SINGAPORE LANDING

Grey River Argus, 10 February 1942, Page 5

SINGAPORE LANDING

BY JAPANESE Early on Monday [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 10.30). LONDON, Feb JI The Domei News Agency that Japanese troops have landed o Singapore Island. They did eany on Monday. Q RUGBY, February 8. reported to have landed on Pulau Übin on oun day morning. .. To _ Pulau Übin is an island m the J hore Straits, off the north-eastern, tip of Singapore Island. Masai is . the mainland, nearly opposite th na A al Brffish communiq J t e at ed Ue Enemy Sunday at Singapore stated Enemy air and artillery activity h< ~ s oc . c on a considerably increased scale today "Both the shelling and air activ ity-Were chiefly directed against our positions in the northern part of the island. One of our patrols m the Johore Straits encountered an enemy boat patrol, sinking the enemy craft, which contained about i 30 men. Enemy working parties in south Johore were engaged by our arti’Jery, and were dispersed. I Our artillery also engaged enemy movement eastwards towards Masai ( and enemy batteries in this area, which ceased fire. ' Masai is on Johore mainland, opposite the naval base. SINGAPORE, Feb. 8. 'Artillery activity across the Johore Straits increased considerably this afternoon. Gunfire was plainly heard in Singapore city, where buildings were shaken by the heavier explosions, which are believed to be the result of the Japanese efforts to plaster the road communications: The British guns responded by attempting to silence the enemy batteries. Anti-aircraft guns fired on a fairly large formation of Japanese planes which flew over about noon. No bombs fell in the city area. Hurricanes cruised over the island this afternoon.

LANDING FORCE. EXPECTED TO BE WIPED OUT. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 10.30). LONDON, Feb. 9. The Australian official war correspondent records the Japanese landing on Singapore Island. He says: The landing was preceded by one of the heaviest artillery duels of the war. The artillery fire reached its highest pitch .shortly after 10 o’clock on Sunday night, and it raged for oyer three hours. “The point where the enemy landed was held by Australian Imperial Force /troops. There the coast is bordered by mangrove swamps, which merge into rubber plantations, and there is a certain amount of jungle. 1 ? ■The-’'enemy were aided by complete ’’darkness. 'He’;q.offfm'ues:' “It can be considered "ax'ceftain*'-that the Japanese troops who have landed cannot receive "atiy reinforcements until dark. It is honed that by this time the enemy force on the island will havo been cut to pieces.” TERRIFIC SHELLING. (Rec. 12.10). SINGAPORE, Feb. 9. The landing of Japanese troops on Singapore Island followed a hail of steel from Japanese artillery, which swept the island to some depth. The landing was made in the face of a terrific artillery barrage, which la'sted for nearly 12 hours. British Imperial Forces immediately. engaged the Japanese landing forces. Fighting is now continuing. Fl GATING ON ISLAND. ON MONDAY NIGHT. (Rec. 11.15). RUGBY, February 9. A special communique from Singapore stated: “An enemy force, in strength, succeeded in landing on the western shores of Singapore Island on Sunday night. They are being engaged by our troops. Fighting continues. There was a heavy artillery barrage all night.

Patrol Battle DEVELOPS ON SINGAPORE. ENEMY ON WESTERN SIDE. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J (Rec. 12.50). SINGAPORE, Feb. 9. ; '"‘The artillery fire in the western sector of Singapore Island has lessened considerably this morning,” says the Australian official war correspondent here. “The battle rapidly has become one of patrols, as the Jananese forces split on landing, and then made for vital points. . “The main landing took place on the western portion of the island, along the coast, running west from Kranji Estuary. This estuary is situated on the north-west of the island, not far from the causeway, and just westwards of Johore Bahru, lying on the opposite mainland shore. . Kranji Estuary cuts into the island for about three miles, running ■slightly south-west, and this leaves a line of about four miles running from its base due west to the coast.

JAPANESE CLAIM.

CONSOLIDATING POSITION ON SINGAPORE. [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 12.10). NEW YORK, Feb 9 The Tokio radio claims that landings in Singapore have been made by infantry units, and that they have established a bridgehead, "The radio states that tank units, following the infantry, have crossed the Johore Strait, and are now cor, solidating their position, under heavy Allied lire. LONDON) February 9. Tokio radio said: Japanese tanks have crossed the Singapore strait and are consolidating positions under heavy Are. , landing force strong. RESULTS NOT~YET KNOWN. 19 90) LONDON, February 9. is 1 now’learned in London that the Japanese landing on Singapore Island has been made in considerable St There'is no information as to the results of the landing. ~ rp ok ; o The Berlin radio, quoting iokio, says: A successful final attack has begun on Singapore. The Navy’s Part SOLDIERS RESCUED FROM JOHORE. (Rec. 9.15). SINGAPORE Fetc S. Since the sinking of H.M.S. Pnnce

