SINGAPORE BOMBED

Evening Star, Issue 25325, 6 November 1944, Page 5

SINGAPORE BOMBED

RAID BY SUPER-FORTRESSES DIRECT HITS OH GREAT NAVAL BASE (Rec. 11.5 a.m.) * WASHINGTON, Nov. 5. In the longest daylight mission, Super-Fortresses to-day combed the dockyard repair facilities of the great Singapore naval base, says a Twentieth Air Force communique, The strike was made by a substantial force from India bases. It was exceeded in length by only a few miles on August 10, when the same bomber command conducted a night mission from India against the Pladjoe refinery, at Palembang, Sumatra. Coincidentally with the attack against Singapore, elements hit the Pangkalan Brandon oil refinery, in Sumatra. Good to excellent results are reported against both primary and secondary targets. At,Singapore the weather was clear enough for visual bombing. Direct hits were observed on the control house in the largest drydock and oil other vital points. In addition, two direct hits were scored on a Japanese ship in the drydock. At Pangkalan Brandon at least one direct hit was observed on the refinery. Other strikes were made within the bombing area. Pangkalan Brandon is situated on the north coast of Sumatra, just north of Medan. It is probably exceeded only by the Pladjoe refinery as a supplier of high octane aviation gasoline in the Far East. Our planes encountered only weak enemy fighter opposition. Flak over both targets wa« moderate. None of our aircraft were lost to enemy action over either target. Tokio radio declared that 30 SuperFortresses raided Singapore. The radio also stated that an enemy plane from the Marianas to-day reconnoitred the Tokaido area, embracing most of the east coast of Honshu. No bombs were dropped.