British Forces Go Into Action When Ultimatum Ignored

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 267, 12 November 1945, Page 5

British Forces Go Into Action When Ultimatum Ignored

“ Bodies ol Indonesians and Dutch Piling Up in the Streets ” United Pres* Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Monday, 12.30 a.m. BATAVIA, Nov. 11. Sourabaya has been under shellfire since 6 a.m. yesterday, when Major-Gen-eral Mansergh’s ultimatum expired. Indonesian reports state that Sourabaya and the vicinity have been devastated and thousands of Indonesian soldiers and civilians killed by continued British attacks from air, sea and land. British Indian forces have occupied nearly two-thirds of Sourabaya, according to Dutch sources. Allied Headquarters, denying that the air strikes yesterday were indiscriminate, state that all the targets were well-known extremist strongpoints. MajorGeneral Mansergh gave every opportunity for the Nationalists to comply with measures necessary for the city’s safety, but they appeared determined to fight.

Indonesian Republican sources declared that the British bombing' and shelling went on until late last evening, and claimed that the bodies of Indonesians and Dutch were piling' up in the streets. Evacuees were crowding the roads from the city. Lieut.-General Christison's headquarters denied reports that thousands of Indonesian soldiers and civilians had been killed in Sourabaya. Allied Headquarters stated that there had not been any strong reactions elsewhere in Java to the news from Sourabaya. The Indonesian reaction has been almost phlegmatic. The Indonesians at Jogjakarta invited Brigadier Bethwell, the British commander at Semarang, to broadcast over the Jogjakarta radio last evening.

An earlier message, in reporting the ( opening of the shelling at 6 a.m., said many Indonesians had been wounded by the shellfire, which increased in intensity at 8 a.m. Dr. Soebardjo stated that British warships had joined the artillery in shelling the city and many Indonesians had been killed. The manager of the telephone exchange in Sourabaya had informed him that Indonesian families were evacuating the city and the telephone exchange was being abandoned. The people appeared to have decided to carry out a scorched earth policy in their flight. Dr. Soebardjo stated that the Indonesians up to 10 a.m. had not returned the British fire. A report of the action was telephoned to Dr. Soekarno, who was attending a youth rally at Jogjakarta. Dr. Soebardjo yesterday sent a letter to Lieut.-General Christison urging that the ultimatum should not be enforced. The letter warned that measures for the immediate disarmament of the “irresponsible part of the population would inevitably lead to bloodshed and still greater disorders." He declared that the Indonesian Bepubllc would endeavour to pacify Sourabaya, but the task would require time and much tact. He admitted that it was not in the Government’s interest that irresponsibles should possess arms which m tne long run might endanger the State itself. He concluded: “I beg you to use a method the least provoking and the most appropriate to gain control of the situation." A British spokesman stated that troops of the Fifth Indian Division early today began slowly to clear Sourabaya against light sniping and light machinegun fire. The resistance increased by the middle of the morning. Major-General Mansergh had ordered the bombing and shelling of Sourabaya because increasing resistance had inflicted casualties on the advancing Indian division. Four Thunderbolts and one Mosquito operating from the Sourabaya airfield made bombing and strafing attacks on the post office and Government buildings in Sourabaya. The Mosquito was damaged, but landed safely. The British Army spokesman stated that Major-General Mansergh, before the expiration of his ultimatum, sent a message to Dr. Soerio, the Indonesian “Governor" of Sourabaya, specifying that tanks, armoured cars, spears, blowpipes and poisoned arrows must be surrendered along with other arms. The British spokesman stated that the Indonesians were offering growing resistance.

Nationalists said a large number of native youths assembled at Jogjakarta, 175 miles southwestward of Sourabaya, had decided to proceed to Sourabaya to reinforce their countrymen. The Netherlands News Agency stated that brief but fierce fighting broke out in tbe Kxmat area, where mortars had to be used. There was also firing in the centre of the city behind the Hotel des Indes. The agency added that British warships bombarded the port area in Sourabaya, the post office, law courtß and Government buildings for five minutes before the air attack. A British Command statement said the British troops still had to collect 20,000 Japanese soldiers and sailors in Sourabaya, and added that the arms which the British demanded from the Indonesians had originally belonged to those Japanese. Brigadier-General Thorpe told interviewers in Tokio that Indonesians trained in discontent are responsible for the present fighting in the Netherlands Last Indies. The Japanese maintained a “school for Greater East Asia culture" at St. Paul’s University, Japan, attended by Malayans, Chinese, Koreans, Manchurians, Burmese and Filipinos. They were trained in arousing the native populations against colonial rule. The school left intellectual landmines which were still going off. Some propagandists had already been arrested and returned to their various Governments, but hundreds of others were still at large. The disappearance of a Japanese force estimated to total 20,000 which was previously based at Sourabaya, is causing concern at British headquarters. says the Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Batavia correspondent. The Japanese are reported to have marched out of Sourabaya on learning that the British intended to land there and have not been located since. The possibility of the Japanese joining the extremists in Central Java is not being discounted. They were led by Marigon Iwabu, who is already wanted by the British to answer a charge of handing over arms to the Indonesians at Sourabaya. The Japanese are believed to be a heavily armed force and to include more than 10,000 Japanese navymen and marines from Sourabaya naval base. Lieut.-General Christison’s headquarters announced that 303 British and Indian casualties nave been suffered up to Friday in the fighting against the Indonesians in Sourabaya. The casualties included 31 killed, 189 missing and 83 wounded.