Of Wales and H.M.S. Repulse, little has been heard of the Royal _ Navy in the Singapore theatre, but it continues to play a useful, if unspectacular role. Small naval vesse s are maintaining continuous patrols in Malayan waters. They also hav* played a valuable part in the rescue of Britishers marooned on the west coast of the Peninsula. Britisn gunboats and patrol vessels towed a fleet .of launches, sampans, and dinghies at night to the scene «i. evacuation. Owing to the shallowness of the - water, larger vessels were unable to go close in shore. 1 Smaller craft paddled up creeks and ' swamps where they collected solI diers, and took them to larger vesI seis, which brought them back to Singapore. During the day small 1 craft were concealed in the creeks and swamps while the crews collected more soldiers. . Larger vessels returned after dawn. The operation was repeated on several nights in succession until the last soldier who could be found w'as evacuated. The operation was so skilfully carried out that it was entirely unsuspected by the Japanese, and not a single casualty resulted. NAVAL BASE EVACUATED " LONDON, Feb. 8. Th e great naval base on the north coast of Singapore Island has been partially evacuated. The King George V. floating-dock has been flooded, says the British United Press correspondent at Singapore. It is incorrect to say that the base has been abandoned, but rather it has been evacuated, for an unknown period, because it is unuseabl.e under enemy fire. It will be again useable at short notice, whenever circumstances allow. The naval base has now become a military base, and many naval ratings have become soldiers. Some men from H.M.S. Repulse have joined up with the Argyll Highlanders.

The enemy has been' moving east of Masai on the- Johore mainland, opposite the naval, base.

Chinese Volunteers EXCEED ARMS SUPPLY (Rec. 9.15) SINGAPORE, Feb. 8. Hazards of war in Singapore are falling on all. alike. Since the outbreak fourteen bombs have fallen within a hundred yards of Government House. Sir Chenton Thomas, Governor, paid a warm tribute to the civil defence services and to the part that the Asiatics had taken therein. He. said that if the Euro-, peans and the leaders of the Asiatics continued to give a resolute lead to the Asiatics, Singapore would successfully weather whatever ■_ trijals the enemy had in store. I Officers for a newly-formed Chinese volunteer corps mainly British, are drawn from all professions, but possessing considerable local knowledge. The troops include vet- , erans of China wars, while the Gov- ■ ernment at Chungking has sent a leader well versed in guterrilla war-, fare to assist in the training. There has been an amazing response to a I call for volunteers. It is believed that if there were sufficient arms, ten thousand Chinese would be placed in the field. ■ 64 RAIDS LONDON. Feb. 3. The Japanese headquarters states Singapore has had 64 raids since the war began. SINGAPORE RAID CASUALTIES. .SINGAPORE, Feb. 9. : Air raid shelling casualties here on Sunday were: 54 killed; 158 wounded.' JAPS BOMB SHIP. SINKING CLAIMED. cßec. 12.10). TOKIO, February 9. The Domei News Agency claims that an enemy vessel was bombed and sunk in Gasper Strait on Sunday. She was a ship of large type. AMBASSADOR’S TRIBUTE RUGBY, Feb. 8. Sir Archibald Clarke Kerr, broadcasting at Calcutta en route to Moscow, paid a warm tribute to Marshal Chiang Kai Shek. China, he said, is safe in his hands. He expressed admiration for the fortitude of the Chinese people and said: “China has fought the Japanese to a standstill. The Chinese will fight like demons, putting deep hatred into the warfare when the British and Americans join them in the forthcoming big push.’’ FAR EAST REINFORCEMENTS RUGBY, Feb. 4. Measures to re-establish the position against Japan are being given the very first priority in the Allied Council. Lord Moyne, Leader of the House, gave this assurance on behalf of the Government, in the Lords dei'bate on the situation in the southiwest Pacific.

Large unity of command had been secured in this area, said Lord Moyne, and everything possible was being done to help Australia and New Zealand in their time of need, and to help them to resist Japanese attacks in case they should come on to the mainland. When Japanese aggression developed he said, it was immediately met by a plan of reinforcements, which had been 'carefully worked out in advance, and the effect of the action was already showing itself. From the time when the first ship reached Singapore with Hurricanes, only 48 hours elapsed before the first of these were in the air, ready for battle. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse were spared from the heavy burden of the Atlantic battle, and were sent out to do duty in the Pacific, at the request of the Dominions concerned. The loss inflicted on Japan in the Macassar Straits, by the Netherlands East Indies and United States light forces and submarines showed that Allied sea-power was already recovering from the shock of the initial disaster. I Referring to criticism of conduct in Malaya, Lord Moyne refuted the I suggestion that those who should have taken the situation in hand were the first to leave. Many leading Europeans, he said, headed by -Dr. Evans, chief medical officer of I Penang, stayed behind to look after | the population and to tend the wounded. He could give many instances of devoted and courageous work done by the Malayan administration, who stayed at their posts, and in many cases paid for their devotion with their lives. He thought the Governor and the Colonial Service had been very unfairly treated. It seemed ungrateful, under present conditions, to attack Malaya, Lord Moyne concluded.