BRITISH METHODS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1942, Page 3

BRITISH METHODS

IN DEFENCE OF MALAYA & INDIES CRITICISM BY AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT. LITTLE HOPE FOR JAVA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, March 5. “1 give Java two weeks of life at the most.” This view was expressed by the “Daily Telegraph’s” war correspondent, Mr Tom Fairhall, who has returned to Sydney. He declared, “The Dutch will fight on to the end. They may be able to retreat to the hills and turn parts of the country into ‘Little- Philippines.’ Their grand airmen will fly the obsolete planes till they cannot take them off the ground.” “The Allied command in Java achieved little. According to Dr. Van Mook (the East Indies’ Lieutenant-Governor-General), the complicated command was superimposed over the Dutch, and he said it impeded the Dutch defence. Even after Singapore fell there did not seem to be a determined effort to push British troops into the Indies. “The Japanese success in Malaya was due to the deadly simplicity of their tactics, and their common sense and leadership. We were outfought because of our red tape, blundering, scarcity of air power, lack of offensive spirit, and the native ‘fifth column.’ Unlike the Japanese, we showed little imagination. “Those troops who were properly trained in jungle warfare fought like tigers, but the reinforcements sent to Malaya had not been trained in jungle technique. I heard we had 250 planes in Malaya when the war broke out, and I often heard our air tactics severely criticised. “I don’t think any squadron fought the Japanese as an intact squadron. They were sent up two and three at a time against the strong Japanese bombers protected by fighters. They didn’t have'a hope. The Japanese concentrated on oui’ airfields and bombed them constantly. “The sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse was a perfect example of our air and anti-aircraft strength. There were more high-angle anti-air-craft guns on the Prince of Wales than in the whole of Singapore. “The Japanese bombing is good, and their bombers are beauties. Their anti-personnel bombs are terrific. They land and burst downward, and they will get you if you are lying flat on the ground or even in a shallow trench.” AN AMERICAN VIEW THE FIGHTING IN BURMA. ATTACK ON INDIA EXPECTED. (Received This Day. 9.40 a.m.) KUMMING, March 4. General Magruder, chief of the United States military mission to Chungking, has arrived here by air from Burma. He told a United Press

correspondent that lie expects soon a Japanese attack' again. 1 '.! India, including a naval attack againxl. Calcutta. Concerning Burma, General Macgruder said the position wan iicriotlK but that if the British used available Chinese forces the Burma oilfield” and airports might be saved. He added that the Japanese wore lining only two divisions, but their troop!; were specially trained jungle fighters, while the British command and forces “were unprepared for the' clever Japanese tactics.”