ALLIED SUCCESSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20639, 15 December 1941, Page 5

ALLIED SUCCESSES

JAP. PLANES DOWN TRANSPORTS SUNK LOSS OF 4000 MEN (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Preap Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 15, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. A Singapore communique last night stated that the general situation in north Malaya had remained unaltered during the past 12 hours. . Air successes are reported in a Singapore communique yesterday which states that fighting continued on the Kedah front and there was little change in the situation. “Our ground troops shot down one enemy bomber in the Kedah area,’ continues the communique. “There is no change in the Helaqtan area. Some successes have been obtained in the air to-day. T n the battle over Penang three of our aircraft engaged and destroyed one enemy aircraft, while two others are believed to have been destroyed. In another area three more of our fighters engaged ai unspecified number of enemy aircraft and two were shot down. Observers’ posts later reported that a third had crashed. All of our planes returned safely. A further enemy plane has also been shot down, bringing the day’s total to five destroyed:

“Since the commencement of hostilities our anti-aircraft defences have accounted for eight enemy aircraft, with the probability of one more.”

A Singapore communique of yesterday states: “During last night four enemy troopships were sunk off Patani by Netherlands submarines of the Netherlands East Indies Navy. The transports were steaming south fully loaded.” <, Foui Thousand Believed Drowned According to a Batavia wireless message 4.000 Japanese soldiers were drowned as a result of the sinking of the four troopships. The submarines were operating under the orders of the British naval command. The transports were steaming southwards about 70 miles south of the Thai border.

A message from Singapore states that the chief objective of the Japanese bombers at present seems to be Penang. The raiders have not concentrated on military targets; rathei they have sought out civil targets witn consequent indiscriminate destructiveness to life and property. The raiders are reported to have attacked points throughout the island, bul Georgetown, in which the majority of the population is concentrated, suffered most severely. Landing Preparations

The reasons for the Japanese attacks are not clear, unless it is hoped to smash the resistance prepatory to attempting a landing. The usefulness of Penang as a base for military operations is unquestioned, but the mainland opposite Penang is not yet threatened. An attempted landing would be fraught with difficulties, not the least of which are the strong coastal batteries which would pound any enemy ships. The severity of the raids to which the islands have been subjected is indicated by the decision of the authorities to evacuate 600 women ana children to Singaore. It was stated authoritatively in London last evening that some withdrawal of British forces in Malaya had taken place in the Kedah area and there were further air raids on Penang yesterday. In north-easi Malaya there had been very little change and there was no confirmation of further Japanese landings on the east coast.