SECOND PHASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24817, 17 January 1942, Page 7

SECOND PHASE

BATTLE IN MALAYA AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION LACK OF AIR SUPPORT (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) ; ; ;;; (Rec. 11 p.m.) London, Jan. 16. The Australian Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, announcing at Canberra that the Australians were in action against the enemy in Malaya, added that later reports indicated that the men of the A.I.F. T were fighting magnificently, but were hampered by lack of air support. The Times, London, in a leader, stated that there was no doubt the situation in Malaya had become extremely serious. The enemy’s advance, which had averaged 100 miles a week, had been bold, resolute, and by no means lacking in skill. The Times went on to emphasise that British, Indian, and Australian troops were at the moment compelled to fight without adequate air support. It pointed out, too. that so far our forces had suffered relatively light losses in their withdrawal. The time had come, however, for a stern and resolute stand, and losses could not be considered in the defence of Singapore.

A senior officer of the British troops in Malaya reported that the Japanese had used an irritant gas, possibly mustard gas, in the Kota Bharu area. He said only one unit of Indian troops experienced the gas, which caused burns where it touched the skin. The Singapore correspondent of the New York Times says the first major phase of, the battle for Malaya has been concluded and the second will soon be under way. The first phase was characterised by the delaying withdrawal of the British down the peninsula, necessitated by the numerical inferiority of their air, naval, and land forces. The second phase will consist of a determined stand on a shorter front in southern Malaya, where the British will use fresh forces.

The R.A.F., operating from bases in southern Malaya, will not only take care of the defence of Singapore Island and its immediate environs, upon which it has had to concentrate recently, but it will make its power felt in co-operation with the troops at the front. .The British will have the advantage of short lines of communications and enough troops for defence in depth against the Japanese infiltration tactics. The Japanese will be hampered by long lines of communication, mostly running close along the Malayan west coast, off -which they have only minor sea power. The British will be able to harass their communications and develop guerrilla raiding along the entire length of the Japanese penetration of Malaya. It should be one of the world’s greatest battles.

The A.I.F. troops, who have been moved to the front line, were trained for months in jungle and guerrilla warfare, planning to employ this form of attack against the Japanese and meet the enemy with his own weapons. Major-general G. H. Bennett stated: “The Australians have been here for nine months and have studied the type of warfare believed to be the best for this type of country. They are guerrillas by nature and training, and now the chance has come to discover whether their belief-is correct. They are going in full of confidence, feeling that they know the answer to the Japanese problem and glad to play their part. The force consists not only of. Australians, but Indian and British troops, the majority of whom have been in the fighting since the start, and they need a rest Therefore a heavier responsibility rests on' the- fresh Australians. The Australians undoubtedly are bet * ter than the Japanese, man for man, taut this is not man for man, it is a man to many men. That does not perturb us. as we have qualities outweigh-

ing that. When the Jap. meets these splendidly fit men he will get a shock. We know the Japanese are not so good as many believe, and in spite of our fewer numbers we hope not only to stop the Japanese, but at the earliest date put them on the defensive. The impending battle for southern Malaya will test the theory widely held here that the Japanese can be countered with the weapon they have been using since the outbreak, namely, infiltration. We will penetrate behind his lines if necessary,, as he penetrates behind ours British strategy thus far has been confined within the limits imposed by a shortage of men and vulnerable lines of communication. For that reason there has been a series of ' contact withdrawals.’ Since the outset British strategy has been to save men as far as possible until reinforcements permitted a decisive battle. Furthermore, the Imperial force will now be better protected in the air against Japanese bombers, which has been a most serious problem for troops operating further north."