MACASSAR STRAIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24832, 4 February 1942, Page 5

MACASSAR STRAIT

ENEMY SHIPPING LOSSES MOUNTING ALLIED ATTACKS CONTINUED (Rec. 1 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 3. A communique\ from General Sir Archibald Wavell's headquarters in the South Pacific discloses that the Allied attacks on enemy shipping in ths Macassar Strait, . which separates Borneo from Celebes, are still going on. American planes made two attacks yesterday on a convoy off Balik Papan, and two transports were sunk. Another was probably sunk. In the past two days nine enemy aircraft have been shot down over the. Macassar. Srait, for the loss of one Allied machine.

The correspondent of the United Press states that two Dutch officers giving an eye-witness account ojc a Macassar Strait action, said that the Japanese invasion fleet used an elaborate balloon barrage which rose 9000 feet above their larger ships. The Japanese destroyers scuttled about their charges like frightened water bettles, but the Allied forces came so fast that they did not have a chance. The Japanese Are was very poor at first, but improved later. Dutch pilots revealed that one Dutch plane passed between the cables of two balloons.

Telling his experiences of the Macassar Strait Battle, one pilot, who came from South Africa, and voluntered in

the Netherlands East Indies Air Force, said that the Japanese lost 32 ships in the convoy, which was apparently heading for Balik Papan, but the patrols had not sighted them for two days owing, to heavy clouds reaching almost to sea level. "On January 23 we spotted the ships, through a hole in the cloudstwo rows of transports, surrounded by cruisers arid destroyers," he said. ... "We immediately attacked with four patrols of bombers and two flights of fighters. The Japanese put up a heavy barrage. We hit among other ships, a heavy cruiser or a battleship, which was struck amidships. The explosions were followed by a black cauliflower of smoke. The ships began to disperse, the destroyers circling round theni like mosquitoes. "During the first two days, the Japanese ack-ack made it easy for* us to find thern. On the third day it was different. When we flew over the Balik Papan delta there was no antiaircraft fire from the ships. Then we discovered that a large aircraft carrier Had arrived. Twenty planes took off and attacked. We lost a bomber, but shot down five enemy machines. The Japanese sent out fighters to find our base. We landed between raid alarms and put our machines into the shelter, installations. These are so good that the enemy has been unable to discover us. We have even taken off one by one,during a raid without being noticed."

BUILDING UP STRENGTH AMERICAN PROGRAMME PRESENT DIFFICULTIES WASHINGTON, (Rec. 0.55 a.m.) Feb. 3. The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Frank Knox, explained to the Senate Appropriations Committee some of the present naval difficulties. He said: "We are trying to fight a two-ocean war with a one-ocean navy. "It is going to take time to build up our strength," he added. A large number of small-type vessels was being used to keep its communication lines open to Britain and Russia. Supplying and maintaining the fighting force in the active theatre required a large merchant tonnage. Admiral King gave a warning that 1942 would be their " tough year, after which the United States would begin to gather strength to do more.