AMERICANS AND FILIPINOS IN BATAN OVERWHELMED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1942, Page 3

AMERICANS AND FILIPINOS IN BATAN OVERWHELMED

After Long Stand Against Enormous Odds CORREGIDOR AND OTHER FORTS STILL HELD PEOPLE OF UNITED STATES DEEPLY STIRRED LONDON, April 9. AFTER NEARLY FOUR MONTHS OF HEAVY FIGHTING AGAINST ENORMOUS ODDS THE AMERICAN AND FILIPINO DEFENDERS QF THE BATAN PENINSULA HAVE BEEN OVERCOME BY THE ENEMY. A United States War Department communique says: “A message-from Lieutenant-General Wainwright at Corregidor, m Manila Bay, states that the Japanese attack-in Batan succeeded , in enveloping the eastward flank of our line, a position held by the 2nd Corps. An attack by the Ist Corps, which was ordered to relieve the situation, failed, due to the complete physical exhaustion of the troops. ( The communique continues: “Full details are not available, but this situation indicates the probability that the defences in Batan have been overcome.’’ The situation of General Wainwright’s troops was known to have been desperate. Since April 4 the Japanese have been hurling thousands of shock-troops against the outnumbered defenders in assaults which have been supported by tanks, artillery, dive-bombing, and. machine-gunning from the air. The total strength of the American and Filipino forces commanded by General Wainwright on Batan was 36,800 officers and men and a majority of these have been either killed or captured. The Japanese were reported yesterday to be employing an army of between 110,000 and 135,000 men in Batan. President Roosevelt has authorised General Wainwright to take any decisions that may now be necessary. It is possible that some of the defenders of Batan may have escaped to Corregidor Island or the other fortresses still held at the entrance to Manila Bay. The United States Secretary for War, Mr H. Stimson, said that in the middle of January great efforts were made to send fresh supplies to the defenders in Batan Peninsula. Several ships were despatched from bases in Australia, but for every ship that arrived nearly two were lost. Nearly 20,000 refugees had also to be fed from the defenders’ limited food supplies. The defenders had also lacked any air support for some time. Mr Stimson said he saw no reason why resistance by isolated forces should not continue in several parts of the Philippines. The fall of Batan is a great blow to the American public. The evening papers carry the news with heavy black streamer headlines. The news has stirred the American people as nothing has done since the attack on Pearl Harbour.