SILENCE AT RABAUL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 January 1942, Page 3

SILENCE AT RABAUL

FOLLOWING ON FRESH JAPANESE ATTACKS LARGE ENEMY CONVOY SIGHTED NEAR NEW GUINEA BATTLES RAGING IN MALAYA & PHILIPPINES

SOUTHWARD THRUST ELEVEN JAPANESE SHIPS Including Three Aircraft Carriers OPERATING IN NEW GUINEA WATERS AUSTRALIANS MAY HAVE EVACUATED RABAUL LONDON, January 22. AN ENEMY CONVOY HAS BEEN SIGHTED OFF NEW BRITAIN AND NO COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM RABAUL FOR S)ME HOURS. JAPANESE PLANES HAVE MADE FRESH ATTACKS ON RABAUL. Over 40 Japanese bombers and fighters made two raids on Raba 11 today. Tonight’s Australian communique states that commum cation with Rabaul ceased this afternoon. It is considered likely that the wireless and the telegraph stations have been destroyed by the Australian forces and it is possible that the town has been evacuated. Eleven Japanese ships, including naval vessels, were seen near Rabaul. Mr Forde, Australian Army Minister, said earlier that three Japanese aircraft-carriers, supported by units of the Japanese Navy, were known to be near New Guinea.

DEFENCE OF SINGAPORE Hurricane Fighters in Action LONDON, January 22. In Malaya the main battle is still raging in West Johore. ?The 8.8. C. observer in Singapore states that a disturbing fea-. ture of the situation is that the Japanese are still laying their hands on enough ships to enable them to continue their infiltration along the coast 50 miles north-west of Singapore. Our aircraft are keeping up their blows against Japanese transport and many vehicles have been destroyed or damaged. Yesterday Japanese communications were bombed and transport destroyed and today more attacks were made. Hurricane fighters are now defending Singapore against Japanese air raids. These twelve-gun planes this morning destroyed five enemy bombers and also damaged an enemy fighter. A hundred Japanese planes took part in yesterday’s ' raids. The casualties were 287 killed and 529 injured. Some damage was done to military objectives, but most of the bombs fell in residential areas. British troops are fighting side by side in Malaya with Australian and Indian forces. In Burma, the Moulmein aerodrome was raided by ten enemy bombers escorted by 16 fighters. A Rangoon communique states that one hangar was destroyed. British planes made a successful attack on the aerodrome at Mesereind. All returned safely. A point 50 miles east of Moulmein is still held by our forces. In this area our troops have inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese. GREAT OIL WELL DESTROYED In Dutch Borneo, the largest oil wells in the Netherlands East Indies, employing 20,000 workers, has been destroyed by the Dutch. An official statement from Batavia states that the wells were destroyed when the Japanese attacked with far superior forces. FIGHTING IN LUZON In the Philippines more enemy reinforcements have been landed. Today’s Washington communique states that the entire Japanese 14th Army is now in Luzon. The Japanese have renewed their attack all along General MacArthur’s line. There is particularly heavy fighting in the American centre and left.