JAP. THREAT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20659, 9 January 1942, Page 4

JAP. THREAT

SOUTHERN MALAYA UNITS FILTER IN RESISTANCE STIFFENS FAR EAST WAR SURVEY (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.' (Reed. Jan. 9, 12 noon.) LONDON, Jan. 8. Japanese infiltration increasingly threatens southern Malaya from both west and east, said the Resident Officer of Health in an interview with the Australian Associated Press correspondent at Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. The correspondent says that Kuala Lumpur is a dead city apart from the military force and volunteers and the police. A tour of the streets revealed countless deserted motor cars, many of which were machinegunned. Bomb scars have defaced public buildlings. and demolition squads are still dynamiting tinmines in the district.

Systematic salvage of deserted shops’ stock is proceeding, otherwise Ihe city is being left intact;. The Tok.io radio ’ to-day admitted that British resistance iii north aya had considerably stiffened a.nd added that the Japanese are aiso meeting much sliffer defence in the Selangor area. Reports that German staff officers are directing the Japanese campaign in Malaya is now ' practically confirmed by the fact that two European officers with Japanese troops have been shot by Indian troops. It is impossible to recover the bodies for identification, but a description of lliese Europeans tally more closely with Germans than any other racial type. Penetration of Tanks To-day’s war communique from Singapore states: “Enemy infantry and tanks maintained heavy pressure throughout yesterday on the lower Perak front. At one point his tanks succeeded in penetrating our defences. Our forces have been withdrawn to the south of Klim River. We have suffered some losses in guns and transport. In the Selangor area there are indications of some enemy infiltration eastwards. Otherwise the situation remains unchanged. “There is nothing to add to yesterday’s report from the Penang area. Further reports from Klang state that there were few casualties from an enemy air raid on Tuesday. “Early this morning our aircraft carried out an attack on the aerodrome at Kong Kadak. A number of high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on the target, but accurate observation of the results were prevented by low clouds.”

There is still no news in London ol' any Japanese landings south of Kuala Selangor and the situation in Perak appears to be about the sajne. Neither is there any news of a Japanese advance further south than Kuantan. In the course of his survey of the war situation in the House of Commons, the Lord Privy Seal, R. Attlee said the tremendous distances between the various possessions was difficult to appreciate. Major Attlee then recited the details which led up to the fall of Hong Kong. Landings in Thailand “The Japanese effected considerable landings at Singora ancl Ratani in Thailand,” he said. “These were unopposed by the Thais and, indeed, there is reason to believe that stores of fuel had been accumulated there for the benefit of the Japanese in advance. Simultaneously, the Japanese managed to land at Kota Bharu on northern Malaya. They considerably outnumbered the forward troops who, however, succeeded in cutting their way out. Heavy casualties have been incurred but have also been inflicted on the enemy. Aerodromes and communications were destroyed as we withdrew and, at present, our northern forces have fallen back to a position some 60 miles north of Kuala Lumpur and our garrisons further east have fallen back to conform.

‘.‘The first raid on Rangoon took place on December 23 and was made by 60 bombers escorted by fighters and 10 of the escorts were destroyed. On December 25 the Japanese attacked again with 80 bombers escorted by 20 fighters and. this time they lost 27 machines and in neither raid was any substantial damage done.” Demands Exceed Resources

The demands on Britain’s resources in men, arms and transport had been very heavy for home defence, the Middle East and Russia, and it had been necessary to decide how to allocate these resources in the best possible manner. "We sent what we could- to the Far East, but it is idle to suppose that even had we increased our production to the utmost extent, we could have provided within the time available the transport, arms, and personnel in the Far East equal to the resources of Japan. We have lost some 15 aerodromes in Malaya, but in no case was their loss attributable to parachute or air-borne attack. Aerodromes were lost because, is is not possible to hold an area in which they were situated. In the same way General Rommel, when driven back, lost his aerodromes in Cyrenaica. Aerodromes could not be held in isolation when the surrounding area had to be abandoned. Whenever aerodromes had been evacuated as far as possible they had been rendered unserviceable.