RAIDS IN PHILIPPINES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24250, 16 April 1942, Page 7

RAIDS IN PHILIPPINES

AMERICAN SUCCESSES RECENT SINKING OF CRUISER (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 14 A United States War Department communique states that in the Philippine theatre intermittent artillery duels between our forts and enemy batteries continue. Reports from northern Luzon advise of successful raids by small bodies of our troops against lightly-held enemv positions in the mountains. On Mindanao one of our raiding parties ambushed an enemy truck column, inflicting heavy casualties. Our troops suffered no losses. Additional details have been received of the sinking of an enemy light cruiser of the Kuma class near the southern tip of Cebu Island several days ago. Our light torpedo boat, after sinking the hostile vessel, managed to escape after repeated salvoes had been fired by an enemy destroyer which attempted to come to the rescue of the cruiser.

Corregidor was raided four times today by flights of heavy Japanese bombers. American troops sustained some casualties, but only slight damage was inflicted in military installations. Enemv batteries shelled Corregidor and Fort "Frank from both sides of Manila Bay. American guns returned the fire. Communication with Cebu has been re-established. Heavy fighting is reported on that island, where the defending troops are greatly outnumbered, but are stubbornly resisting the enemy advance.

AUSTRALIA AND CANADA WASHINGTON, April It Dr. H. V. Evatt, Australian envoy to America, on his return from his Canadian visit, handed to the Associated Press a message from Mr. Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister. "I have just been listening to your broadcast over the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/' the message said. "Your message to the Canadian people is most impressive and will do much to deepen the sense of a community of interests between our two countries. Your visit to Ottawa will always be to me one of the most memorable and helpful experiences of these critical years. I am greatly looking forward to our association together on the Pacific War Council at Washington during the present week." RAIDERS OVER ENGLAND (Rec'd. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 14 A small number of enemy aircraft flew over eastern and north-eastern England last night, mainly coastal districts. One raider, however, flew inland some distance toward the north-west. Bombs were dropped at several points. The casualties were not large, but there were some fatalities. Some damage was caused, principally _to houses in two coastal towns, but it was nowhere extensive.