ENEMY LANDING ON SINGAPORE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24837, 10 February 1942, Page 5

ENEMY LANDING ON SINGAPORE

, v : V : j STRONG FORCE » -•'4 ■■■■■l -- : i ■ CROSSING AT NIGHT FIGHTING ON ISLAND : / : ' "--'i i ’■ ... ■: ■' N (Rec. 12.50 p.m.) • LONDON, Feb. 9. A Special communique from Singapore states: “An eiiemjr force in strength succeeded in landing . ' on the «westerii shoves of Singapore Island last night. The enemy is being engaged by our troops and fighting continues; There Was a heavy artillery barrage allnigjht.” - MSI Wm. Australian official war correspondent says ... that I|m Japanese landing was preceded by one of theJieaviesl artillery duels of the war. The artilJ«ryAn r *'' reached -its highest pitch shortly after 10 last night and raged for over three hours. peint - where the enemy leaded is held by the A.I.F. The coast is bordered by mangrove swamps, which merge into rubber plantations and a certain H‘ amossat of jungle. The enemy was aided by comv pletW darkness. It can be considered certain that the Japanese troops landed cannot receive any reintagcements until dark, by which time it is hoped that >the forte on the island will be cut to pieces. .)..Th».l:jtnriing followed a. hail of steel from the Japanese artillery, island to some depth and was made in the face of a terrific artfllery barrage-which lasted nearly 12 hours. The British N and Imperial ijorces: immediately. engaged the Japanese landing forces. The Uniting isj continuing. - Theifokio radio claims that the landings at Singapore were made units who established a bridgehead. Tank units which followed* thorn crossed the Johore Straits and are now consolidating their position tinder heavy Allied fire;

A IVITAL TEST mm I : ■ DEFENCE OF SINGAPORE CRITICAL YEAR AHEAD ’ f f■. <Bec. 7JO p.ni.) RUGBY, Feb. 8. The intensity with .which the eyes of the world are directed on Singapore is reflected t# the comment in the British Sunday press, which emphasises that .hoping but sheer fighting power and working power will bring the Allies through the Axis onslaughts this 1 year.* Mr L, : ; Garvin. In' the - Ob* I server, i links this lac* , closely .. with cthe nr Eastern struggle;- . o wSiqjgapore is under siege,’? he. says. / -*lt is mot only a fortress for material purposes, but a . citadel of the spirit. .It is;.si symbol, for the whole Empire, ■ and for. the whole alliance of. united nations. It is, watched by all the world; and especially by all Asia as a test of British character against the ■ Japanese.” . -v,.-■ ■ Sunvcying the position from a wider apgl(£ Mr Garvin added: “As reinforce* mente of all kinds arrive from Britain ahdpthe United States every week during the difficult months to; come, they - will reduce the Japanese advantage/and nourish the offensive enterprise of the Allies. The commander of the American forces, General Douglas i MacArthur, in his improvised stronghold on the Philippines, is still making his own heroic fight for time ■mil every moment of it has been worth while. \ [“lrar and wide the admirable Dutch ateT defending every attacked point wim historic stubbornness, and doing th<sr utmost to; destroy;what they canWpF Save. It js for Singapore to set tad toughest example of all by a defence that will be for- ever held in rfesown.” \ |i ALERT AT DARWIN y* .* ■ ; ■ SIO RAIDERS APPEAR CANBERRA. Feb. ( »., air raid alert was sounded at -Paryesterday afternoon. Advice was ired that two flights' of Japanese planes, each numbering 20, were head--mg inwards 1 Darwin, and had -passed ' wear Timor Island. R.A.A.F. fighters took off to intercept the raiders, but no raiders appeared over Darwin, and {he all clear signal was given about two hours later. / } The Minister for Air, Mr A. S. Drakeford, declined to indicate whether Japanese planes had been in the vicinity of Darwin. He said the fact that /attacks had - not followed this and «arlier alerts at Darwin did not mean that the alerts were false alarms. . TO CHINESE BRITISH AMBASSADOR’S VIEWS " RUGBY. Feb. 8. Sir Archibald Cldrk Kerr, who was recently appointed British Ambassador to Moscow, and who held a similar post at Chungking, broadcasting in Calcutta, en route to Moscow, paid a warm tribute to General Chiang Kai-shek. .... “ China,’ 5 , he said, “is safe his hands.” He expressed admiration, for the fortitude of the Chinese people, and said that China had fought the Japanese to a standstill.' “They will fight like demons, putting deep hatred into warfare when the British and Americans join them in the forthcoming big push," he said.