SINGAPORE AREA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24792, 17 December 1941, Page 7

SINGAPORE AREA

CLAIM BY JAPANESE AN ATTACK OPENED ON BORNEO ' ,:■ „,-■.. ~ ■:■ (Unitsd Press. Association) ' (By Electric TsiEORAPH—CopyRiGHT) (Rec. lip.m.) LONDON, Dec. 16., A Tokio broadcast •aid 'that Japanese troops : had opened an attack on the Singapore area and ' that Japanese warplattes carried out raids on British air bases in Malaya, destroying a number of British fighter planes. .; The radio also reported, a coastal landing in Borneo, which was made at dawn in the teeth of a gale. It is not yet clear whether the claim refers to the British or the Dutch part of the island. Borneo ._: marks the bridge between the Philippines and :.:..v\V + Malaya.. '■■•■. There has : been very heavy fighting in Malaya, but the nature of the country makes it difficult for the forces to keep in touch with one another, and news is scanty. On the northeast front fighting has flared up again after the recent lulh It is officially denied that British troops crossed the Thailand Jborder from Burma and that Thai troops were engaged against British forces. To-day's communique from Singapore states: "In Kedah We enemy pressed his attacks and gained ground in spite of the heavy losses he suffered. Severe fighting continues ; .south oijtedah in.difficult country, and the situation is con- * There was some activity at kelantaii yesterday. Pe^ani:,was free from: bombing tiq-day, but Ipoh had. one is fto change. !|f J| Xri%TJieadquaßert in Rangoon announce:"" Owing to Japanese pressure, our small garrison has been withdrawn from Victoria Point according to plan, after carrying out necessary demolitions." <l; v '' : ,>r;A^sj^aJial|•; : bombed a Japanese supply ship of: atJ^^^^O^ j off Island, in the Bismarck Archipelago, east of New Guinea/ '-.■■] A communique issued in Manila states: "Two more Japanese transport ships were bombed and badly damaged off Legaspi. The total Japanese losses in the landing attempts in the Philippines are now four sunk and five badly damaged. Enemy activity to-day was confined to the air." ' Daylight saving has been instituted in Manila. Clocks were advanced one hour.

