SINGAPORE RAIDED

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1944, Page 2

SINGAPORE RAIDED

SUPERFORTRESSES’ SUCCESS

DOCK AND SHIPS HIT (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) WASHINGTON, November 5. In the longest daylight mission by military planes, Superfortresses, today, bombed the dockyard and repair facilities of the great Singapore Naval Base, says a 20th Air Force communique. The strike was made by a substantial force from Indian 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 were 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 dry dock, and on other vital points. In addition, two direct hits were scored on a Japanese ship in a dry dock. At Pangkalan Brandon at least one direct hit was observed on the refinery, and other strikes were made within the bombing area. Pangkalan 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 highoctane aviation gasoline in the Far East. Our planes encountered only weak enemy fighter opposition, and the flak over both targets was moderate. None of our aircraft was lost to enemy action, over either target. The Tokio radio declared that 30 Superfortresses raided Singapore. The radio also stated that enemy planes from the Marianas, to-day, reconnoitred the Tokaido area, embracing most of the east coast of Honshiu, the largest island of Japan. No boml?s were dropped.

RAID ON RANGOON

KANDY, November 4

“In their first appearance over Burma, Superfortresses bombed the railway marshalling yards at Mahlwagon, two miles from Rangoon,” reports the Associated Press correspondent. “They were escorted on the 400mile trip by Thunderbolts and Lightnings. The Superfortresses carried the heaviest bomb-load dropped in any attack on Burma. The crews reported on their return that a large number of bombs had fallen squarely, on the chief objective, blanketing the area. Fighter opposition was weak. Before the Superfortresses, Royal Air Force fighters went in to clear the way for them at airfields at Hmawbi and Mingalodon, north of Rangoon. Diving from 2500 ft, they shot up hangars and aircraft. A few fighters were seen, but none attempted to challenge. Three Allied fighters are missing.” Allied air operations covered ’attacks on the airfields round Rangoon and in Central Burma, and a heavy attack on Thursday night on the railway workshops and communications at Bangkok. A Colombo correspondent says the Bangkok attack was made at low level in bright moonlight, and the whole area was left a mass of flames. A South-east -Asia Command communique reports that heavy bombers of the Eastern Air Command on Saturday attacked railway targets at Insein, on the outskirts of Rangoon. A shipyard and an airfield at Binh, on lhe Gulf of Tonkin", in French IndoChina, were bombed on Thursday night.

PROGRESS IN BURMA

LONDON, November 4

A South-east Asia Command communique says that the sth Indian Division on Friday overran strong Japanese defences around “Vital Corner’’ on the Tiddim-Fort White road. Survivors from these garrisons are fleeing south and east. Our troops have cleared further positions astride the road and are within a mile of Kennedy Peak, the main enemy stronghold.” A Colombo correspondent says the victory at “Vital Corner,” .a huge horseshoe bend in the Tiddim-Fort White road, completes the destruction of the Japanese defence system based on Kennedy Peak in their line of retreat towards the Chindwin River. The communique adds that in Northern Burma, British troops patrolled south of Mawlu and the Chinese were active along the Taping River near Myothit. In the Kaladan Valley, West Africans are in contact with ' the enemy five miles north of Paletwa. JAPS. IN KWEILIN. CHUNGKING, November 4. “The Japanese have penetrated Kweilin’s eastern, western, and northern suburbs, where fighting is intense,” says a Chinese Army communique. “The Japanese column, which by-passed Kweilin, struck down the Hunan Kwangs! railway towards Luchow and has reached within six piiles of Yungfu, 33 miles southwest of Kweilin.

“The Chinese have recaptured all the strongpoints in the western and northern suburbs of Tungan, a railway town 90 miles north-west of Kweilin.” LATER.

The Japanese yesterday stormed Yungfu, 33 miles south of Kweilin, says a Chinese communique. Other Japanese advanced .12 miles farther south, where intensive fighting is pro - gressing. This brings the Japanese within 45 miles of Liuchow, now a strategic railway centre, because the Japanese have virtually encircled Kweilin.

A message from Allied Headquarters at Leyte says: Although the Japanese airmen are generally avoiding daylight combats they are ceaselessly attacking at night, but mostly with single planes or small formations. Apparently good quality pilots have recently arrived at the Philippines. One shot down carried a newspaper published in Japan a few days ago. The Japanese also dive-bombed and strafed American positions at dawn yesterday. JAP. FURTHER PROGRESS. (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) CHUNGKING, November 5. A Chinese communique says the Japanese have advanced within four miles of Hsiujen, which is 47 miles south-east of Liuchow. Another Japanese column has broken into the suburbs of Mosun, a railway town 45 miles south-east of Liuchow. _ An independent Japanese drive in South Kwangsi, along the West River, was intercepted after overrunning Kweinsien, a river port 90 miles south-east of Liuchow. The Associated Press points out that the Japanese here may be trying to push on the 100 miles to Nanning in order to link up with the forces in Indo-China, whose border is 80 miles west of Nanning.