PHILIPPINE WAR ZONE

Evening Star, Issue 24160, 2 April 1942, Page 3

PHILIPPINE WAR ZONE

HEAVY JAPANESE ATTACK SOME ADVANCE POSTS TAKEN (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, Api'il 1. A heavy Japanese attack is reported in a United States War Department communique, which states: In the Philippine theatre the Japanese infantry opened a heavy attack on the right and centre of our line at about 8 p.m. on March 31. Several waves of assault troops, supported by heavy mortar fire, made repeated attacks on our outposts. Some of our advanced positions were taken after fierce bayonet fighting. Our troops were reinforced, and after several hours of savage hand-to-hand fighting the enemy attack was brought to a halt before it reached our main line. A formal apology has been made by tbe Japanese High Command in the Philippines for the aerial bombing of our base hospital at Batan. Japanese raids were made on Corregidor and on our rear positions at Batan during daylight on March 31. Most of these attacks were made by fiights of two planes. The 116th raid on Corregidor was brought to an abrupt end when the two heavy Japanese bombers engaged in the raid were shot down by our anti-aircraft artillery at about 5 p.m. on March 31. General de Gaulle has placed the Free French forces in the Pacific under the command of General MacArthur, who, in acknowledging this gesture, said: “ I am happy once more to be closely associated with French soldiers and army comrades in arms.”

TASK OF RESTORATION AUSTRALIA JO CO-OPERATE (Rec. 11 a.m.) CANBERRA, April 2. President Quezon yesterday called on the Prime Minister, who assured him of Australia’s active co-operation in the task of restoring the Philippines, SOVIET DRIVE WEST GERMANS MASSING RESERVES STOCKHOLM, April 1. Although there have been no important territorial changes on the Russian front during the past few days, there is no diminution of the intensity of the fighting in many regions, notably at Leningrad, Lake Ilmen, Smolensk, Vyazma, and Kharkov, where the Germans have unquestionably suffered severe casualties, particularly near Leningrad, as wel as in the Staraya Russa and Vyazma pockets. The Germans are putting up the most determined resistance on the Leningrad and Vyazma-sectors, as Berlin would regard decisive Russian successes in either seetpr as a major disaster. This is not in keeping with tho attitude adopted to the Sixteenth Army: in Staraya Russa, whose eventual extinction Berlin appears tacitly to accept as a possibility, says the correspondent of ‘ The Times.’ Regardless of the outcome in the Staraya Russa region, the Russians are unlikely to progress materially toward Pskov or Peipus, because the Germans have massed _ great reserves from the Baltic States in the path of any Russian drive to the west. The Moscow radio says the Germans are making desperate attempts to break the Soviet ring around the Sixteenth German army. The Germans concentrated a large number of infantry, artillery,, tanks, and aircraft, and are throwing into the battle reserves which were intended for the spring offensive. In spite of the superior numbers of the enemy, the Soviet troops heroically repulsed all attacks. During a single day one Soviet air force unit shot down in aerial combat 10 German aircraft. During one attack 300 Gorman officers and men were wiped out and four German tanks destroyed.

BRITISH AIR AGE MISSING LONDON, April 1, Group-captain Beamish, one of the most famous leaders of the fighter pilots, has been reported missing. He was commissioned in 1923, and was regarded as one of the “ veterans ” of the Air Force. He took part in the fighting in France and Britain, and the squadrons he. has led have accounted for hundreds of German planes. Last Thursday he led the fighter wing which shot down, seven German machines over Le Havre, Group-captain Beamish accounting for two.

TIP AND RUN TACTICS ENEMY PLANES OVER MALTA (British Official Wireless.) » RUGBY, March 31. A Malta message states that last night single bombers dropped bombs on land under cover of low clouds. During Tuesday the German Air Force 'resorted to tip and run raids. Though the British were handicapped by heavy clouds, only three of the raiders succeeded in dropping bombs on land. Early in the evening bombs fell in the vicinity of Yaletta Harbour. There have been only slight civilian casualties. CHANNEL ENGAGEMENT MANY DECORATIONS AWARDED (British Official Wireless.) • RUGBY, March 31. Many awards in connection with, the action during the passage of the German battle cruisers through the Channel were gazetted to-night. Captain Pizey has been made a Companion of the (Bath “for daring and fine judgment in leading the striking force of destroyers to the resolute attack in daylight, at close range and against odds, upon the German battle cruisers Sciiarnhorst, Gueisenau, and the cruiser Prinz Eugen.” Six D.S.O.s, nine D.S.C.s, and 17 D.S.M.s are also awarded, and there are many mentions in despatches

SERVICE APPEALS FOURTEEN THOUSAND IN N.S.W, SYDNEY, March 31. No fewer than 14,000 applications have been lodged in New South Wales alone for exemption from military service. "'The police and stipendiary magistrates have been directed to deal with them urgently. The grounds fop exemption are similar to those in New Zealand. The majority of the applications come from employer^..