WAKE ISLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1941, Page 3

WAKE ISLAND

INVADED BY JAPANESE FOLLOWING ON HEAVY AIR ATTACK. REPORTED BY U.S.A. NAVY DEPARTMENT. LONDON, December 23. Washington reports that Japanese forces have effected a landing on Wake Island. This was announced from the United States Naval Department. The landing was made early this morning and was preceded by a heavy air attack yesterday morning, in which several Japanese planes were shot down.

There are no details as to the strength of the invading forces. It is known that the American garrison is a small one. HONG KONG DEFENCE THE GARRISON’S VALIANT EFFORT IMPORTANCE OF FORTRESS & BASE. EMPHASISED IN LONDON. (British Official. Wireless.) (Received This. Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, December 23. The continued resistance of Hong Kong, though invested by large Japanese forces on the mainland and in all the surrounding waters, is regarded in naval circles in London as a remarkable achievement. It is pointed out that the defence has been built up during a time when many other and more urgent calls on British war material had to be answered. The temporary, complete Japanese control of sea communications in the South China Sea makes Hong Kong extremely difficult to defend, but it is important to deny to the Japanese as long as possible the use of this valuable deep water port, lying in the midst of sea communications, in an area where the Japanese are now engaged in large-scale expeditionary and navy campaigns. Naval commentators point out that it would be important to Britain to recapture this vital point, but such an operation cannot be undertaken until naval control in the Western Pacific has been regained from the Japanese.