MANILA BAY FORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1942, Page 3

MANILA BAY FORTS

BOMBARDED FROM CONCEALED BATTERIES Sharp Fighting on Batan Front GENERAL WAVELL VISITS BURMA AIR ACTIVITY IN MANY AREAS LONDON, February 8. Increased activity by the Japanese in the Philippines is reported in a United States War Department communique. The bombardment of American fortifications at the entrance to Manila Bay by concealed enemy batteries at Cavite has been resumed. Three forts were bombarded for three hours, the guns fifing at four-minute intervals. No serious damage was done. The communique states that on Batan Peninsula the enemy made an infiltration thrust on the right flank, but were repulsed in a sharp counter-attack. Fighting is increasing in intensity on the left flank. Aerial bombing of the American positions has been heavy during the past 24 hours. There is nothing to report on other fronts. General Sir Archibald Wavell, Allied Commander-in-Chief in the South-western Pacific, has made a tour of the Burma front during the last few days. In company with General Hutton, general officer commanding in Burma, General Wavell visited many of the troops in the area. An enemy night air raid on Rangoon was on a smaller scale than earlier ones. Our night fighters were active. Only slight material damage was done and there were no casualties. Japanese artillery has been bombarding chiefly the northwestern part of Singapore Island. Today’s Singapore communique states that our guns have not only silenced Japanese batteries but have broken up enemy working parties on the mainland and interfered with troop movements in Johore Bahru. In Johore Straits a British motor-boat patrol sank an enemy patrol boat with about 30 men on board. British Hurricanes cruised over Singapore this afternoon. Our fighters probably destroyed one enemy bomber. Two other enemy machines were damaged. All our planes returned. An agency message states that no bombs were dropped on the city area. Japanese bombers this morning made their fourth attack on Surabaya. Damage to the Dutch naval base was only slight. In attacks at other points some Dutch planes were destroyed on the ground. , Enemy bombers made an attack on the eastern tip of New Guinea. A Canberra message says no damage is reported. On the mainland of Australia Darwin had an alert, the third since Japan entered the war, lasting for an hour and a half, but no bombs were dropped. Australian fighters went up but no enemy planes were sighted.

The British Government has presented to China three British river gunboats left in China when war with Japan began.