ON OFFENSIVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24177, 20 January 1942, Page 5

ON OFFENSIVE

UNITED STATES NAVY NO DELAYING ACTIONS WASHINGTON', Jan. 18 Senator Connally, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that the United States Navy had increased its activity, as shown in the disclosure to-day of patrol operations by the battle fleet in the Pacific, where ah unspecified number of enemy submarines has been sunk. He indicated that the United States intends to fight an offensive battle rather than a delaying action in the Pacific. A New York message states that the United States Fleet is constantly on the alert to prevent any more American bases falling into the hands of the enemy. Since the beginning of the war in the Pacific the United States Fleet has accounted for a total of 35 Japanese ships, 14 of which were combat vessels.

BOMBERS DRIVEN OFF AUSTRALIAN PILOTS ENEMY TRANSPORT ATTACKED LONDON, Jan. 18 Three Australian fighter pilots took on 24 Japanese bombers high over south Malaya on Saturday, and the whole enemy force was effectively dispersed and driven awa;y from its targets. One Japanese bomber was probably shot down. Diving out of the clouds to within a few hundred feet of the ground, British, Australian and Dutch bombers, supported by British and Australian fighters, caused considerable havoc among enemy transport and troop concentrations on the Tampin-Gem as road on Friday "There were about 1000 vehicles of all types in one lot which we attacked," said an Australian pilot. "We sneaked up and dived almost into the middle of them. You should have seen them scatter. They could not get off the road quickly enough. Tanks burst into flames and transports were left burning." The fighters returned to their base with scarcely a round of ammunition left among them. Meanwhile the bombers had heavily attacked the railway yards and convoys, starting more than a dozen fires among trucks in the marshalling yards at Gemas. Convoys were completely dislocated as the Japanese haphazardly tried to disperse in the jungle. From these operations all of our aircraft returned safely.

RUMANIA'S OIL LONDON, Jan. 18 Rumania has signed an agreement with Germany in accordance with which Rumania hands over mineral oil in return for machinery.