OVER THIRTY ENEMY SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 January 1942, Page 3

OVER THIRTY ENEMY SHIPS

EITHER SUNK OR DAMAGED ALLIED SEA & AIR ATTACKS IN MACASSAR STRAITS

AT LEAST TEN LOST FIVE OTHERS PROBABLY DESTROYED Another Seventeen Damaged UNITED STATES CRUISERS AND DESTROYERS TAKE PART ( I LONDON, January 26. The great Allied air and sea attack on a Japanese convoy in the Strait of Macassar cost the enemy more than thirty ships either sunk or damaged. Ten Japanese ships were sunk for certain, five more may have been sunk and another 17 damaged. The attacks on the convoy have been going on since Friday afternoon. Today’s Batavia communique states that a Dutch submarine sank a Japanese destroyer and hit a cruiser. Cruisers and destroyers of the American Asiatic Fleet sank five enemy transports and probably one more. American Flying Fortresses yesterday sank a large enemy transport ship and scored a direct hit on a cruiser. In spite of the violence of the attacks only one Dutch bomber was lost and slight damage done to an American submarine. HEAVY FIGHTING Further Japanese Advance in Malaya BATU PAHAT OCCUPIED LONDON, January 26. After heavy fighting the Japanese have occupied Batu Pahat on the western coast of the peninsula, about 70 miles from Singapore. During the night bombers attacked targets in Malaya. Fires were started and an aerodrome hit. A ship was left listing. All the planes came back safely. In the Philippines fighting is confined to relatively unimportant skirmishes. ENEMY PLANES INTERCEPTED Success by American Volunteer Airmen GENERAL WAVELL VISITS RANGOON LONDON, January 26. A R.A.F. communique from Rangoon states that 40 enemy planes were intercepted by American volunteer airmen. Three were destroyed and another probably lost. One of our fighters was shot down. In the land fighting no change is reported in the -position. General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces in the South-west Pacific, recently visited Rangoon and discussed defence problems with the Governor and the chiefs of the naval, military and air forces. SUBMARINE ATTACK On British Merchant Ships in Bay of Bengal LONDON, January 26. The two merchant ships sunk in the Bay of Bengal were attacked by a Japanese submarine. One was torpedoed without warning and sank at once and the o,ther was shelled at close range and set on fire. Neither of the ships carried any armament.