tampin area. Several vehicles were set on fire and seemed to be burning fiercely, and a number of railway trucks were damaged. During a raid on Singapore yesterday the enemy lost one fighter, while one other fighter was probably destroyed and three others damaged. This morning our fighters shot down one army type 97 over Singapore. There is no confirmation in London of the Japanese claim to have crossed the Johore frontier, and the claim does not appear to be accurate.