PARTIAL LULL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1942, Page 3

PARTIAL LULL

IN SOUTH-WESTERN PACIFIC Expectation of Fresh Japanese Attacks ARTILLERY ACTIVITY IN PHILIPPINES NO CHANGE IN POSITION IN BURMA LONDON, February 17. News from the Far East is of a lull in both Burma and the Netherlands East Indies, but of considerable enemy activity in the Philippines. The situation is one of expectation of fresh Japanese attacks. A Rangoon communique reports no change in the situation on the Bilin River front. Today’s communique reports that the Japanese bombed places in the Sunda Islands, between Sumatra and Java, causing some casualties, but little material damage. In attacks on the Sulu Islands, also, little material damage was done, but several people were killed or wounded. Dutch bombers scored a direct hit on an enemy transport and probably hit another. >, The value of oil installations and equipment destroyed by the Dutch in the Palembang area is estimated at £50,000,000. The destruction is stated to have been as thorough as that carried out in the Balik Papan region, in Borneo, where even the geological formation was blasted, so that the direction qf the oil flow underground was changed. It was estimated in Batavia that the policy of destruction carried out in Borneo and Sumatra had involved plant, etc., valued at £125,000,000. Reuter’s correspondent at Rangoon states that it is assumed that the Japanese army and air force, particularly the latter, will now concentrate on the new front in Burma. The possibility of enemy transports passing through Malacca Strait had also to be borne in mind. In the Philippines, General MacArthur reports that heavy enemy artillery fire against the coastal fortifications increased in intensity in the course of the day. The bombardment came from the Cavite shore. Damage and casualties were not great. The Japanese are bringing up further reinforcements in the Batan Peninsula and there is increasing artillery fire along the whole front. The enemy is bringing up more guns.