Evening star., 1941-12-29
Jap Cruiser Fired,
Transport and Planes
Claimed in Indies
Enemy Attempt to Get
FoothoId in Sumutru
Believed Failure
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BATAVIA Netherlands Indies,
Dec. 29-Dutch pilots flying Glenn
Martin bombers scored a direct hit
on large japanese transport and
probably felled two japanese fighter
planes in an attack on Miri. Sara
wax. and Australians flying Ameri-
can-built Hudsons set fire to a
japanese cruiser north of CelebeS.
a Netherlands Indies communique
reported today.
This Official announcement con-
firmed previous reports of the hit
on the cruiser which was in con-
voy attacked by Australian pilots
operating from a Dutch airdrome.
The fact that the communique
made no reference to yesterdays
landings OF japanese parachute
troops near Medan, on the island OF
Sumatra, led observers here to be-
lieve the invaders had been unable
to make much headWay in their first
attempt to win foothold on Indies
territory.
(B. B c.. in broadcast heard
in New York by N. B. c., quoted
Batavia Communique as au-
thority for the statement that
''the reports of japanese para
chute landing on Medan. on Su-
matra, are based on a misunder-
standing from the japanese air
raid on this town.
Raid Toll Increased.
TodaY'S Communlque did. how
ever. raise the toll of simultaneous
japanese air attack on the Medan
airport. AT present" it said, "casu-
dead and 70 injured. Further partic-
ulars are awaited" First accounts
had fixed the casualty list at 20
killed and 40 wounded.
1t was learned on good authority
that the japanese had followed up
their attack on Sumatra by dropping
leaflets over the northern part of
the island warning the population
to cease resistance.
Medan is about 225 miles south
west across the Strait Of Malacca
from Ipoh, the most vital tin mining
and communications center in Perak
state, British Malaga. Ipoh is about
29O airline miles north of Singapore.
1T is today acknowledged that
the Japs had swept south of
IpohD
A japanese hold on the eastern
coast of Sumatra would be an
obvious help to the push against
Singapore down the long Malay
Peninsula.
Airline Office Hit.
The raid on Medan apparently
was intended to distract Dutch at
tention from the parachute troops.
A direct hit was scored on the office
of the K N I. L. M.-the Royal
Netherlands Indies Airline.
The action around Medan was
part of a series of weekend blows
by and against the japanese
A Sunday daylight raid on Sorong,
on the north coast Of New Guinea,
caused the death of one person and
the wounding of others. Aneta said.
Homes. shops and Office buildings
we're demolished. Many fires were
set.
A brief communique reported two
other japanese air assaults on out
lying Dutch islands. A number of
anchored naval aircraft was re-
ported attacked on one Some dam
age was caused but particulars were
not available.
During the other raid. in an east
ern region of the archipelago, the
communique said a Dutch Royal
Packet Navigation Co. merchant
vessel was attacked and machine
gunned by japanese aircraft. One
person was killed and three were
wounded, but damage to the ship
was slight.
Naval Reinforcement Urged.
Aneta reported that the Soerabaya
Handelsblad, one of the leading
Javanese newspapers. has urged that
the Netherlands government-in- exile
in London transfer Dutch naval
units from European waters to the
Indies.
"As long as things had not started
moving in the Pacific" said the
Handelsblad, 1T was a good thing
that the Netherlands naval forces
tried to jump on the enemy any,
where they could find him in Eu-
ropean waters.
Now things are different and it
would be an act of wise naval policy
If the relatively valuable naval forces
which are at Netherlands disposal in
European waters would be sent to
the Netherlands Indies to assist the
navy here in carrying out its often