FORCES IN PACIFIC SOME. RECENT ESTIMATES IT4REAT TO SINGAPORE WASHINGTON, Dec. 7. ■ ■:; "America must arm as rapidly as possible for major operations simultaneously in the Atlantic and Pacific,'.' ■aid the; United States Navy Secretary {Colonel Knox), in his annual report to -President Roosevelt, Stating that the United States at June 30 had 325 ships in commission, Colonel Knox added that the United States Navy was the world's greatest sea power. -On December 4,...1a' United States statement said there were 343, ships' in commission, ' and 344 being built. Colonel Knox said that the navy personnel in the 12 months ended June 30 had been, increased by 130,225 officers and men. It was estimated that £2,283,750,000 would be made available for the navy in the next financial year. ;/ : - Air Strength Compared The Chief of the Marine Department of Japan Airways (Rear-admiral Tocbio Matsunaga) has assured the Japanese people that they need hot fear .encirclement by the A.B.C.D Powers (America, Britain, China, Dutch Indies). , ■ > / ♦'The AJ3.C.D. encirclement front lacks suitable air , bases, effective planes, arid trained personnel," Rearadmiral Matsunaga states in Yomiuri. a Japanese army journal. The whole air strength of the A.B.C.D. Powers in the Far East is 1000 planes, comprising 250 American, 400 British,«and the rest mostly trainers.. Fifty American\ .planes are distributed in the Philippines, and 350 British planes in Burma. In addition, American bombers valued at £7,812,500, are due for delivery to the Dutch indies. "Compared with this, the Japanese Navy has 4000 planes, apart from those of the Japanese Army. Most of the planes of the A.B.C.D. Powers stationed in the Far East are old-type and shortrange: machines. With the exception of perhaps 20 PBY2O bombers stationed in; 'the Singapore, and Surabaya, they would be unable to bomb Japan and get back to their bases. The only really superior planes are the American Brewster dive-bomb-ers, recently shipped to the Dutch East Indies; These are reputed to be far superior to the German dive-bombers," The Japanese Army Hanson Baldwin.- military expert of the ,New. York; Times, * estimates the strertgttf of the Japanese Army at 60 to 65 divisions (about 1,800,000 men). The exact disposition of these forces is* not known. Mr Baldwin says, but it is assumed that more than 20 divisions are locked up in China, while another ~.2Q,,-Jo 27 divisions are opposing the Russians- along•••the Manchukuo Between f 75,000 and 150.000 men irfcin ;Indo-Chiria." he says;■Of. Jaoan's "5000 tactical planes, about 1000* are in China. Several hundreds are in Indo-China, while the others are scattered about from Metropolitan Japan to- Paramushir, Sakhalin, and Formosa Islands. Japan's naval strength is estimated at 11 capital ships, including one new 40,000-tonner. Another capital .ship is nearly ready. '. •'•Japan has. at least seven, and possibly nine, aircraft-carriers, a number of. seaplane-carriers, and large squadrons of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines. There may also be one or battle-cruisers in commission. Japan could not «x----gct much direct or indirect help from srmany. American Asiatic Fleet *?About 50 per cent, of the United States' naval strength is concentrated in the Pacific, most of it based at Mr Baldwin says, "The Unjted States Fleet -is primarily a defensive torpedo fleet, to be assisted by glr. rawer, While probably strengthenedf.recently, the Asiatic Fleet consisted some months ago ,of three cruisers, a squadron of destroyers, 18 iubmarines. 24 long-range patrolbombers, arid various auxiliary vessels.

:. './.'J.'The Philippines have been heavily strengthened with'., land "and" air forces. Lieutenant-general Douglas McArthur is commanding -these forces, together with 150,000 Filipinos; At Singapore. Britain recently stationed* two capital ships to compensate for United States naval'weakness resulting from transfer of Vessels to the -Atlantic. In addition, Britain has cruisers, probably aircraft carriers, and some smaller vessels, at 'Singapore;; ■•'. " British njiiitary strength is probably 10:000 nienin Hongkong, with a few planes, and between 70.000 and 150,000 men in Malaya, with several hundred planes. Strength. of the Burma garrison is unknown. 'lt is probably small on land, but strong in the air. India, Australia, and New Zealand provide large back-log strength. China has a large, though badly-equipped, army of guerrillas, and regular troops, estimated at between 2,000,000 and 6,000,000, and perhaps 100 pursuit planes.. patch Indies Air Force "Dutch Indies naval strength consists of about 3 cruisers, 8 destroyers. 40 torpedo Tjoats, and 15 submarines. Dutch air strength is quite formidable, With an increasingly powerful bomber force of 200 to 300 planes, plus a considerable number of long-range naval patrol planes, and about 200 fighters.., > . "Dutch Indies Army strength is probably more, than •100,000, mostly natives, fairly well equipped. Thailand has an army of perhaps 80,000, with numerous reserves, but little equipment. Its Air Force is negligible." Referring to possible Japanese moves, the New York Post says: "At least three-quarters of the Japanese troops in Indo-China are in the south, in >a position to assault Thailand. "Singapore, reinforced by British capital ships, seems to be a formidable, if not -impregnable, stronghold. To attack the Dutch Indies in the face of the hostile Philippines, which would have to be by-passed by Japanese convoys, seems madness. But the Japanese are well placed to attack Thailand. The French equipped Southern Indo-China with a fine set of airfields. There is a railway straight from Cambodia (border province) to Bangkok. " It would not be difficult for Japan to send an entire expeditionary force straight across the Gulf of Siam to Bangkok or farther south to Singapore." " .