SAVAGE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1942, Page 3

SAVAGE FIGHTING

COLLAPSE OF JAPANESE ATTACKS DESTRUCTION OF PICKED TROOPS GENERAL MACARTHUR’S REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, February 2. Further highly successful resistance in the Batan area in the Philippines by the United States forces, and the infliction of heavy casualties on the attacking Japanese are announced in today’s United States War Department communique from Washington. It states: “In the Philippines theatre, during the past 24 hours, the enemy attacked the right and left of our troops on the Batan Peninsula. These attacks were repulsed with heavy Japanese losses. The action was a continuance of fighting which has been in progress for the past few days. Attacks were launched in the east and west sectors by the Sixteenth and Sixty-fifth Japanese divisions, under the command of Lieutenant-General Nara. The assaults were co-ordinated and were timed to take place simultaneously. Headlong thrusts made on the west coast were aimed at what the enemy mistakenly thought to be our flank and rear. Picked groups, known as Tatori, executed simultaneous attacks on several points along the west coast line, like the fingers of a clawing hand. Captured aerial maps showed the Japanese plan and the urgent character of the mission. There was savage fighting in the underbush. Our infantry, supported by artillery and mortar fire, forced the invaders back along the coast. Those who attempted flight by sea were drowned and others were destroyed or captured. “In the east sector the Sixty-fifth division attempted a frontal attack and envelopment in the Pilar area. The

frontal attack was made by the 142nd Japanese Infantry Regiment, simultaneously with an attempt at envelopment by the 141st and 122nd infantry regiments. The frontal attack was stopped by artillery fire before it was well under way and the envelopment was repulsed with heavy losses to the Japanese.” Commenting on the fighting on the west coast, General MacArthur said: “All enemy threats on the west coast have now been completely mastered. The enemy troops employed in this desperate venture were his best. They were shock troops, specially trained and selected. They have now been entirely destroyed. They resisted with a courage characteristic of Japanese troops, but at the end were glad to surrender.” JAPANESE RAIDS AIR ATTACKS ON SMALL ISLANDS. (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, February 2. A Batavia (Java) communique states: “During the last 24 hours, moderate air activity has taken place over various parts of the Archipelago, some areodromes and small places being machine-gunned. In Campong, one of the small islands, four persons were killed and several others were wounded. Guerilla warfare in this area continues.”