ASSAULT ON SINGAPORE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24834, 6 February 1942, Page 5

ASSAULT ON SINGAPORE

ATTACK BY LAND ARTILLERY DUEL STARTED ENEMY FORCES POUNDED .jr-i (United Press Association) y < (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Rec. 1.30 a.nu) LONDON, Feb. 5. The Dome! News Agency says that a mass ; attack on Singapore was begun from Jahore Bahru and btfaer points simultaneously. The offensive was launched in a driving squall before noon yesterday (London time). - . Singapore reports that further large enemy forces are moving through Johore to the end of the ' ” Malay Peninsula and that enemy air attacks, with high and low-level bombing, have increased in inten- ■ ■ sity. . The Singai>orc communique states that our artillery was again engaged in shelling Japanese forces in areas at the end of the peninsula. Troop concentrations and supply columns 'were heavily pounded. The enemy replied, but their shells did little military damage. In one air attack, a large formation of bombers and fighters was intercepted by Hurricanes of the R.A.F.One enemy aircraft was destroyed, one probably destroyed, and one severely damaged. The bombing raids resulted In comparatively little damage. ' • A.Tokio message states that the Domei News. Agency reports that with the start ,of the mass assault on Singapore heavy artillery brought up' by the Japanese on the Malay mainland swung into action last night and that an artillery duel,flared up this morning. Air attacks against the island fortress have been continued. . v,-A Singapore despatch states that .the area blitzed yesterday was mainly the fashionable European residential quarters, where many houses ,were damaged. The Singapore garrison is now the largest in the history of the fortress, and is possibly larger than the whole of the forces in Malaya a few months ago. The troops are using every minute preparing for the inevitable battle. Apart from our desultory fire, the forces on both sides of the Johore Straits yesterday seemed to be dozing peacefully in the sun. There was the usual flow of traffic in Singapore streets, with crowds waiting to enter the kinemas.

SUPPLY LINES POSITION SERIOUS JAPANESE STRATEGY MOVING AGAINST INDIA ; , ■ WASHINGTON, (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) Feb. 4. Not only the investment of the Netherlands East Indies, but also the Severance of the United States ' and Australian supply lines ..and an attack on India, are seen in Washington ax the aim of the latest developments in the Japanese strategy. The military and naval authorities already consider that the, position of the United States and Australian communications is extremely serious, Japan is stated to have landed about 10,000 .troops at . Rabauland an appreciable" number 'elsewhere in the New Guinea area. It is felt here that the increasing severity of the Japanese attacks on Burma are aimed at both cutting the Burma road and launching ah attack on India.' The Indian problem; is seriously preoccupying the Allied command. FORMER COMMANDER SIR ROBERT BROOKE-POPHAM APfB£CIATEp 'PERTH,Janr 27. ■ • The Prime Minister. Mr J.- Curtin, at a luncheon at which he was entertained by the Returned Soldiers’ League, to-day revealed that the Australian Government had sent a cablegram to Air Chief-marshal Sir Robert Birooke-Popham, oh the termination of his appointment as Commander-in-Chiefbf the British Forces in'the Far East, -‘thanking** him• for his. .services and 'for ’the way in which he had worked to ‘ provide for the defences of the Far Eist. - . Mr Curtin said that the cablegram had said that, deficiencies in the Far East ; were in materials which Sir Robert Brooke-Popham could not himself provide, and that ..the Government . itself had to provide them. It is assumed that the reference was to the British Government. It is known that the Australian Government’s attitude is that Sir Robert Brooke-Popham did his best, and that any quarrel that the Australian Government has about the Malayan position is, not. with the flighting forces, or other leaders, but with those charged with theresponsibility of supplying equipment. It was the first time that Mr Curtin bad said publicly that the reverses in Malay were due to deficiencies of equipment. , Mr Curtin said, in his speech, that the Government was not relying on men who had served in the last war to provide leadership in winning the present war. The Government would continue the practice of bringing younger officers who had had experience in fighting this war into higher commands. AMERICAN NAVAL CASUALTIES (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Feb. 4 The Navy Department’s spokesman said that 1292 officers and men of the Navy, and Marine Corps were missing or prisoners as the result of the Pacific war.■* " , . ■ - ' •