GARRISON BUSY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1942, Page 3

GARRISON BUSY

PREPARING FOR INEVITABLE BATTLE FORCES LARGEST IN HISTORY OF ISLAND. RESIDENTIAL AREA DAMAGED BY AIR ATTACK. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, February 4. A Singapore correspondent says that the island’s garrison is now the largest in the history of the fortress, and possibly larger than the whole of the forces in Malaya a few months ago. The are using every minute to prepare for the inevitable battle. Apart from desultory fire from the island, both sides in the Johore Straits have seemed to be dozing peacefully in the sun. There is the usual flow of traffic in Singapore’s streets, with crowds waiting to enter the cinemas. Early this morning an attack was made on the north of the island, and after midday 18 bombers dropped explosives and incendiaries over the city. The area blitzed was mainly the fashionable European residential quarter, where many houses were damaged. The civilian casualties in yesterday’s raid totalled 70 killed and more than 200 injured. Anti-aircraft fire between January 31 and today shot down two raiders and probably three others. STILL FIGHTING DUTCH FORCES AT PONTIANAK. SURABAYA’S FACILITIES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 4. A correspondent in Batavia reports that the garrison at Pontianak, the capital of Borneo, on the west coast, is still holding out. [A communique issued from Batavia on January 2 stated that from various unconfirmed reports it could be presumed that Pontianak had fallen.] Fierce 'fighting is proceeding in the outer islands, but details are lacking. Attempts by Japanese planes to start a panic among the native popu lation in Java have failed everywhere. The attack on Surabaya is felt in London to be of the greatest significance in the development of the war in the Pacific. It is reported that new harbours have been built during the last year, and also a quay to accommodate large battleships. Repair shops have also been created. In peacetime Surabaya was a great port for the dispatch of exports, and a large number of ships called there. A Japanese success would certainly be a setback to the Allied plans for reestablishing sea ascendancy, and there is no doubt that the value of Surabaya as an Allied base is highly appreciated in London. The casualties at Surabaya were 31 killed and 119 injured.