DARWIN’S TURN

Grey River Argus, 10 February 1942, Page 5

DARWIN’S TURN

“ALERT” ON SUNDAY

20 ENEMY PLANES PASS TIMOR. CANBERRA, Feb. 9. An air-raid “alert” was sounded at Darwin yesterday afternoon. Advice was received that two flights, each of 20 Japanese planes were heading towards Darwin, and had passed over Timor Island. R.A.A.F. lighters took off to intercept the raiders, but no raiders appeared over Darwin, and the “all-clear” was given about two hours later. The Minister for Air (Mr Drakeford) declined to indicate whether the Japanese planes had been in the vicinity of Darwin. He said the fact that attacks had not followed this and earlier alerts at Darwin did not mean that the alerts were false alarms. U.S. CRUISER DAMAGED JAPANESE CLAIM LONDON, Feb. 9. The Japanese headquarters state that an American cruiser was damaged in the Java Sea. She belonged to Augusta or the Houston class.

Australian Tribute

TO PHILIPPINE DEFENDERS. (Rec. 12.50).' CANBERRA, Feb. 9. Hon. F. M. Forde, Minister for the Army, broadcast a shortwave message to-day to General MacArthur in the Philippines, as follows: “My Government is proud of your superb courage and skill, and All Australia prays for your Army’s triumph. We send you our most heartfelt congratulations. We understand and share the democratic spirit in which you fight. Our fighting men look forward to the honour of joining forces with the men of the American fighting forces in other theatres of the war. We shall do our best to show that we are worthy of the example that your men have set.”