HEAVY PUNISHMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 February 1942, Page 4

HEAVY PUNISHMENT

INFLICTED BY BRITISH GUNS ON JAPANESE ATTACKING SINGAPORE. PEOPLE OF CITY STIRRED TO ENTHUSIASM. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, February 13. It was announced at 1 p.m. that _ there had been no news from the Singapore battle zone for some hours. There is a heartening message from an Agency correspondent, however. He says that our artillery fire is intense. At one point 400 shells per hour are bursting on the Japanese lines. The heavy punishment inflicted on the Japanese by our guns has caused enthusiasm among the people of Singapore. Japanese shelling has caused no panic, but the inhabitants of congested areas have been advised to disperse into open areas around the city during the daytime and to return home at dusk. In London, the Colonial Office has received news that many women and children, including several thousands of the ten thousand Europeans, had left Singapore by the end of last month. BURMESE PREMIER DENUNCIATION OF ENEMY OUTRAGES. CALL FOR UNITED EFFORT. ( (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, February 13. The Premier, Sir Paw Tun, in opening parliament warned Burma that Japan, if victorious, would reduce Burma to deplorable subjugation. Sir Paw Tun accused the Japanese of savage atrocities in many places, by bombing, shelling and machinegunning. He urged the utmost help to our Army and Allies to crush the enemy. ERRONEOUS ATTACK BY JAPANESE BOMBERS. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED ON OWN TROOPS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, February 13. How the Japanese dive-bombed their own troops is told in the following United States War Department communique: “Aggressive enemy patrol action has characterised sporadic fighting in the Batan Peninsula in the last 24 hours. Enemy dive-bombers mistakenly bombed and machine-gunned their own infantry, with heavy casualties. The victims of the erroneous attack were elements of the 102nd Japanese Regiment of General Akira Maras and the 65th Division. There is nothing to report in other areas.” SCORCHED EARTH NOTHING OF VALUE LEFT TO ENEMY. IN INVADED AREA OF CELEBES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, February 13. A Batavia message states that because of the heavy destruction carried out in Celebes, the enemy will not find anything of use to him. No fur-

ther reports have been received from other theatres of war in the Netherlands Indies Archipelago. Enemy air activity has been mainly confined to reconnaissance over the outer provinces.