JAPS. LAND ON BALI

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1942, Page 5

JAPS. LAND ON BALI

Dutch Resisting “SCORCHED EAIRTH” BEGUN. LONDON, February 22. It is known that one or two units of the Japanese forces have made a landing on Bali, and are being engaged by the Dutch forces. The Japanese attack is considered to be a preliminary to an invasion of Java. The Japanese landed at Den Passar, in Bali, but have not captured the island’s air port, which is their main objective. „ The attack on Bali is reported from Batavia to be in strength. Reuter’s correspondent in Batavia said that air raids on Bali did little damage and did not impair military installations. The next Japanese move would probably be a full scale attack’ on east Java, which is only one and a half miles away across the Straits of Bali. As soon as the threat to Bali was apparent, the Dutch implemented the scorched earth policy. Welltrained destruction squads set lire to( and blew up anything of military value to the Japanese The Tokio radio, reporting a Japanese landing on Bali, stated that vital ■ points on the island have been destroyed. The radio adds that the Japanese are, naturally, meeting with a strong resistance.

Bali Occupied ? JAPANESE CLAIM. (Rec. 1.20). LONDON, Feb. 23. Tokio has claimed the successful occupation of Bali Island by the Japanese. Jap. Objective TO SURROUND JAVA. LONDON, February 22. The Batavia correspondent of “The Times” says: The Japanese are concentrating troops as speedily as possible in the island bases round Java, particularly in south-east Sumatra, south Borneo, and south Celebes. The Dutch believe in “offensive defence,” and intend to apply this principle against the Japanese. The Dutch would like to see offensive defence become the keynote of the whole Allied Pacific strategy. Java’s configuration will aid in the defence of the island. The interior Is mountainous, with ranges over 10,000 feet high. Practically the entire Dutch East Indies army is concentrated in Java. Offensives against the Japanese navy and merchantmen will be easier in the. narrow channels of the Dutch East Indies than in the large expanses of the Pacific. For that reason, Java is tremendously important as a springboard for offensives. The correspondent adds: The Japanese are making an effort to control the channels eastwards and westwards of Bali, leading from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, because this would enable the Japanese navy to menace Java’s seaboard, and would also provide a base for the invasion of Java.

JAP AIR RAIDS. ON WEST JAVA DROMES. 8.0.W. RUGBY, February 22. A Batavia communique states: Fifteen Japanese bombers and a number of fighters yesterday morning attacked an aerodrome in West Java. While over this aerodrome, at least three and probably four Japanese bombers were shot down. Eighteen Japanese fighters set out for Bandoeng, but were intercepted by our fighters, which shot down four planes, and damaged another so seriously that it can be considered as lost We lost two aircraft. One

pilot, who rammed a' Japanese plane, reached safety without injury. A second pilot was wounded. Some damage was done to the aerodrome. In the vicinity of Malang, one Japanese bomber was shot down. Elsewhere, Japanese aerial activity was restricted to incidental ma-chine-gunning of some aerodromes, as a result of which some persons were killed and some were wounded. 1