NO MATERIAL CHANGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1941, Page 4

NO MATERIAL CHANGE

IN SITUATION IN MALAYA MORE JAPANESE LANDINGS ON LUZON. IN- LINGAYEN GULF AREA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) RUGBY, December 28. The situation in Malaya, in light of a Singapore communique, has not materially changed, according to inform--ed opinion in London. Slight contact with the enemy is maintained at Blanka, on the Perak River. News from the Philippines is that the Japanese continue to land in force in the Lingayen Gulf, on the - west coast of Luzon Island. BRITISH TROOPS MANY REJOIN UNITS. AFTER BEING CUT OFF BY JAPANESE. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) SINGAPORE. December 28. The story of four officers and two N.C.O’s. who vzere cut oft by the Japanese when Kedah was overrun but who subsequently escaped through the Japanese lines has just been revealed. It is typical of that of many small parties who are still appearing and rejoining their regiments. Entire units have emerged from the jungle and others have returned to the British lines with very low losses, when it was thought that all were lost. This party, cut off near the Thai frontier, found a Chinese guide who led them through the jungle, found them good quarters in native villages and, after ■three days, brought them to the Kedah coast, where they secured a sampan in which they ( reached Penang. They there secured another vessel and sailed from the harbour just as the Japanese occupying force came in sight. The officers set a course for Pangkor Island, where a small naval vessel picked them up and landed them in British-occupied territory. SOME HEADWAY MADE BY ENEMY TROOPS. SLOW DRIVE SOUTHWARD. (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) SINGAPORE, December 28. The Japanese in Malaya apparently are still moving slowly southward. This is indicated by the reference to Chemor, which is about ten miles south of Sungeisiput, the scene of yesterday’s patrol activity, and a similar distance northward of Ipoh, the capital of Perak. In Trengganu the Japanese seemingly are strengthening their position. The fact that they are driving along the roads between Kemamsan and Kuantan indicates a withdrawal by our forces, who were reported to be engaged in skirmishes with the Japanese northward of Kemamsan a few days ago. In a determined effort to prevent the Japanese making too much use- of the airfields captured in northern Malaya, to assist them in a drive against Singapore, the R.A.F. is carrying out a series of raids on these bases.'

| The R.A.F. is believed to be pursuing a policy of conserving its reduced forces, but night raids promise the greatest success at present, while the Japanese are unable to supply much anti-aircraft fire for the protection of the aerodromes they have taken over. Since the war began the Japanese have not attempted night flying, except the original raid against Singapore. They have probably no planes capable of - acting as night fighters, . so our bombers have a measure of immunity while raiding enemy positions.

RANGOON CASUALTIES HEAVY IN FIRST ENEMY RAID. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) NEW DELHI, December 28. There were 600 civilian casualties in the first Japanese raid against Rangoon on December 23, but only a few in the raid on December 25. ' LIGHTS IN MANILA MANILA, December 28. General Macarthur has ordered the elimination of .blackouts. Police cars, with loud-speakers, circulated the city, notifying that blackouts had ended and instructing people not to extinguish lights in the event of alarms.