AMERICAN FIGHTERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1942, Page 3

AMERICAN FIGHTERS

NOTABLE SUCCESS OVER JAVA TOLL TAKEN OF STRONGER ENEMY FORCE. ONLY LIMITED ACTIVITY IN PHILIPPINES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, February 25. A United States War Department communique states: “In the Philippine theatre of war there have been sharp encounters between patrols along the line at Batan. Small elements of our troops have been uniformly successful in aggressive local action. “In the Netherlands East Indies a formation of nine Japanese bombers, protected by fourteen fighters, was intercepted over Java by seven American pursuit planes and turned back. One enemy bomber and one fighter were shot down, while four other enemy bombers and two fighters were damaged. Our planes suffered no losses. There is nothing to report from other areas.” JAPANESE CLAIM DISPERSAL OF AMERICAN SQUADRON CRUISERS & AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. ATTACKING MANDATED ISLANDS. (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, February 25. _ The German radio, quoting the Tokio radio, said Japanese planes dispersed a strong American naval squadron of cruisers and aircraft-carriers trying to attack Japanese mandated islands in the South Pacific. KILLED IN ACTION JAPANESE REAR-ADMIRAL. (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 25. The Tokio official radio says the Navy has announced that Rear-Ad-miral Shusaku Shibuya was killed in action on February 14 off Borneo.