ENEMY RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1942, Page 4

ENEMY RAIDS

ON OUTLYING NETHERLAND ISLANDS SUCCESS OF DUTCH PILOTS. IN ATTACK ON JAPANESE CONVOY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.20 p.m.) RUGBY. January 25. Dutch Batavia headquarters, reporting further on the attack on a Japanese convoy in Macassar Strait, says that: “Eight Japanese ships which were hit during the first attack were all left burning. One direct hit and some near hits were made on a large passenger ship, which capsized. Another large transport ship received a heavy direct hit along the side, while three near hits were scored on the same ship.” Batavia also reports that during the past few days the enemy have been especially active over places in the cuter provinces of the Dutch East Indies. Yesterday Amboina and its vicinity were bombed, but with little result. Bombing and machine-gunning took place at Sorong and Manokwari, in New Guinea, but little material damage was clone. One woman was killed and one seriously wounded, one child killed and two slightly wounded. At Halong, eleven persons were killed. An aerodrome in the outer provinces was twice attacked by fighters. Antiaircraft machine-guns shot two attackers out of the air, while anti-air-craft artillery probably shot down one fighter and damaged two others. Dutch fighters shot down two enemy fighters. Last week, it is announced, a large number of Japanese fighters attacked Palembang. The attacking aircraft were in fact bombers. These were strongly attacked by _ Dutch fighters, which probably shot’ down one and severely damaged several others. Naval aircraft again bombed military establishments. MORE LANDINGS INVASION OF PACIFIC ISLANDS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, January 25. Japanese landings at Kendari, in South-East Celebes, Balik Papan, in East Borneo, and in the Bismarck Archipelago, off New Guinea, are announced by Netherlands Headquarters in Batavia and by the Australian Army Minister (Mr Forded.