NEED FOR OIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 16 February 1942, Page 5

NEED FOR OIL

JAPANESE ATTACK SUMATRA PARACHUTE TROOPS LANDED Batavia, Feb. 14. i Without waiting for Singaport to fall the Japanese have | struck at Sumatra. Palembang, 1 with a population of 120,000, was attacked with planes, and parachute troops were dropped in three places. A vigorous resistance was made and dozens of parachutists were killed. Palembang itself is not threatened; at | least there are no indications that the parachutists approached or entered the town. Palembang lies 54 miles up the Moesi river, which is navigable for ocean-going ships only at high tide and thus risky for a Japanese attempt to attack Palembang from the sea. Moreover, a coastal strip of marshy land extends for 70 miles and would render it hazardous, if not impossible for troops j tc land. Hence the use of parachutists.! Palembang supplies 60 per cent, of j the Indies oil output. Having lost; the Balik Papan and Tarakan oil, the! Japanese are making a desperate attempt to get the Palembang oil instalMore than 100 enemy planes, escorted by fighters, took part in the attack,; | which was preceded by the dropping j jcf the parachutists. There is no re- ■ | port regarding the outcome of the! fighting, but it is assumed that the | situation is not unfavourable At Tandjong Pandang (capital of the tin island of Billiton, between Sumatra and Borneo) some bombs were dropped, as the result of which one civilian was slightly wounded. Two fighters machine-gunned an airfield on the same island without causing damage or casualties. It is officially stated in Batavia that, according to unconfirmed reports, Bandjermasin. on the extreme southeast of Borneo, has been occupied by the Japanese. It is stated that destructions ordered had already been carried out as had been done at other! places on the archipelago when danger from the enemy became imminent and j when defence was'not considered pos-; sibl. An earlier Batavia communique stated that telegraphic reports from Macassar indicate that the original announcements about the Japanese landing at Balang Nipa were not correct. Recent reports show that on Thursday evening the harbour and district of Macassar were still on fire as the result of the extensive destruction carried out. Because of this destruction, which ! has also been carried out in south ! Celebes, the enemy will not find anyi thing of use to him. —P.A.